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Welcome to America: See you in court!

posted at 3:35 pm on September 11, 2006 by Bryan
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I was against the Khatami visit. I don’t like the litigious aspects of American society. But who knew that putting two awful things together could taste so good?

Seven Jewish-Iranian families have filed suit in an American federal court against former President Mohammad Khatami over charges that he is responsible for the kidnapping and torture of their missing family members. The families, currently residing in Los Angeles and Israel, contend that Khatami instituted the policy of imprisoning their relatives without trials and refusing to provide them any information concerning their whereabouts. The Jews were arrested on different occasions during the years 1994 through 1997, as they sought to leave Iran across its border with Pakistan.

On Friday evening copies of the complaint and summons were served on Khatami at a reception in Arlington, Virginia hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Khatami has twenty days to file an answer denying the allegations or default the case. READ MORE

The plaintiffs, who are not U.S. citizens, brought the suit under special laws – the Alien Torts Act and the Torture Victims Protection Act – which permit foreigners to sue their tormentors for torture and kidnapping in American courts. The lawsuit filed in the New York District Court is being represented by attorneys Robert Tolchin of New York, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner of Jerusalem and Pooya Dayanim of Los Angeles. The plaintiffs are seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages against Khatami for his role in the on-going disappearance of their loved ones.

Being hauled into court and undergoing the colonoscopy that lawsuits can be is about the closest thing America has to legally subjecting anyone to being raked over hot coals and then drawn and quartered (which is what happens to your property if you lose). So in Khatami’s case, may he be served with 1,000 lawsuits.


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On Friday evening copies of the complaint and summons were served on Khatami at a reception in Arlington, Virginia hosted by the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Khatami has twenty days to file an answer denying the allegations or default the case.

YES! Now let’s see what happens but GOOD FOR THEM!

labwrs on September 11, 2006 at 3:40 PM

Until the glorious day when a President rescinds Executive Order 12333, I guess we’ll have to make do with litigation. But to merely sue our enemies trifles with their enmity.

Kralizec on September 11, 2006 at 3:45 PM

We should declare all-out war on Iran; parachute into Tehran 50,000 lawyers. The resulting legalistic bloodbath would get them to give up nuclear ambitions forever and would be a win-win for the U.S. (unless the peace treaty required us to take back the surviving lawyers)

Mike O on September 11, 2006 at 3:59 PM

BUT, since the government of Iran does NOT recognize anything but Sharia law???

He will not feel bound, nor even respond, to this litigation.

Romeo13 on September 11, 2006 at 4:10 PM

Sorry, but ain’t nuthin’ gonna happen here. These cases all get thrown out, and to add insult to injury, the State Department always weighs in on the side of the defendant. Gotta come up with a way to cook this guy outside of litigation.

Attila (Pillage Idiot) on September 11, 2006 at 4:31 PM

Even if it was true that 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name, with this we’ve found the 1% deserving of praise.

thirteen28 on September 11, 2006 at 5:27 PM

The only thing I wish were different – I wish he’d been served in the Cathedral. I would have loved to see that sorry excuse for a denomination (that I was unfortunately baptized into as an infant) embarrassed at the same time.

Chelle

ChelleFiche on September 11, 2006 at 6:29 PM

Much ado over nothing I’m afraid.

DannoJyd on September 11, 2006 at 6:36 PM

i’m sure that the ACLU & other liberals (especially Alan Colmes) will come to his defense

Starblazer on September 11, 2006 at 7:07 PM

Attila, you can always remove those manhole covers on the sidewalks.

Kokonut on September 11, 2006 at 8:33 PM

Moderate Muslim equals mad dog. Not a deseased, vicious dog since those are truly followers of peace.

This clown, the moderate, comes to the USA, appears in the national Christian cathedral, gets warm and fuzzy response from Harvard and goes back to crazyland to help plan a moderate nuclear Jihad. At leat some folks, not American citizens, got to annoy him. I’ll take anything.

Hening on September 12, 2006 at 8:15 AM

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