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Show Page 4 ation & tate March 24, 1999 Editor: Mike Sherwood jeromeml2hotmail.com Families Of Those Killed By Cuba May Get $6.2 Million owed to Cuba by U.S. phone companies. From courthouse steps in downtown Miami, lawyers for the families insisted the ruling paves the way for them to seek money flowing to Cuba from any U.S. company licensed to do business with communist-controlle- d the island, long under a trade Tribune Media Services In a landmark ruling marked by a stern rebuke of the Clinton administration, a federal judge declared Thursday that families of three Brothers to the Rescue mem- bers who were killed by Cuban fighter jets in 1996 may receive more than $6.2 million Spring lireale left si little: Short On Cash? ! Yens fVTA' embargo imposed by Wash- tional debate over the Clinton Administration's foreign poliington. "We're going to go get the cy and the ability of victims to money," said Miami lawyer collect damages from governAaron Podhurst. "This is a ments accused of supporting federal judgment. Nobody has terrorist acts. the right, not the President or Three years after the anybody else, to not follow a tragedy, family members are federal judgment." still seeking a measure of jusThe ruling is the most sigtice that supersedes the $1.2 nificant to date in the families' million in payments authoquest to collect on a rized by the White House $187 million judgment that from frozen Cuban funds. Senior U.S. District Judge "We ask President Clinton of Lawrence State James King and Secretary assessed against Cuba in the Madeleine Albright to rememn wake of the notorious ber their indignation at the of four Miami-base- d murders," said Miriam de la fliers on Feb. 24, 1996. Pena, mother of Mario de la An earlier decision in the Pena Jr., one of the victims. case by King led to a freeze on "We ask them to recall what it payments from most U.S. means to have American citiphone companies to Cuba, zens murdered in cold blood and Cuba's retaliatory shutover international waters." down of direct phone service The judge ruled that Presbetween the two countries. ident Clinton lacked the Since Feb. 25, calls have been authority to waive a provision of a new routed through third counlaw tries. that allowed the families to The judgment, handed stake a claim to blocked down after an uncontested Cuban assets to fulfill the $187 lawsuit that named the million judgment against Republic of Cuba and the Cuba and its air force. And Cuban Air Force as defen- King had strong words for the dants, triggered &n interna- - administration, which initially deplored the destruction of two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft in international airtwo-ye- ar shoot-dow- JLct Us Help! We Offer A (SO Day Doan To (Jive You l'iejxly Of Time To Keilaim Your Items Or You Can Sell Your Items To CJet Tlie Absolute Most! if & Come See Our Great Selection Of Merchandise For Sale At Deep Discount. Layaway Available PAWN PLUS 769 E. 700 S. (435) 652-110- 2 Just South Of Dixie College Next To Subway Dixie College Special Artist Series a recital division of Celebrity Concert Series presents Wct 'jErntra rta Piano, violin and cello Wednesday, March 31, 1999 8:00 Dixie pm College Browning Building Dunford Auditorium anti-terroris- m space. "The court notes with great concern that the very President who in 1996 decried this terrorist action by the Government of Cuba now sends the Department of Justice to argue before this court Classifieds. that Cuba's blocked assets ought not be used to compensate the families of the U.S. nationals murdered by Cuba," order. King wrote in a "The executive branch's approach to this situation has been inconsistent at best," the judge went on. "It now apparently believes that shielding a terrorist foreign state's assets are more important than compensating for the loss of American lives." On Feb. 24, 1996, four members of the Miami-base- d Brothers to the Rescue perished while searching for Cuban refugees seeking to reach the U.S. aboard flimsy rafts. Brothers Although planes had entered Cuban airspace before, investigators determined that MiG pilots destroyed their planes and ended their lives over international waters. As he has before. King n characterized the as an act of murder. At a press conference in front of a federal justice building that bears King's name, attorneys flanked by family members said the ruling covered not only $6.2 million in frozen telephone payments, but any fees that were being incurred as they spoke. 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