(Dow Jones) Brent Kendall - U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth in Washington on Thursday issued a $300 million punitive damages award against Iran for its support of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that the U.S. and Israel consider a terrorist organization. The case involved a 2003 suicide bombing of a Jerusalem bus by Hamas. The plaintiffs, which included the family of an American citizen killed in the attack, said Iran was legally liable in the deaths because it provided financial and material support to Hamas. "The court...expresses hope that the sanction it issues today will play a measurable role in changing the conduct of Iran - and other supporters of international terrorism - in the future," Lamberth wrote. "Courts therefore should continue to adhere to methods designed to impose optimal sanctions when faced with actors deliberately undertaking some of the most evil and inhuman acts imaginable."
2011-05-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive