In 2003, a federal bench reviewed evidence and found that the state of Iran and its Ministry of Information and Security were "legally responsible for providing material, financial and logistical support [to Hizbullah] to help carry out [the] tragic attack on the 241 servicemen in Beirut in 1983."

This Friday, a federal judge ordered Iran to pay compensation to a group of nearly one thousand plaintiffs, mostly those injured and the relatives of those killed in the embassy bombing.

The plaintiffs brought charges on three counts: wrongful death (representatives of 128 killed), battery (26 survivors) and intentional infliction of emotional distress (753 relatives). Injured survivors received pain and suffering awards up to $12 million. Those who lost a spouse were awarded $8 mn, a parent or child $5 mn, and a sibling $2.5 mn. Total award: $2.65 billion.

What follows is not all true.

In 1986, a 15-member bench of the International Court of Justice reviewed evidence and found that the United States of America, "[Sec 3] by training, arming, equipping, financing and supplying the contra forces or otherwise encouraging, supporting and aiding military and paramilitary activities in and against Nicaragua, has acted, against the Republic of Nicaragua...

[Sec 13] America is under an obligation to make reparation to the Republic of Nicaragua for all injury caused to Nicaragua by the breaches of obligations under customary international law."

Today, a federal judge in Nicaragua ruled on a consolidated appeal of family members of Nicaraguan servicemen and civilians those killed by Contras through the 80s. Contras is used as an umbrella term for militia belonging to the former regime who opposed the Sandinista government, even after it the 1984 elections that were found by the UN to be fair. The Contras were notified as a terrorist group by the Nicaraguan government, and in 1982, by the US Government.

The bench reviewed evidence and found that the United States of America, its Central Intelligence Agency and its National Security Council were "legally responsible for providing material, financial and logistical support [to the Nicaraguan Democratic Force] to help carry out [the] tragic attacks on citizens that killed between 10 and 30,000 in Nicaragua between 1981 and 1989." The matter of those raped, tortured and injured was withheld until a later date.

The judge ordered the United States to pay compensation to a group of nearly fourty thousand plaintiffs, mostly the relatives of those killed by contra violence.

The plaintiffs brought charges on two counts: wrongful death and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Those who lost a spouse were awarded $8 mn, a parent or child $5 mn, and a sibling $2.5 mn. Total award: $120 bn.

The ruling allows the plaintiffs to recover their compensation by seizing American assets around the world.