08 Apr Suing Libya and Khaddafi for Involvement in IRA Bombings
08.04.06
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The American and British families of victims of Irish Republican Army bombings are preparing to sue Libya and Col. Khaddafi in a class action in U.S. federal court. The suit will cover ten different bombings, all of which were believed to have used Semtex explosive supplied by Libya. More on this as the case progresses.
Interesting…but won’t head of state immunity be a bit of a problem? And why in American courts???
The article mentioned that the British families would be able to sue if they joined the American class action.(Contrast this with how they could have tried to sue without the Americans under the Alien Tort Statute.) I have to see the actual pleadings once they are filed but my guess at this point is that the plaintiffs are invoking the exception for state-sponsors of terrorism under the Foreign Sovereign Immunites Act. But that’s just a guess on my part. We’ll see.