# Tortured ex-POWs find they must sue Uncle Sam to collect damages from Saddam **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 21, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032 "2003-07-21T22:54:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sylphishone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@sylphishone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sylphishone)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/1 "2003-07-21T22:54:08Z")
> **[MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/)** > > MSNBC breaking news and the latest news for today. Get daily news from local news reporters and world news updates with live audio & video from our team. This is an interesting article and I figured it would get hot fast. I think our government should take care of our soldiers and veterans. This is a real shame and an embarrassment that these guys would have to sue.:mad: _Fixed link - CF_ ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/2 "2003-07-22T01:23:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sylphishone \* > \*\*[This is an interesting article and I figured it would get hot fast. > > I think our government should take care of our soldiers and veterans. This is a real shame and an embarrassment that these guys would have to sue.:mad: \*\* [url=“[http://www.msnbc.com/news/940846.asp?0cv=CB20](http://www.msnbc.com/news/940846.asp?0cv=CB20)”]fixed link]([http://www.msnbc.com/news/940846.asp?0cv=CB20](http://www.msnbc.com/news/940846.asp?0cv=CB20)[/URL) ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/3 "2003-07-22T01:40:34Z")
Death by slow bureaucracy. Where have I heard this one before? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/4 "2003-07-22T07:05:46Z")
Good, it is correct policy. First, I grow sick of this American idiocy of private citizens suing sovereign nations over acts of war and the like. Bad precedent and not something the US cottons to in general when the tables are turned. Second, Iraqi assets are needed to achieve current policy goals, that money is best put to reconstructing Iraq, not compensating spoiled Americans. Soldiers get hurt, tough luck, part of the business. this rubbish about “Iraqi oil wealth” is yet more ignorant greed. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/5 "2003-07-22T07:52:10Z")
I’m afraid I must agree with **Collunsbury**. Soldiers don’t get special compensation from governments they overthrow. Iraq needs a lot of money to rebuild their infrastructure and set up something resembling a government. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/6 "2003-07-22T08:08:17Z")
Are these actual damages or are their punitive damages also? How can you collect punitive damages against an enitity that no longer exists? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/7 "2003-07-22T08:15:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spooje \*Are these actual damages or are their punitive damages also? That particular article is poorly written but I came away with the impression there are punitive damages as well. > [@](#): > > How can you collect punitive damages against an enitity that no longer exists? Iraq still exists. To the extent the claims on the sovereign are legitimate (and I find the idea of POWs suing in civil court over a matter such as this risible and extremely bad policy) they do not go away simply because Sadaam has. Frankly, the law suits are poorly concieved as a matter of policy (let someone like Minty or the like comment on the law) and downright greedy. The USG should quash them like a bug. Nothing better for our image than to have fat wealthy Americans stealing money (legally albiet) from impoverished Iraqis while we are not even ponying up the necessary funds to help out. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/8 "2003-07-22T14:14:51Z")
Gee, Could the relatives of Iraqi civilans killed in either war sue the US for damages? The article says that the POWs were from the first Iraq war and the judgement was agaisnt the Iraqi government that was left in power. I find the idea of soldiers sueing the government of a country that shot them down while they were bombing that country and then the country wasn’t very nice to them, kind of strange. ---
**Author:** ![sylphishone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@sylphishone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sylphishone)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/9 "2003-07-22T18:39:19Z")
Gee, I think they could if we captured them then tortured the crap out of them. See we don’t do that we feed them, give them medical care and make sure they are otherwise safe and secure. These guys were tortured. No one signs up for that! ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tortured-ex-pows-find-they-must-sue-uncle-sam-to-collect-damages-from-saddam/190032/10 "2003-07-22T20:51:55Z")
I think some guy held at camp x-ray tried to sue to the tune of 10 million. Haven’t heard much about it though. 😃