November 22, 2009

Obama Justice Department seeks to block enforcement of judgment against Iran for murder of 241 United States Marines
by Bill Levinson

In 1983, 241 United States Marines were murdered by a suicide bombing in which a Bush-era Federal court ruled that Iran was complicit. The court ordered Iran to pay the families of the murdered service members $2.65 billion. The Boston Globe reports that the Obama Justice Department has, in an effort to appease Iran, intervened to quash the judgment; in other words, Barack Obama has sided openly with terrorists who murder U.S. Marines.

We reported previously that the Obama State Department (Hillary Clinton) has cut off funding for Freedom House and other organizations that report on human rights violations in Iran and other countries. Now the President of the United States and his Justice Department (Eric Holder) have made themselves, at least morally if not legally, willful accessories after the fact to terroristic violence against the Armed Forces of the United States.

As reported by the Boston Globe

After a federal judge ruled in 2007 that Iran was liable for $2.65 billion in damages to be shared by 150 families seeking restitution, they believed they were on the cusp of victory.

But now, the Obama administration is going to court to try to block payments from Iranian assets that the families’ lawyers want seized, contending that it would jeopardize sensitive negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program and establish a potentially damaging precedent.

In a little-noticed filing in federal court, the Justice Department is arguing that giving the money to the victims “can have significant, detrimental impact on our foreign relations, as well as the reciprocal treatment of the United States and its extensive overseas property holdings.’’

…the US District Court in Washington found that Iran’s Ministry of Information and Security helped plan and facilitate the Oct. 23, 1983, attack.

What about rule of law, Eric Holder? Didn’t you swear to uphold the law when you took office? That is what you tell us all the time when you say your duty requires you to prosecute CIA personnel for alleged mistreatment of terrorists, although your duty apparently does not require you to investigate Barack Obama for illegal Internet gambling. The truth, Eric Holder, is that your “duty” seems to consist of selective enforcement of laws to meet the needs of Barack Obama. Eric Holder is the same individual who was involved in the pardon of alleged tax evader and Clinton donor Marc Rich.

The law, as interpreted by a Federal court, says that Iran is liable for its role in the murder of 241 United States Marines. Eric Holder and Barack Obama, however, wish to deny justice to the Marines’ families so they can appease the butchers of Tehran. Barack Obama has accordingly forfeited the trust and respect of the American people and the Armed Forces, noting again that his Administration has made itself at least morally an accessory after the fact to terroristic violence against the Armed Forces. We cannot possibly imagine how any United States Marine would now want to be posted to the White House, which was once a position of honor but which would now involve saluting and saying “Sir!” to an individual who seeks to condone the murder of Marines.

Addendum 11/23/09
If Barry REALLY feels a need to pander to the Butchers of Tehran, let him ask Congress for $2.65 billion in taxpayer money to pay the families of the Marines. Then he can tell his friend Ahmadinejad that his government has paid for what Iran did, and he can hope (hope, hope, hope) for reciprocity in termination of Iran’s nuclear weapon programs. Of course, Barry and Eric Holder lack the character, ethics, or integrity to do anything of the sort.