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Kadhafi's son resists IRA compensation bid
2009-09-07
LONDON (AFP) - Libya will resist demands for compensation over attacks by Irish paramilitary group the IRA, Moamer Kadhafi's influential son said Monday as the fall-out from the Lockerbie bomber's release rumbles on. 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 television that any claims for compensation over Libya's supply of weapons and explosives to the now-defunct Irish Republican Army (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 instance be "no", he replied: "Of course." Britain's diplomatic manoeuvring with Libya has been under the microscope since August 20 when terminal cancer sufferer Megrahi -- convicted over the worst-ever 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 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 Kadhafi. As part of Washington's normalisation of relations with Tripoli, Libya last year paid 1.5 billion dollars to compensate victims of terrorism, including the Lockerbie bombing. Kadhafi 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's 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 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 Megrahi's release. 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 completely immoral to use this case to advance your own political agenda." Brown has also refused to say whether he backed Edinburgh's decision to free Megrahi. But Schools Secretary Ed Balls -- one of Brown's closest allies -- told BBC radio on Monday: "None of us wanted to see the release of Al-Megrahi." But he stressed that the decision to release him had been the responsibility of the Scottish government, not London. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said last week that the British government did not want Megrahi to die in prison. Meanwhile The Times said Monday 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. The man, identified only as as AF, has had his movements severely restricted since 2006 because of his alleged links with Islamist terrorists, although he has never been charged, said the newspaper. A Home Office spokesman said they did not comment on individual control order cases.
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