NEW YORK: A record terrorism-related forfeiture order benefiting families of some Sept 11 victims and others has been reversed on appeal.

The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a judge’s reasoning on Wednesday in ordering the sale of a 36-story Manhattan office building worth about $1 billion and other properties. In 2013, the judge said revenue from the buildings passed through a state-owned Iranian bank, violating a US-trade embargo. The appeals court disagreed that the properties were controlled by Iran. Settling creditors also include families and estates of victims of the 1983 bombings of a US Marine barracks in Beirut, the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia and attacks in Israel.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2016