Biden's executive order betrays U.S. military victims of terror | Opinion
By choosing to distribute $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan funds through a New York courtroom, where as few as 170 victims of terror may benefit (alongside powerful insurance companies), President Joe Biden cast serious doubt upon his long-standing support for America’s military community. In fact, his decision is a betrayal of our brave servicemen and women — and a violation of the unspoken contract that says when you suffer for America, your country will have your back.
This is not controversial, which is why Biden’s executive order surprised me and fellow victims of terror who have spent decades fighting for justice. It doesn’t need to be this way. President Biden should put an end to this madness by redirecting the funds into the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which was specifically designed for situations like this, and he should do it soon.
First, it is important to understand the consequences of inaction. The choice kickstarted a needless, painful competition between victims to demonstrate the extent of their suffering to a judge. This victim-against-victim struggle is re-opening old wounds and resurfacing traumatic memories, all while causing an ugly public spectacle that should embarrass every American concerned with justice. One way or another, we are all losing.
That is, everyone but trial lawyers who seemingly had a hand in crafting U.S. policy toward Afghanistan. They will laugh their way to the bank to the tune of a billion dollars while the rest of us nurse our injuries or look on helplessly from the sidelines. And meanwhile, large and powerful insurance companies feel confident they'll win the distasteful legal battle for the money over actual victims who lost their lives and suffered horrible injuries.
Due to the extreme stakes, Republicans and Democrats came together in 2015 to create a system to avoid such outcomes. That they were able to overcome their severe partisan differences was a sign of how powerful our stories are: they knew that victims deserved to be treated fairly and that we deserved justice. Better yet, they knew that legal fees should be capped and that the funds should only go to people who have suffered.
The creation of the fund was a watershed moment in my own life, as it was a sign that I would finally have a pathway to be compensated for the horrific physical injuries I experienced as a result of the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996. When Hezbollah Al-Hejaz detonated a truck bomb outside of our very own apartments (building 131), I was nearly left behind in the chaos following the blast and eventually underwent more than 31 surgeries to remove the shrapnel embedded in my body. More than 100 pieces remain in my legs to this day because I was advised by the VA that is impossible to remove them all without seriously damaging my body.
Though the doctors could address some of my physical injuries, they could not remove the intense emotional trauma of the attack. I cannot numb the pain of my experience. The physical and emotional pain of the attack forever changed my life.
I am not alone, and for many — including myself — the Veterans’ Administration does not cover the costs of numerous hospital visits or therapy sessions. That’s why I am actively engaged with other military victims of terror involved in similar attacks to advocate for fair financial compensation for American victims of terror. It is important that these victims receive the support they deserve for their injuries.
If Biden will not act, Congress should. It is simply not right that thousands of Americans will be excluded at the benefit of just a select few. I know that my many friends who perished that day in 1996 would want to see their friends supported equally and treated with the respect they deserve.
That is what is at stake right now. I can only hope that Biden and Congress alike will make the right decision for the terror victims, their children and their grandchildren.
Cielito Valencia is a retired U.S. airman who was injured in the Khobar Towers attack in 1996. He works at West Point and lives in Highland Falls, New York.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Biden's executive order betrays U.S. military victims of terror
