Politicians in Libya for terror redress talks

A delegation of politicians from Northern Ireland were heading to Libya today for talks about compensation for victims of IRA violence.

The three MPs and three members of the Lords have been invited by the Gaddafi regime to discuss the legal attempts to secure redress for Libyan involvement in supplying the IRA with bomb-making equipment.

Among the cross-party group are DUP MPs Jeffrey Donaldson and Nigel Dodds and they are due to land in Tripoli later, where they will meet Libya's minister for Europe and other officials.

Semtex explosives supplied by Libya were one of the IRA's most lethal weapons in its decades-long terror campaign.

Links between the IRA and Colonel Muammar Gaddafi are thought to stretch back as far as 1972, and Libya is understood to have supplied the Republican group with Czech-made Semtex in the 1980s.

Speaking to the BBC before he flew out, Mr Donaldson said: "We will be putting the case directly to the Libyan government.

"We may not reach agreement at this stage...but we think it is right that we should have the opportunity to put the case for the victims."

The parliamentarians - who will be in Libya until Monday - revealed they would be travelling earlier this month.

Although members of the victims' families were not invited on the trip, the fact that the trip was taking place was welcomed as a sign of progress in the long-running campaign.

The lawyers in a statement: "The victims view this as a significant step forward, as well as recognition by both countries that their plight will not be overlooked as Anglo-Libyan relations develop.

"They sincerely hope that, following the parliamentarian team's visit, Libya will review its position toward them and appreciate that they wish to visit Libya in the spirit of peace and reconciliation."