Hopes of compensation for IRA victims dashed
ULSTER victims' hopes of compensation from Libya over IRA terrorist atrocities have been dealt a damaging blow, by an historic political deal in Washington DC.
The US government and US Congress leaders announced they have agreed a package, with Libya, which will see US citizens compensated for injury and loss, in attacks sponsored by Libya in the 1980s and early 90s.
These incidents include IRA bombings and shootings, in which Americans were caught up.
But it was confirmed the settlement does not cover those UK/Northern Ireland victims who have been pursuing damages through the US courts.
If passed by Congress and the Senate, as expected, the deal could end any chance of victims from the Province ever being compensated for their loss by Libya.
US lawyers Motley Rice, representing both Americans and people from Northern Ireland (including the victims of the Enniskillen, Teebane and Shankill bombings) were incensed.
In a letter to the Democratic Party's leader in Congress, Senator Richard J Durbin – viewed by the News Letter – the law firm's senior partner Ron Motley wrote: "What next? Immunity for Osama Bin Laden?"
If the Democrats back the Libyan Resolution Claims Act, it would be on their conscience for evermore.
He added, in a statement, that Ulster's IRA victims were being "thrown to the wolves" by the US administration.
And he said it was a betrayal of historic US-UK relationships and of the principles underpinning the War On Terror, to allow Colonel Gaddafi away with his role in the terrorist murder and mayhem foisted upon the United States' British allies.
Victims' group FAIR accused of the Bush administration, and US politicians who backed the Bill, of "trading in Ulster victims' blood for oil" – a clear reference to the fact that the opening up of the lucrative Libyan oilfields to Stateside companies is a key driver behind the agreement.
If cleared by Congress and the Senate, Colonel Gaddafi's regime would settle hundreds of millions of dollars of compensation in civil actions such as the IRA victims' case, the Berlin disco bombing of 1986 and the downing of Flight UTA 172 over Congo in 1989, as well as finalising all payouts in the Lockerbie bombing.
In exchange for the money, Libya would be given immunity from any further attempts to sue it in the American courts and regain full diplomatic and economic status.
This would allow US oil companies to negotiate hundreds of billions of dollars worth of contracts, to drill the state's oilfields.
Motley Rice, which also acts for the 9/11 families, said President Bush was making a mockery of the War on Terror, selling US victims short (on the level of compensation) and selling-out UK victims entirely.
“This Act selfishly settles some (US) plaintiffs’ claims and throws the rest of the plaintiffs to the wolves – seeking to bar these victims from proceeding further with their legitimate litigation against Libya,” said senior partner Ron Motley.
“This outrageous proposal is a complete insult to our allies and friends,” he commented.
“UK and US plaintiffs stand united in the same cause and enjoy equal standing in our courts under the Alien Tort Statute. The US and UK are fighting side-by-side in the war on terrorism. We can not abandon them.
“Furthermore, it sets a bad precedent for the future normalisation of relations with other current ‘state sponsors of terrorism’ like Cuba, Iran, Sudan, North Korea and Syria – should those countries ever return to the fold of the community of nations.”
Meanwhile, while some American victims and survivors have signed up to the proposed Act, others in the US expressed solidarity with their Northern Ireland counterparts.
Don Hamilton, who is connected to the Oklahoma Bomb victims, said: “It’s entirely appropriate to hold Colonel Gaddafi and Libya accountable for the deaths and injuries and horror they deliberately provoked by providing explosives, training and support for terrorists.
“I appreciate the Federal government’s dilemma, when Libya appears to have become a responsible member of the global community and the (US) administration is looking for ways to reward it for what it sees as good behaviour.
“But, in the end, my sympathies lie with the victims. Libya has to fully clean up its debt and answer for all its ills and not just part of its ills.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
