Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London v. Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

811 F. Supp. 2d 53, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98913, 2011 WL 3880926
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedSeptember 2, 2011
DocketCivil Action 06-cv-731 (JMF), 08-cv-504 (JMF)
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 811 F. Supp. 2d 53 (Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London v. Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London v. Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, 811 F. Supp. 2d 53, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98913, 2011 WL 3880926 (D.D.C. 2011).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

JOHN M. FACCIOLA, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Before me at this time are two actions: Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London v. Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, No. 06-CV-731, which was filed on April 4, 2006 (“Certain Undenoriters I ”), and Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London v. Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, No. 08-CV-504, which was filed on March 24, 2008 (“Certain Underwriters II”). The named Libyan defendants were dismissed from each of these actions pursuant to the enactment of the Libya Claims Resolution Act, Pub.L. No. 110-301, 122 Stat. 2999 (2008), but the plaintiffs’ claims remain pending against the following defendants: the Syrian Arab Republic; the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Agency (Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Jawiyya); and Syria’s Director of Military Intelligence (General Muhammad al-Khuli) (hereinafter collectively the “Syrian defendants” or “Syria”). These actions came before this Court as the subject of an evidentiary hearing held on May 3-7, 2010. 1 Pursuant to those hearings and the evidence before me, the Court has made the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

II. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

These actions seek judgment and an award of damages for acts of state-sponsored terrorism that resulted in the hijacking of EgyptAir Flight 648 on November 23, 1985, while the aircraft was bound for Cairo, Egypt from Athens, Greece, and the complete destruction of the EgyptAir Flight 648 aircraft, insured by the Certain Underwriters plaintiffs, that resulted from that hijacking.

The Court, having heard and reviewed the evidence, does hereby determine (i) that the hijacking of EgyptAir Flight 648 on November 23, 1985 (the “EgyptAir hijacking”) was an act of international terrorism; (ii) that the terrorist shootings of the American victims of the EgyptAir hijacking — Patrick Baker, Jackie Pflug, and Scarlett Rogenkamp — were acts of international terrorism that occurred during and as a result of the November 23, 1985 terrorist hijacking; (iii) the hijacking resulted in the reasonably foreseeable complete destruction of the aircraft owned by EgyptAir and insured by plaintiffs; (iv) that said hijacking was committed by terrorist operatives of the Abu Nidal Organization (“ANO”), which has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; (v) that the ANO, at the time of and prior to the EgyptAir hijacking, was sponsored and supported by Syria, which has been designated by the U.S. Department of State as a State Sponsor of Terrorism; and (vi) that the Syrian Arab Republic, the Syrian Air Force Intelligence Agency, Idarat alMukhabarat al-Jawiyya, and Syria’s Di *56 rector of Military Intelligence, General Muhammad al-Khuli, conspired with and provided substantial and material support to the ANO terrorist organization, and that the Syrian defendants caused and are liable for the acts of international terrorism against the plaintiffs and the resultant damages, for which the Court will award damages as set forth below.

The Court further finds that the Syrian defendants provided material support and resources and conspired with the ANO in the planning, training, support for, and commission of the EgyptAir hijacking, and that the lead ANO terrorist operative, Omar Ali Rezaq, was trained and supported by the Syrian defendants. The Court finds that the Syrian defendants intended that their support of the ANO would promote and cause extrajudicial killings of American citizens, as well as necessarily result in the property destruction of the EgyptAir airplane incidental to the goals and objectives of the Syrian defendants and the ANO terrorists. The Court finds that Syria’s actions could not have occurred without the explicit authorization by then-Syrian President Hafiz al-Asad. Accordingly, the Court will enter judgment and grant an award of damages on behalf of the plaintiffs against the Syrian defendants as set forth below.

III. STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Plaintiffs brought this action pursuant to the provisions of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (“FSIA”), codified at 28 U.S.C. § 1602, et seq. 2 The Syrian defendants were served with process on June 28, 2003. 3 The Syrian defendants have neither answered nor appeared.

A five-day hearing on liability and damages was held, commencing on May 3, 2010. 4 During the hearing, this Court accepted evidence in the form of, inter alia, live testimony, live video-link testimony, affidavit, de bene esse deposition, and original documentary evidence. The Court also accepted credible expert testimony from eight well-qualified experts on various subjects related to the issues pending before the Court in this matter. 5 Accordingly, this Court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law.

*57 IV. FINDINGS OF FACT

A. The EgyptAir Flight 648 Hijacking

1. On November 23, 1985, plaintiffs Baker, Pflug, and Rogenkamp, each of whom were American nationals, boarded EgyptAir Flight 648, which departed Athens at 9:05 pm Athens time. (Baker, T-2-47; Pflug, T-1-33; Rezaq, Pltf's Exh. 34 at 2741; Pltf's Exh. 35.)

2. EgyptAir Flight 648 was scheduled to fly directly to Cairo from Athens. (Baker, T-2-47; Pltf's Exh. 3.)

3. Approximately 10 minutes after leveling off, the plane was hijacked. (Baker, T-2-47 — 18.)

4. One of the hijackers began to taunt passengers on board by attempting to pull a pin out of a hand grenade while simultaneously brandishing a firearm. (Baker, T-2-48-51.)

5. During this time, Pflug was struck over the head with a gun by a hijacker. (Pflug, T-1-34.)

6. At 8:28 pm Malta time, three ANO hijackers, including Omar Mohammed Ali Rezaq, took control of the EgyptAir airlin *58 er. (Baker, T-2-84; Pflug, T-1-35; Pltf's Exh. 3.)

7. The ANO hijackers directed an EgyptAir flight attendant to go onto the aircraft intercom and say, “[w]e’re being hijacked by the Egypt Revolution, and if you do what you are told, you will not get hurt.” (Pflug, T-1-36.)

8. After taking control of EgyptAir Flight 648, the ANO hijackers began searching the passengers, collecting their passports and reseating them. (Baker, T-2-5; Pflug, T-1-39.)

9. The hijackers worked their way from the front of the plane to the back of the plane. (Pflug, T-1-39.)

10. Approximately thirty minutes after taking control of the plane, at approximately 9:00 pm Malta time, there was a shootout between an EgyptAir sky marshal (who was onboard the aircraft) and the hijackers.

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811 F. Supp. 2d 53, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98913, 2011 WL 3880926, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/certain-underwriters-at-lloyds-london-v-great-socialist-peoples-libyan-dcd-2011.