Libya set to resist IRA compensation demands
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing mounting questions over his government’s dealings with oil-rich Libya, following the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, the only man convicted over the 1988 bombing.
Seif al-Islam told Britain’s Sky News any claims for compensation over Libya’s supply of weapons and explosives to the now-defunct IRA would be a matter for “the courts”.
“Anyone can knock on our door. You go to the court. They have their lawyers. We have our lawyers,” he said.
Asked if his answer to the compensation demand would in the first case be “no”, he replied: “Of course.”
Britain’s diplomatic manoeuvring with Libya has been under the microscope since August 20 when terminal cancer sufferer al-Megrahi – convicted over the worst terror attack in Britain – was freed from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds and returned to Libya to die.
Islam’s comments came the day after Brown found himself in hot water over his refusal to press Libya at the top level for compensation for victims of the IRA, who killed more than 1,000 people during their armed campaign to rid Northern Ireland of British sovereignty through violence.
Letters released by his Downing Street office showed Brown wrote to the IRA victims’ lawyer, Jason McCue, in October 2008 saying he did “not think it appropriate” for ministers to open talks on compensation with Tripoli.
Brown said on Sunday he was setting up a dedicated Foreign Office team to assist IRA victims and Tripoli embassy staff would advise them when they travel to Libya to seek direct talks with Gaddafi.
As part of Washington’s normalisation of relations with Tripoli, Libya last year paid $1.5 billion to compensate victims of terrorism, including the Lockerbie bombing.
Gaddafi admits having supported the IRA and much of the material in its arsenal dumps came from Libya.
McCue said the British government was now happy to support a civil action taken by the victims.
“The government as a whole have changed their view,” he told BBC television.
“They can support us through a civil action.
“It is insane if you think about it. How can we have a relationship on trade and friendship moving forward with the Libyans until we resolve an issue from the past with brought death, destruction?”
Besides the IRA issue, Brown has faced questions about the extent to which the British government played a part in al-Megrahi’s release, a decision taken by the Scottish government, and whether London’s growing trade and oil links with Tripoli were a factor.
Brown said last week that “there was no conspiracy, no cover-up, no double dealing, no deal on oil” involved in al-Megrahi’s release.
Al-Islam said British politicians claiming otherwise were “disgusting”.
“They are trying to use this human tragedy for their own political agenda,” he said. “It’s immoral to use this case to advance your own political agenda.”
Brown has refused to say whether he backed Edinburgh’s decision to free al-Megrahi.
However, Britain’s Children’s Secretary Ed Balls, one of Brown’s closest allies, told BBC radio yesterday: “None of us wanted to see the release of al-Megrahi.”
Meanwhile, The Times said yesterday that Britain had released a Libyan-British dual national it considers a top terror suspect from virtual house arrest, possibly to avoid disclosing secret evidence against him.
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