””””LONDON, June 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Families of the 67
British people killed in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11 last
year are to be offered average compensation payments of about 1 millionU.S.
dollars.
””””But the lawyer heading the official 9/11 Compensation Fund saidthose who
accept the deal would have to waive the right to make other claims against the
U.S. government, the airlines and insurers.
””””Kenneth Feinberg, from the U.S. Department of Justice, said in London that
the deal was identical to the one being offered to families of the American
victims.
””””Ahead of a meeting with the British families on Saturday, whichis thought
to be the first outside the United States, Feinberg said the deal was open until
December 2003 - to give them time to consider their options.
””””An initial compensation payment will be calculated and any lifeinsurance
the families received will be deducted from the figure.
””””When explaining the conditions, Feinberg said: "The only law suit they do
not give up is law suits brought against Bin Laden, the terrorists, nations
harboring terrorism -- that they could continue to pursue. All other law suits
would be extinguished if they elect to take this plan."
””””Feinberg said only one or two British families had accepted thedeal so far.
””””He said compensation payments would not be affected by charitable donations
any of the families have been given. More than 1.3 billion dollars have been
raised for the families from private sources since September 11, of which more
than half has been distributed.
””””The 9/11 Compensation Fund was set up by the U.S. Congress to compensate
any individual who was physically injured by the attacks, and the families of
those killed. Almost 5,000 people were declared missing or dead following the
collapse of the Twin Towers.
””””The UK Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority has already agreed
relatives could be eligible for payouts of up to 27,000 pounds for the trauma
associated with watching the events unfold on live television.
””””The board usually compensates families who are present when their loved
ones are killed or injured. But it has now agreed to take into account advances
in technology and decided to treat those who saw the atrocity on television as
if they had been actual witnesses to the killings. Enditem
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