Letter: Government not minded to help victims of IRA terror

A letter from Morrison W Woods:
By Letters
Published 5th Jan 2023, 00:01 BST
Libyan-supplied Semtex was used in the IRA’s bombing on Harrods in 1983Libyan-supplied Semtex was used in the IRA’s bombing on Harrods in 1983
Libyan-supplied Semtex was used in the IRA’s bombing on Harrods in 1983

Those victims and survivors’ groups, and individuals of provisional IRA terrorist atrocities looking to have sight of the William Shawcross Report will naturally be disappointed.

Mr Shawcross had been commissioned to look into whether seized Colonel Gaddafi regime assets could be given to victims.

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In July 2021, a response to my Freedom of Information (FOIA) request for the release of the report from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office stated: “We consider that the report you have requested is exempt from release in its entirety under section 35(1) of the FOIA, as it relates to the formulation of government policy…”

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In the three-page response, the text concludes in a number of paragraphs “the public interest in withholding the information concerned outweighs that in its disclosure. In addition, we consider that some elements of the report are exempt from release under sections 23, 24, 27, 28, 40 and 41 of the FOIA.”

It also refers to security matters and disclosure relating to “third parties” that would contravene data protection.

One sentence I find bizarre: “…under section 28(1) disclosure would prejudice relations with the Northern Ireland Executive.”

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The response and review to the FOIA request also confirms that the Shawcross Report is not a document which is classified, nor does the Official Secrets Act apply to the report.

Those seeking financial compensation on Libya-sponsored acts by the provisional Irish Republican Army (American police officers show solidarity with victims of IRA Harrods bombing in London, News Letter, December 20, 2022) may need to look elsewhere. The British government, it seems, is not of a mind to help.

Is there any merit in considering civil action under “joint venture” – Libya and the IRA/Sinn Fein? Sinn Fein constantly agreed with and supported the “armed struggle” of the IRA; never once condemned its actions.

I recall one recent comment from Sinn Fein that the IRA had no choice. The former prime minister, Tony Blair, stated the IRA and Sinn Fein are “inextricably linked”.

Added to this, there are a number of individuals who were both in the IRA and Sinn Fein. You have only to refer to the composition of the former Northern Ireland Assembly.

Morrison W Woods

Bangor

Related topics:IRAGovernmentSinn FeinTony Blair