Dodds angry over govt's Libya stance

Thursday, 23 October 2008 12:58 PM

A senior Westminster MP has pledged his determination to continue seeking compensation for the victims of "Libyan-sponsored terrorism" in Britain.

Democratic Unionist party deputy leader Nigel Dodds told politics.co.uk his reaction to the government's stance in a Westminster Hall debate yesterday morning was one of "extreme disappointment".

But he said he would continue to have further meetings with the Foreign Office on the issue after the government made clear it will not "rock the boat" with Libya and its long-time leader Moammar Ghadaffi.

Mr Dodds' objections centre on the IRA's terrorist attacks during the troubles and Libya's support for them through its alleged supply of the explosive semtex, used in bombings in Manchester and Canary Wharf as well as in Northern Ireland.

British interests had been pursued in a legal action against the Libyan government mounted in US courts.

But when the US reached an accord with Libya based on the agreement that victims would be compensated, they were left out of the deal. Mr Dodds' complaint is that the UK government failed to "step in" to help them in a similar way.

"I welcome the fact we are seeing progress in bringing Libya in from the cold. Nobody's against that," he said.

"But I think the UK citizens who suffered at the hands of Libyan state-sponsored terrorism deserve to be treated in terms of justice and compensation in the same way as. American citizens have. They've simply been left high and dry."

Foreign Office minister Bill Rammell laid out the government's position in the Westminster Hall debate yesterday, explaining that Britain does not wish to sour relations with Libya further.

"With the support of the British government, Libya has now returned to the international community-that is in everyone's interest-and has built normal cooperative relations with those countries to which it was formerly hostile, and we believe that it is right to seek to build on this improvement in relations," he said.

"Libya is now an essential partner for the UK on wide-ranging issues, in particular in the fight against today's terrorist threats. It is vital for the UK's present and future security that that cooperation continues."

Mr Dodds described this stance as "completely unacceptable" for the victims of Libyan-sponsored terrorism in Britain.

He pointed out precedents existed because of compensation paid to the victims of the Lockerbie bombing, finishing: "The British government is letting its citizens down badly."

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