Palestinians guilty of terrorism, U.S. jury says

NEW YORK, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A New York jury found the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization liable for attacks in Israel and awarded $218.5 million in damages.

The two groups were judged knowingly supporting six terrorist attacks in Israel between 2002 and 2004, in which 33 people were killed and over 450 were injured. Since several of the victims were American, the case was brought before the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The jury deliberated for one day after the end of the seven-week trial before delivering a sentence favoring the plaintiffs, 10 American families seeking damages.

The damages figure of $218.5 million will be automatically tripled, to $655.5 million, under the terrorism law pertinent to the trial. The defendants said an appeal would be forthcoming.

The decision could strengthen Israeli claims that even moderate Palestinian groups can be held responsible for ties to terrorism, and could be a painful financial blow to the Palestinian groups who are liable.

Prosecutors demonstrated during the trial, through testimony, payroll records and other documents, that those involved in the planning of the attacks were Palestinian Authority members, and that the group made payments to terrorists imprisoned in Israel and to the families of suicide bombers.