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Iran Must Pay for 1983 Beirut Bombing of Marine Barracks

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By Keith Morelli / Tampa Tribune, and the Associated Press

Published: September 7, 2007

TAMPA - Anthony La Spada was expecting a large judgment against Iran, but when the amount was announced Friday morning, the Tampa lawyer who represents four families killed in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut finally felt vindicated.

The civil lawsuit was brought by more than 1,000 claimants against the government of Iran, proven to be behind the suicide bomb attack that killed 241 Marines. No defense was mounted as the suit went through hearings and a trial in Washington, said La Spada, who has been working on the case for the past six years.

Now comes the issue of collecting the judgment - $2.7 billion - for his clients and for the clients of three other attorneys who presented evidence against the Middle East nation.

Before Congress is a bill to seize certain Iranian assets, La Spada said. Those assets could be used to pay the judgment if the bill passes, he said. About 200 relatives of Marines killed in the blast were in the courtroom Friday, and most went directly to Capitol Hill afterward to voice their support for the seizure bill.

"There was a lot of lobbying going on Friday," La Spada said.

There is a lot at stake.

"We think it's the highest judgment ever entered against a nation or country," La Spada said by phone as he returned to Tampa on Friday afternoon.

Seventeen marines from Florida were killed in the attack almost a quarter of a century ago.

Iran has been blamed for supporting the militant group Hezbollah, which carried out the suicide bombing in Beirut. It was the worst terrorist act against U.S. targets until the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The judge's announcement left some relatives in tears.

"These individuals, whose hearts and souls were forever broken, waited patiently for nearly a quarter century for justice to be done," said U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth.

Families were encouraged by Libya's decision to ultimately accept responsibility for the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight over Scotland. The country, once a pariah by Washington's view, agreed to compensate the families of the 270 victims. Part of the $2.7 billion has been paid. A final $2 million installment to each family is outstanding.

"This is a sense of victory, of winning a battle," said Paul Rivers, who was a 20-year-old enlisted Marine on the second floor of the barracks when it exploded. "When we win the war is when we collect, when we make them pay for what they did."

Iran has denied responsibility for the attack. The nation did not respond to the 6-year-old lawsuit and was represented only by an empty table.

Family members said they hoped Friday's ruling would pressure foreign governments not to sponsor terrorism. Lynn Smith Derbyshire, whose brother, Vincent Smith, was killed in the attack, said countries won't stop until "it begins to actually cost them money to kill Americans."

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