DATE=3/11/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-227966 TITLE=U-S IRAN/LAWSUIT (L ONLY) BYLINE=JIM MALONE DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A FEDERAL JUDGE IN WASHINGTON HAS ORDERED IRAN TO PAY 247-MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES TO THE FAMILY OF AN AMERICAN WOMAN KILLED IN A TERRORIST ATTACK ON AN ISRAELI BUS THREE YEARS AGO. V-O-A NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE HAS DETAILS. TEXT: U-S DISTRICT COURT JUDGE ROYCE LAMBERTH IS ORDERING IRAN TO PAY 247-MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES TO THE FAMILY OF ALISA (AH-LEE'-SA) FLATOW (FLAY'-TOW). MS. FLATOW WAS A 20-YEAR OLD STUDENT FROM NEW JERSEY ATTENDING A SEMINARY IN JERUSALEM. SHE WAS KILLED ON APRIL 9TH, 1995, WHEN A SUICIDE BOMBER DROVE A VAN INTO A BUS IN THE PALESTINIAN-CONTROLLED GAZA STRIP. SEVEN ISRAELI SOLDIERS ALSO DIED IN THE ATTACK. THE FLATOW FAMILY SUED IRAN UNDER THE U-S ANTI-TERRORISM STATUTE PASSED BY CONGRESS AND SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT CLINTON IN 1996. THE SUIT FILED BY THE FLATOW FAMILY ALLEGED THAT IRAN SUPPORTED ISLAMIC JIHAD, WHICH CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BOMBING. JUDGE LAMBERTH CONDEMNED THE TERRORIST ATTACK, SAYING IT HAS NO PLACE IN A CIVILIZED SOCIETY. ALISA FLATOW'S FATHER, STEVEN FLATOW, SPOKE TO REPORTERS ABOUT THE COURT DECISION OUTSIDE THE FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN WASHINGTON. /// FLATOW ACT. /// THE LUNATICS WHO PLANTED THE BOMB AND DROVE THE VAN THAT KILLED ALISA (AH-LEE'-SA) WERE NOT ACTING ALONE. WE HEARD THE JUDGE DETERMINE TODAY THAT THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPPORTING THE TERRORIST GROUP, THE ISLAMIC JIHAD, THAT TOOK ALISA'S LIFE IN 1995. THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT HEROES. THEY ARE NOT MARTYRS. THEY ARE TRAITORS TO THE HUMAN RACE, AND A STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM SUCH AS THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN HAS TO BE HELD TO ACCOUNT. /// END ACT. /// THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED ALLEGATIONS THAT IT SPONSORS TERRORIST GROUPS. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO A V-O-A REQUEST FOR COMMENT ON THE COURT DECISION FROM THE IRANIAN MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS IN NEW YORK. LAWYERS FOR THE FLATOW FAMILY SAY THE COURT RULING COULD SET AN IMPORTANT PRECEDENT OF HOLDING NATIONS ACCOUNTABLE FOR SPONSORING ACTS OF TERRORISM. U-S SENATOR FRANK LAUTENBERG (DEMOCRAT-NEW JERSEY) WAS ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THE 1996 ANTI-TERRORISM BILL, WHICH NOW ALLOWS AMERICANS TO SUE FOR ALLEGED ACTS OF STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM. /// LAUTENBERG ACT. /// THERE ARE OTHER THINGS HAPPENING HERE THAT FRANKLY, I THINK, DWARF THE SETTLEMENT. AND THAT IS THAT NO NATION, NO NATION CAN PICK ON AMERICAN CITIZENS AT THEIR DIRECTION, AT THE COUNTRY'S DIRECTION, WITHOUT OUR COUNTRY RESPONDING IN SOME LAWFUL BUT DIRECT WAY. /// END ACT. /// LAWYERS FOR THE FLATOW FAMILY SAY THEY WILL VIGOROUSLY PURSUE THE COLLECTION OF THE 247-MILLION DOLLARS FROM IRAN. BUT THEY DECLINED TO DISCUSS WITH REPORTERS HOW THEY WILL GO ABOUT COLLECTING THE MONEY. (SIGNED) NEB/JBM /MMK 11-Mar-98 1:47 PM EST (1847 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .