Widows file suit against bin Laden
Fighting For Important Causes In State And Federal Courts
The Pa. women are working to cripple the terrorist’s powers.
Seven Bucks County women who lost loved ones in the Sept. 11 attacks have filed a federal lawsuit against Osama bin Laden and his network of supporters.
The women are determined to irreversibly cripple the terrorists’ ability to attack again.
“We want to prevent all those responsible for our losses to ever inflict that on others,” said Fiona Havlish, who lost her husband when two hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center.
The plaintiffs have made it clear that their intentions are not to target American companies but to take constructive action to ease past memories and lost futures.
“They are actually seeking to have the lawsuits certified as a class-action suit that would eventually include all victims of the New York, Pentagon and Pennsylvania crashes,” said Jack Corr, attorney for the law firm Mellon, Webster, and Chelly, in Doylestown.
The seven women see their long-shot legal effort to bankrupt terrorists and their supporters as a crucial step in re-assembling their shattered lives.
“By killing my husband they changed my life without me wanting it to be changed.
When my little girl ask me what I did to help I will be able to say I did something. I made them accountable for their actions,” Havlish said.
Those filed in the suit include accused terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, his al-Qaida network, Afghanistan’s former Taliban rulers and the estates of the 19 terrorist hijackers.
“Fiona Havlish, who lost a loved one in the Sept. 11 attacks, came to us in early December and discussed her interest in the government’s victims compensation fund which provides money only for those who forfeit the right to sue, except if the suit is against a terrorist,” Corr said.
“She wanted to strike back at the terrorists and asked us how she could do that civilly through the courts. We researched it and saw that something could be done.”
Corr explained the scale of the lawsuit.
“We filed a class action where these seven women represent the 3,000 people who lost loved ones in the attacks. If the case is ever settled the money will be spread among everyone,” Corr said.
The action seeks at least $100 billion in total damages.
“We intend to bankrupt them,” Corr said.
The lawyers and plaintiffs’ intentions are to crush the terrorists, not for their own monetary gain, they said.
“This is not about compensation.
They understand it could be up to 30 years before this case is settled.
They just needed to take action and we agreed to help,” Corr said.
Havlish agreed. “My intention is to make sure they don’t have access to any of the funds.
I don’t want what happened to me to happen to anyone else.”
Andrew Shubin, a local attorney whose business is located 215 E. Beaver Ave., gave a legal perspective on the civil law suit.
“I think it’s a great idea. First, they should locate a private investigator to serve him and then locate the assets before the government does.
But, all I can say to them is good luck,” Shubin said.
However, some students had a pessimistic view of the case.