The Bush administration is fighting a court order to pay former Gulf War prisoners damages awarded them in July.
The group of 17 soldiers who were allegedly tortured by their Iraqi captors in the 1991 war were awarded almost $1 billion in damages last month, payable by Iraq, according to a report in The New York Times. But Iraq never responded to the lawsuit, so a federal court ordered that the soldiers be paid from frozen Iraqi accounts.
The Bush administration has expressed sympathy for the plaintiffs over what they endured but said it was fighting for the money because it is needed to rebuild Iraq.
Richard Roberts, a federal district judge in Washington, will hear government arguments asking him to rescind his order setting aside the $653 million in compensatory damages, and to cancel the award itself, which includes additional millions for punitive damages.
The government cites "foreign policy interests in ensuring a safe and successful transition in Iraq".
The Middle East Times
