U.S. court fines Syrian government $364 million for beheading soldiers
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A federal court in Washington, D.C., imposed on Sep. 05 a $364 million fine on the Syrian government for its role in the torture and execution of two U.S. soldiers in Iraq 15 years ago.
The ruling, handed down by U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton on Aug. 30, holds the Syria government financially accountable for the deaths of Specialist Byron Fouty and Staff Sergeant Alex Jimenez.
Fouty, 19, and Jimenez, 25, were captured on May 12, 2007, during an attack on a U.S. military observation post in the village of al-Taqa, south of Baghdad.
According to court records and reports from Stars and Stripes, the soldiers were brutally tortured and beheaded by militants supported by the Syrian government.
The families of the soldiers, represented by attorney Ron Jenkins, filed a lawsuit against the Syrian government in 2018. The complaint argued that the Syrian government’s backing enabled the former Islamic State of Iraq, a precursor to ISIS, to abduct, torture, and murder Fouty and Jimenez.
In a July ruling, Judge Walton determined that the Zarqawi Terrorist Organization, which later became the Islamic State of Iraq, had received training, funding, and other forms of material support from Syria.
This assistance was part of a larger coordinated effort by the Syrian government to target U.S. forces in Iraq.
Despite being notified of the proceedings, the Syrian government neither appeared in court nor responded to the charges. However, Jenkins stated that the Syrian government will be formally notified of the court’s decision.
To enforce the judgment, the U.S. could potentially freeze Syrian assets within its jurisdiction or pursue Syrian-held assets abroad.
Jenkins acknowledged that such efforts could take years, but emphasized his commitment to the project. “It’s not easy,” he said. “But we are prepared to work on it for as long as it takes.”