December 2008
Standpoint is published monthly by Social Affairs Unit Magazines Limited, a subsiduary of the Social Affairs Unit (Registered Charity No.281530). The views expressed in Standpoint are those of its individual authors, not those of the Social Affairs Unit Magazines Ltd and its Directors or those of the Social Affairs Unit and its Trustees and Director
Michael Burleigh
Justice for some
Monday 4th August 2008
Under a US deal with Libya, 179 mainly Northern Irish victims of IRA bombs made with Libyan-supplied explosives are being excluded from a big compensation package that benefits only US victims of Libyan sponsored terrorism, including two Americans who were affected by bombs in Belfast and London, but excluding all the Brits in the six-years long class action. The deal mandates the explicit exclusion of any future claims by these victims in US courts. Nice to know the US courts are waging the global war on terror on civilisation's behalf.
5:53 pm
Print
COMMENTS
elberry
August 4th, 2008
6:08 PM
6:08 PM
What are you, a goddamn pinko? The US of A is fighting the Good Lord's fight, i'm talkin' good against evil, God againsts the Devil, we have no room for dilly-dallying!
Whose side are you on, anyway?
mburleigh
August 5th, 2008
9:08 AM
9:08 AM
I assume irony is involved here Elberry. I read about this deal in the Belfast Telegraph. They were not amused since most of the IRA bombs in the province were made with Libyan supplied semtex, yet the NI victims have been excluded from the deal. I guess they couldn't do that in the case of Lockerbie.
jlinville
August 5th, 2008
12:08 PM
12:08 PM
Dear Mr. Burleigh, and "Elberry,"
Shouldn't British victims of IRA bombs set off in Belfast and London be encouraged to seek compensation in British or Libyan courts, rather than American courts?
Seems a matter of jurisdiction.
James
mburleigh
August 5th, 2008
5:08 PM
5:08 PM
Yes jlinville I agree, but I suspect that won't happen because of the peace process. I don't think civil suits have got far either. I think the Brits got on to the US class action because of Lockerbie where the victims were a bit mixed up, so to speak. Then the Lockerbie action was extended to cover victims of Libyan supplied explosives, hence why the NI people got on board. I am the first to admit I am not a lawyer so this may not be right. I can ask Paul Bew who lives in Belfast and knows about all this. Will report back.
POST A COMMENT
