Patrick Ryan IRA confession: Boris Johnson pressed to veto release of Libya funds

UUP peer Lord Empey has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to veto any UN attempts to release funds linked to Col Gaddafi which are frozen in the UK.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Sep 2019, 14:20 BST
Lord Empey, former Ulster Unionist leader has appealed to Boris JohnsonLord Empey, former Ulster Unionist leader has appealed to Boris Johnson
Lord Empey, former Ulster Unionist leader has appealed to Boris Johnson

He was speaking after BBC Spotlight exposed the role of Fr Patrick Ryan in linking Libya and the IRA.

The peer is campaigning to secure compensation for victims of IRA bombings which used Libyan supplied Semtex.

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“If ever there was any doubt about the loss of life and limb in the United Kingdom brought about by the supply of Libyan weapons to the IRA, the BBC Spotlight programme dispelled any doubt whatsoever,” he said.

Then prime minister Gordon Brown meeting Col Gaddafi at the G8 Summit in LAquilla in 2009Then prime minister Gordon Brown meeting Col Gaddafi at the G8 Summit in LAquilla in 2009
Then prime minister Gordon Brown meeting Col Gaddafi at the G8 Summit in LAquilla in 2009

“I felt that the cataloguing of the many incidents from the 1970’s all in the one broadcast and the putting of names forward of some of the IRA members involved brought it home to people in a way that reports on individual incidents may have failed to do. It painted a graphic picture of what had happened and to me makes the failure of the government to do anything even more appalling.”

He described the failure of successive UK governments to obtain compensation for UK victims of Libya-IRA bombings as “gutless”.

“I call upon the Prime Minister, who is fully aware of this, to promise to veto any release of frozen Libyan assets at the UN unless there is a properly negotiated deal with the current Libyan government,” he added.