The UK is not actively pushing for the release of Libyan assets to IRA victims

Whilst much of that work has been admirable, there nevertheless continues to be key themes and questions which have not been resolved.

As an organisation which has given evidence to the inquiry we assert that the following concerns are blinkering the UK government’s will to actively fight for their own citizens.

1. Making more funds available to innocent victims of terrorism is feared by government. Would this give victims a bigger voice and more freedom to act without being controlled (to a greater or lesser degree) by the government?

A central justice fund which innocent victims and survivors of terrorism could access to further their quest for justice, truth and accountability through both the criminal and civil courts may be of great concern to government.

Yet without such resources the government knows that these same innocent victims are hamstrung by discriminatory legal aid qualifications which effectively debar many from pursuing justice and truth in the courts - those same structures have been exploited by legal firms which demonise the security forces as a body corporate and attack the UK state to which they swear allegiance.

What else might the government have to lose if Libya compensated UK IRA victims?

2. The risk of closer contacts between PIRA victims and Libya could bleed intelligence on SF/PIRA figures and republicans are likely to lobby against such a situation arising.

3. The government does not wish to embarrass Irish republicans. There are a plethora of examples which could be used but a recent micro illustration of the macro dynamics at post would be the RUC tribute plaque moved to a photocopier room in Londonderry.

The government and many of its agencies are complicit with a re-write and airbrushing campaign.

4. HMG may also see a potential threat to the UK’s commercial interests by taking such a course of action. Tony Blair spent much time and resources developing commercial links with Libya at the cost of IRA victims, and they may see our compensation case as jeopardising this.

5. There remains an inherent loyalty to former Prime Minister Tony Blair among influential people inside and outside government who wish to preserve his legacy as ‘kingpin’ of the Northern Ireland peace process, which has been fraudulently sold as a process which should be exported elsewhere.

6. Obtaining compensation from Libya for PIRA victims would undermine the narrative of republicans as communal victims and would undermine their ideology which submits that the UK state were the villains.

Again, republicans are likely to lobby against such a situation arising.

7. The UK government also have concerns that in advocating for PIRA victims of Gaddafi/Libya sponsored PIRA terrorism, that they themselves could face challenge and claims for compensation from other nations of the world where they are alleged to have aided in the supply of the ‘killing equipment of war.’

Repeatedly the line being trotted out by the government is that there is no basis for paying out compensation to victims of secondary-based terror and violence ie carried out by an organisation one step removed from the culpable state, but this doesn’t stack up.

Within the last fortnight, the US Supreme Court ruled that American families of victims of Iranian sponsored terror attacks were able to claim $2bn from its frozen assets.

The lies and whitewash needs to end. Our message to the UK government is simply this: stop failing and betraying those who have paid such a high cost already –losing loved ones, limbs and in some cases, wits.

And instead of standing passively by and claiming to be ‘facilitating’ the just compensation claims of IRA victims against Libya, imitate the moral fibre of the US and tell Libya that UK expects the same treatment for its victims as the US insists on achieving for Americans.

Any other approach is effectively an amber light for further terror attacks on British citizens sponsored by anti-democratic states worldwide.

Kenny Donaldson is spokesman for Innocent Victims United