Lawyers ask judge to find Iran liable for 9/11

Associated Press

NEW YORK

Lawyers representing 9/11 families are asking a federal judge to find Iran culpable in the Sept. 11 terror attacks, saying new evidence shows Iranian officials had advanced word of the attacks and helped train the hijackers.

The lawyers filed papers Thursday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan saying there is “clear and convincing” evidence to conclude default judgment damages should be paid to their plaintiffs — families and personal representatives of some of those killed in the attacks.

Supporting their arguments, the lawyers cited the testimony of three defectors from Iran’s intelligence service, the Ministry of Information and Security, saying they worked in positions that gave them access to sensitive information regarding Iran’s state sponsorship of terrorism. They said the testimony, part of 28 hours of testimony by four witnesses, supports a claim that Iranian officials had advanced word of the attacks and that Iran helped train those who carried it out.

Iran has not responded to the lawsuit, which was first filed in Washington D.C., and later transferred to New York. A message was left Friday with the Iranian mission to the United Nations.