GORDON BROWN SOSTERRA’ LA RICHIESTA DI RISARCIMENTO CONTRO LA LIBIA
Gordon Brown ha dichiarato che non farà pressioni sulla Libia per il risarcimento alle vittime dell’IRA, ma si impegna ad offrire loro il suo sostegno
Dopo l’esplicito invito di Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP, al Primo Ministro britannico di esercitare pressioni sul governo libico al fine di ottenere un risarcimento per il ruolo giocato dalla Libia nel sostentamente dell’IRA, Gordon Brown, in occasione del colloquio con il cancelliere tedesco Angela Merkel, ha affermato che si impegnerà a fornire il suo sostegno alla battaglia delle vittime dell’Irish Republican Army.
Egli si adoperarà infatti nel designare un assistente presso l’ambiasciata inglese a Tripoli che accolga, accompagni e consigli la delegazione di familiari delle vittime dell’IRA che si recheranno nelle prossime settimane in Libia, alla ricerca di un colloquio diretto con Muammar Gheddafi.
Il governo britannico sostiene che il mezzo più efficace per ottenere il risarcimento non è attraverso i negoziati diretti e ufficiali con le autorità libiche, ma sostenendo le famiglie nella loro battaglia legale.
Donaldson non ha digerito di buon grado la presa di posizione del Primo Ministro inglese ed ha dichiarato: “Io voglio sapere e il popolo dell’Irlanda del Nord vorrà sapere perché Gordon Brown non ha lo stesso desiderio di battersi per le vittime del terrorismo dell’IRA, così come George Bush ha fatto per le vittime americane”.
La risposta sta probabilmente nella volontà del governo britannico di voler evitare che un intervento ministeriale possa turbare le relazioni diplomatiche con la Libia e Donaldson ha aggiunto: “si tratta di un altro vergognoso calcio nei denti delle vittime dell’IRA”.
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Brown offers support to IRA victims (U TV)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been forced to offer his support to IRA victims seeking compensation from Libya.
Outrage greeted the revelation that he had first told them it would not be “appropriate” for him to get involved.
Mr Brown has now said he would provide dedicated Foreign Office staff to assist the victims and diplomats at the British Embassy in Tripoli would accompany and advise them when they travel to Libya to seek direct talks with Colonel Muammar Gaddafi within the next few weeks.
Speaking in Berlin, where he was holding talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr Brown said: “I care enormously about the impact of IRA terror on victims and their families and on our communities.”
Successive governments had raised the issue of Libyan support for the IRA – including the supply of Semtex which was used by republican bomb-makers in their campaign of terror in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s – over the past two decades, said Mr Brown.
But he said that the government judged that the most effective means of seeking compensation was not through direct official negotiations with the Libyan authorities, but by supporting the families in their legal battle.
Earlier DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson had urged the Prime Minister to speak up for IRA bomb victims and push for compensation from Libya.
Mr Donaldson said: “I want to know and the people of Northern Ireland will want to know why Gordon Brown doesn’t have the same desire to stand up for the victims of IRA terrorism as George Bush showed in standing up for the American victims.
“He got a multi-billion dollar deal in terms of compensation from the Libyans.”
Jeffrey Donaldson is part of a cross-party group of MPs preparing to travel to Tripoli for face to face talks with Libyan authorities about compensation for victims of IRA violence.
He had talks with Foreign Office officials last week in preparation for the trip on which he is expected to be joined by party colleague, Nigel Dodds.
His comments followed the revelation that Gordon Brown declined to press Colonel Muammar Gaddafi for compensation for IRA bomb victims out of concern that a ministerial intervention might upset relations with Libya.
Jim Allister, the leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice, said the revelation was “yet another shameful kick in the teeth for victims”.
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