Somali businesses settle for $100,000

[icymist]

Friday, July 23, 2004

Somali businesses settle for $100,000
Federal agents' raid in wake of 9/11 is called 'unfortunate'

By PAUL SHUKOVSKY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Two months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, federal agents without a search warrant raided a Rainier Valley money-transfer office suspected of funding al-Qaida. The agents also stripped the stock of a grocery and gift shop in the same building -- carting off everything from frozen meat to toilet paper.

Apparently, it was all a mistake.

In a settlement reached last week, the government agreed to pay the Somali immigrants who owned the stores $100,000. The settlement does not include an apology or an admission of liability.

No criminal charges were ever filed as a result of the raid. Now the government says the raid represented the "unfortunate consequences" of the war against terrorism.

More at this

[icymist]

1. I guess the official government reply is....

one big unfortunate "whoops"!