Iraqi Exile Finally Collects Judgment

An Iraqi exile who fled his homeland almost 40 years ago got a $2.4-million deposit in a trust account this week from the confiscated assets of the Iraqi government, one of a number of victims to finally collect judgments from lawsuits filed after the first Gulf War.

The payments come after President Bush issued an executive order that took control of $1.7 billion in frozen Iraqi assets. About $302 million of that was set aside to satisfy legal judgments.

Sargon Dadesho of Ceres, who runs an Assyrian satellite network that beams news and anti-Saddam commentary into Iraq, was awarded the money after a failed assassination attempt by a hired Iraqi hit man 10 years ago.

Dadesho, the son of a grocer, is a leader of a California community of about 15,000 descendants of ancient Assyria, and president of the Assyrian National Congress, an umbrella group representing exiles worldwide.

In 1995, Dadesho won a $1.5-million judgment against Iraq for “emotional distress” suffered after the assassination attempt, which was foiled by the FBI. Iraq appealed the decision, but a federal appeals court affirmed the judgment.

The $2.4-million sum includes interest, said his attorney, Douglas Neibauer of Modesto, who will receive an unspecified portion of the money.

Dadesho said he’s not sure what he will do with his share.

“I’ve waited so long for this to happen,” he said Friday. “I’m just celebrating right now and thinking about the liberation of Iraq. I’ll use some of it to help the people of Iraq when they are liberated. I’m looking forward to going back there.”

Others also have finally received their payments, thanks to Bush’s executive order, including several who were civilian contractors in Kuwait before Iraqis took them hostage and tortured them, and 11 Americans who were held hostage and used as human shields during the first Gulf War.