A federal judge on Friday ruled that Iran was responsible for the 1983 truck bombing of a U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and should pay damages to relatives of the victims. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, noting that the U.S. government has designated Iran as a “state sponsor of terrorism” since 1984, said Iran and its Ministry of Information were liable to the 661 relatives of the victims who are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. The bombing on Oct. 23, 1983, killed 241 U.S. military members and wounded many others. The lawsuit was filed at the end of 2001. Lamberth ruled in December 2002 that the lawsuit could go forward under a 1996 law used by U.S. citizens to sue nations found to sponsor terrorism. Iran never responded to the lawsuit and was not represented in the case. The country has not responded to other similar lawsuits brought in the past. The plaintiffs filed claims for wrongful death and common-law claims for battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress — all resulting from an act of state-sponsored terrorism. Full Story
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