DUP

Terrorism and frozen assets

Nobody can explain why assets are frozen and when they might be unfrozen. If the freeze was to punish Gadafy, well he is long gone. If it was to stop a long list of his family and henchmen from helping themselves, well that has worked too. Meantime the money, shares, property etc, sits wherever it is, doing not much for anyone.

David Cameron, in March 2011 said that “the assets really do belong to the Libyan people ” and did not support the idea of using a fraction of the wealth to compensate Libyan victims of semtex.

The NTC gave Jason McCue a promise to pay compensation, a month later.

On 27 July 2011 the British Government recognised the National Transitional Council “as the sole governmental authority in Libya”.

In August Henry Bellingham Foreign Office Minister, wrote to Dr McCrea MP, about my claim and said: “I know Mr McCue was able to get a MoU signed by Abdul Jalil of the NTC which gave agreement to compensation. It may be possible to consider, when the time is right, making a further approach to the NTC for the setting aside of assets for compensation”

This language is typical of  mealy mouthed Foreign Office speak. When somebody makes you a promise to pay  but does not pay, the time is immediately right. No hand wringing necessary.

Time for the FCO and the Prime Minister to show some steel in support of victims of terrorism.

The time is right.

Cameron-talking tough-doing what?

On 4 May 2014, the Sunday Telegraph reported that the Prime Minister had appointed Sir Kim Darroch: “to lead a new effort to gain compensation from Libya”. Six years after the Americans were paid. Five months on, I have heard nothing from Sir Kim. Cameron talks a good game but has delivered nothing. Many victims are in ill health and old age. Many are in dire financial straits. This compensation, which Libya has admitted is due to the victims, would transform their lives. Meanwhile, how many British firms are doing business with the Libyans? Time for action, Prime Minister.

Libya

Diane Dodds, MEP, has promised me that she will :

“make every effort to ensure that the policy of the European Commission and the External Action Service… has at its core an awareness of the rights of innocent victims of Libyan funded IRA violence.”

Watch out for results soon!

Libya

In 2011 the UK government froze millions of pounds worth of Libyan assets. In April of that year , the National Transitional Council, the Libyan Spring revolutionary committee, promised to pay compensation to UK citizens. The NTC did this at the height of Operation Ellamay, the Franco British action to constrain Gadafy. The operation cost the UK £212 million and put RAF lives at risk. The promised money has not been paid and the UK government refuses to release the frozen money to compensate victims of Libya’s semtex. Justice?