IRA victims have expressed anger at what they see as attempts by a Dublin-based organisation to undermine their fight for compensation from Libya.
Peter Lismore, chairman of the Libyan Irish Business Council in Dublin and a senior SDLP member, has said that Libya’s government should make a contribution to something like the International Fund for Ireland instead of paying compensation to IRA victims.
Mr Lismore is bringing a delegation of 20 Libyan parliamentarians to Dublin and Belfast to try and exploit trade opportunities with the country and its new government.
“I don’t think this case [for compensation] will be advanced,” he said recently.
“I think that claim probably died with the previous regime and I don’t think it will ever be taken on by the current democratically elected government,” added Mr Lismore, who is also the SDLP’s international secretary.
He urged Northern Ireland to approach Libya “stretching out a hand of friendship and not stretching out a hand for compensation”.
He added: “There is a tremendous amount of commercial opportunity inside Libya. We can export food and services straight away. There is extensive damage inside the country that needs to be repaired and this offers opportunities for trade.”
The late Libyan despot Colonel Gadaffi supplied substantial quantities of weapons and Semtex to the IRA during the Troubles. He settled with US victims of Libyan-sponsored terrorism for $1.5 billion.
Last year the Foreign Office welcomed a signed commitment from the then chairman of the Libyan Transitional National Council, saying he would similarly compensate UK citizens who were injured in IRA attacks.
Manya Dickinson from Kilkeel is one of the IRA victims named on a writ against the Libyan state. Her father, a building contractor who worked on police stations, was killed by an IRA car bomb made from Libyan Semtex in 1990.
She told the News Letter on Wednesday: “It seems to me they just don’t want the victims to get anything. Nobody has contacted us about this delegation coming to Belfast. We know nothing about it.”
Asked whether she should drop her claim for compensation, as suggested by Mr Lismore, she replied: “We are not going to get justice for my father. Nobody was ever questioned about his murder. We would much rather have justice than compensation but we are never going to get justice in this country.
“So the next option down the line is money. It was Libyan Semtex which killed my dad. We are determined and will not give in.”
Jonathan Ganesh, of the Docklands Victims Association in London, said Mr Lismore’s comments have had a major impact on his members, many of whom suffered serious injuries or lost relatives in the IRA attack on Canary Wharf in 1996.
“This story was so upsetting to our members. Many of them have been calling us to ask us what is going on,” he said.
“Where did Mr Lismore get this information? He is asking for IRA victims to extend the hand of friendship to Libya instead of asking for compensation – but we have excellent relationships with Libya.
“We are liaising with the Libyan government and they are very compassionate about our victims. We are travelling out to Libya in the next few weeks for further discussions.
“We have a contract signed with Libya and the Prime Minister, David Cameron, is fully behind us. The new Libyan prime minister apologised to the UN for Libyan-sponsored terrorism three months ago.”
Victims’ campaigner, Willie Frazer, who has campaigned for compensation from Libya for 10 years, believes that IRA victims involved in the legal action will not be invited to meet Mr Lismore’s delegation.
“This is because it is an attempt to undermine the victims’ writ,” he said.
“Our success would undermine the DUP-SF partnership.
“If IRA victims got major compensation, republicans would see this as a hierarchy of victims.”
However, DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson totally rejected Mr Frazer’s claims.
“We know nothing about this delegation visiting Belfast,” he said.
“We will continue to work with the Foreign Office to obtain recognition and compensation for IRA victims.
“I will also be asking to meet this delegation and asking them to meet the victims named on the writ.”
The News Letter attempted to contact Mr Lismore on Wednesday through his business, the SDLP and the Irish Libyan Council, but was not successful.