PA scores "major legal victory" in U.S. Federal Court

I knew Justice was supposed to be "blind" but I'd say they're overdoing it when it comes to the Palestinians. Glenn Kessler continues to cover this story at WaPo:

Palestinian Authority Granted New Trial in Terrorism Damages Suit

The Palestinian Authority won a major legal victory when a federal judge, in a ruling made public yesterday, agreed to set aside a judgment of nearly $200 million awarded to American victims of Palestinian terrorist attacks in Israel and allow a new trial.

Such rulings are rare, and the judge, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, said that he would vacate the previous legal victory only if the Palestinian Authority put up a $192.7 million bond to ensure that it does not default again if it loses in court. In a ruling Wednesday, he also ordered the Palestinians to reimburse the plaintiffs for previous legal expenses.

But Marrero's decision gives the Palestinian government hope that it can escape from lawsuits that its officials said threatened to bankrupt it. Top Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, had urged Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to intervene in the case.

Marrero had earlier sought the Bush administration's opinion on the case, confronting it with a choice between supporting compensation for victims of terrorism and bolstering the Palestinian government as the United States presses for a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The administration ultimately declined to offer an opinion, but noted in a statement to the court that it was concerned that lawsuits by victims of terrorism could harm the "financial and political viability" of the Palestinian Authority -- a statement that Marrero noted in making his decision.

(BtB) Background here and here.

Now if the courts go the way the State Department is going, and throw aggrieved American citizens under the bus in order to meet the incessant demands of poorpalestinians, then I guess we're going to be even more sunk than we are now...

UPDATE - Devorah gives us a clue:

Sept. 6, 2007 - NEW YORK - A federal judge struck down parts of America's top anti-terror law as unconstitutional Thursday, saying courts must be allowed to supervise cases where the government orders Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers.

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero said the government orders must be subject to meaningful judicial review and that the recently rewritten USA Patriot Act "offends the fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers."

A new trial might be the best thing after all.

Comments

[Jessica]

i wonder if the journalist knows that a "major legal victory" is when the victims win, not the perpetrators.