Federal judge rules Oregon vets lawsuit against KBR can go directly to appeals court

[maddezmom]

Source: Oregonlive.com

A federal judge who ruled an Oregon lawsuit against the largest war contractor in Iraq should proceed in Portland, agreed that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit should review his decision.

U.S. District Magistrate Paul Papak stood by his earlier rulings, but cleared the way for an unusual interim review in part because of the explosion of lawsuits -- and court decisions nationwide -- involving military contractors.


"I believe I made the right decision but do I think there is a substantial difference of opinion in other jurisdictions," Papak told the attorneys in an hour-long hearing Wednesday. "There is lots of litigation involving contractors and a substantial variety of opinions. At some point, we're going to have to get a final decision."

The Portland case involves Oregon Army National Guard veterans who say they were harmed by for Kellogg, Brown and Root's handling of a cancer-causing chemical early in the Iraq war. The soldiers guarded the civilian contractors at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant between April and September 2003.



Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2010/10/federal_judge_rules_oregon_vet.html

[Solly Mack]

1. k/r

[ixion]

2. Let the lawsuits proceed

and let Haliburton and KBR, etc. suffer the consequences of the criminal actions.