Victims of Terrorism Win in Federal Court. But Bush Voids Their Victory.

President Bush's decision to not support the victims of terrorist attacks does not surprise me at all. But to overturn a case that was won in Federal Court by the victims families of Flight 772 is almost unbelievable. A total of 170 innocent people including seven Americans were murdered in that attack on Sept. 19, 1989. Libyan Leader Gaddafi was responsible for that attack and others as well. The seven families of the American victims were the first and only group to win a lawsuit against Libya in Federal Court. But Bush disregarded that verdict completely.

This past August members of congress in a meeting behind closed doors approved a agreement called the Libyan Claims Resolution Act. Bush then signed the Act into law.

The new Act ignores the Federal Court ruling which awarded the victims families 6 billion dollars. The new Act awards the victims 1.5 billion dollars. And more importantly does not hold Gaddafi responsible for the murders. The families members have all agreed not to sign off on the new agreement, and or accept the monies. Instead they plan to continue the fight against their own government and the Libyan Regime. Good for them!! I wish them luck and success.

The New Libyan Claims Act will effectively make it even more difficult for American families who's loved ones have been murdered by terrorists to collect not only compensation from countries and leaders who support terrorism, but also to at least punish those regimes financially.

Bush's decision weakens the Anti-Terrorist Act of 1996. And is insult to all victims of terrorist attack, and their families. It makes every American alive more powerless if they ever become victims of a terrorist attack. Not to mention that this decision on Bush's part undermines the Federal Courts Rulings. One has to wonder why you would even bother to go to court if our own government can ignore the courts verdict when the President and members of congress disagree with that verdict.

Its a know fact that Bush was getting heavy pressure from American Oil companies to open up Libya so as they could drill for oil. And that we as Americans will need all the oil we can get in the future. But Bush could have taken a stand and told Gadaffi that the American Oil companies would be allowed into Libya and that Libya would be taken off the list of countries that support terrorism when Libya would accept responsibility for all the victims deaths from America and other countries, and pay the consequences as well. But instead Bush chose the easier softer road, he caved in to Gaddafi's and the Big Oil companies demands, and in doing so sold out the victims of terrorist attacks and their families again.