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Death of Gadaffi means peace for IRA victims’ families

Northern Irish politician believes death could pave way for legal settlements

By
CATHY HAYES,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Friday, October 21, 2011, 8:09 AM
Updated Friday, October 21, 2011, 12:28 PM

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Gadaffi


The death of ex-Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi could pave the way for the settlement of legal claims by IRA victims and their families in Northern Ireland, according to Democratic Ulster Party’s (DUP) Jeffrey Donaldson.

During the 1980s, Gaddafi sent large quantities of arms and explosives to Ireland to be used by the Irish Republican Army (IRA).  Donaldson, from Lagan Valley, has said these Semtex explosives were used during the 1993 IRA bombing of Warrington, Merseyside.

Donaldson said, “I don’t think anybody will be comforted but there will be widespread relief that this has happened and that we finally see an end to his evil regime…This now clears the way for what we hope will be the conclusion of our negotiations with the new government to settle the legal claims which have been made by a small number of IRA victims.

“We will be pressing for the establishment of a fund to assist the wider group of victims who suffered as a result of Gaddafi’s sponsorship of the IRA and his arming of the IRA during the earliest years of the troubles.”
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Two young boys, Tim Parry and Jonathan Ball, died in the IRA blast in Warrington. Other mass killings across the UK were also blamed on Libyan arms.

In 2003, the UN Security Council voted to lift sanctions against Libya. At the time, the DUP’s Ian Paisley Jr. argued that they country should first pay compensation to the IRA victims.

As part of these negotiations, Libya provided information on the millions of pounds and 120 tonnes of weaponry which they had given the IRA.

In 2009 Northern Ireland politicians started talks with Tripoli to secure compensation for 160 victims of the Provisional IRA. The group has not put a price on the amount they expect for the victims. However the US compensation group has been paid $1.5 billion.

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13 Comments

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gobdawpaddy | Oct 23, 2011, 09:01 AM EDT
Imagine if McGuinness were to be elected president of Ireland, his old pal Ghadafi could have been on his guest list for the inaugaration. I'm sure Martin wouldn't have objected to him pitching his tent in the garden at the Aras such was the kinship developed between Martin's pals and Ghadafi.

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DanOLoingsigh | Oct 23, 2011, 07:23 AM EDT
maireadinmelb - Who trained Hussein in what? All these guys are dead now...so the problems they caused are mitigated, but not ended...who ensured those outcomes...Brits and Yanks, Brits and Yanks,Brits and Yanks, incidentally, when you turn a switch and the light doesn't come on...you'll know the guys fighting to keep the oil flowing have failed...

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citizen69 | Oct 22, 2011, 02:11 PM EDT
@peterkissel: it was the left-wing Labour party who brought Gadaffi in from the cold not the right-wing Conservatives. It was Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair who was trying to secure deals for British oil companies. As i said before Donaldson objected to the release of the Lockerbie bomber and re-establishing ties with Gadaffi. You say you personally know families who were directly effected by the Pan-Am bombing. I guess therefore you would think it fair to see them compensated in someway by the man ultimately responsible. So why not the same for those in Ireland (protestant & catholic) murdered by weapons & explosives he provided? He also sent around two million dollars to the Real IRA in recent months. Money that may well be used to murder more people in Ireland.

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citizen69 | Oct 22, 2011, 01:57 PM EDT
@Rebelforce: But it wouldn't be compensation for just ONE side. You see the IRA murdered more Catholics than the British Army, The RUC or any Loyalist terror group. Besides, the victim's families said they would like the money to help ALL victims of Terrorism, loyalist or republican.

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Rebelforce | Oct 21, 2011, 09:51 PM EDT
Sorry Jeffrey, but we can't have compensation for only ONE side of the community. That would be Sectarian and unfair to everybody who suffered in the war. If victims of the War are to be compensated, then ALL victims must be compensated out of a general fund. None of this, "Protestant compensation for a Protestant people" nonsense.

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Woodman | Oct 21, 2011, 08:57 PM EDT
Tony Blair was over there shaking hand with Mo and negotiating multimillion dollar deals. No reason not to spread the wealth. If they can get some money off it, give it a shot. Money is what its always about anyway.

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maireadinmelb | Oct 21, 2011, 05:40 PM EDT
Who trained osama? who trained Hussien? Who supported Gadafi? Brits and Yanks! Brits and Yanks Brits and Yanks! There are your hypocrites!

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peterkissel | Oct 21, 2011, 04:08 PM EDT
Citizen69 - Fair question, so let me explain. I called him a hypocrite for the simple reason that he only criticizes one group of Gaddafi's ex-friends while staying silent about other Gaddafi buddies who are huge supporters of Donaldson's Unionist principles, i.e., the right-wing and unprincipled brutal British military establishment. Perhaps you are not aware of it, but their dirty deal with Gaddafi to safeguard their oil supply is an open secret. As one who knows a number of families whose children were murdered in the Lockerbie bombing, I bristle at the silence of people like Donaldson and the filthy deeds of the British military in that deal with the Devil. Regarding your questioning my concern for American victims, given my personal experiences and the fact that we don't know each other, I will not respond.

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mamaginnty | Oct 21, 2011, 01:35 PM EDT
When the so called rebels started 7 months ago to get rid of Gaddafi, I could never understand why. He was there for 40 or more years, he was shaking hands with world leaders 2 years ago. His cities were beautuful, his people did not have to pay for oil/gas, did not pay for electricity, nor have to pay rent on thier homes. There is more to this than certain countries want us to know, and as always this country had OIL. Every one remembers the IRA killings, but so easily are they forgetting who fired the first shot, and the other side of the coin, Plus WHY the IRA were reborn again.

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clevelander | Oct 21, 2011, 01:35 PM EDT
When will the victims of udd/uvf violence receive their payments from the South African Government. Just wondering!!

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citizen69 | Oct 21, 2011, 12:36 PM EDT
@peterkissel: Donaldson or his party had nothing to do with the release of the Lockerbie bomber, nor did he or his party agree with it so why do you think he is a hypocrite? Do you also object to the fact that families of American victims got compensated? And what has the fact that it was 30 years ago got to do with it? I'm sure if these people weren't IRA victims you wouldn't be treating this story with such contempt.

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cillowen | Oct 21, 2011, 11:39 AM EDT
the sob reach is a cover for the apartheid practice that McGuinness had to set right - and thento become their buddy noless - strange bedfellows abounding across the spectrum. then we have sadam with the kurds and gasses administered - provide by?

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peterkissel | Oct 21, 2011, 11:32 AM EDT
Donaldson's right wing British buddies recently worked a secret deal with their friend Gaddafi to set the Lockerbie murderer free and he has the gall to drag this 30-year old isuue out of the closet -- hey Jeffrey, ever heard of hypocrisy -you're the face of it.

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