THE TELEGRAPH: Gordon Brown is facing increasing pressure over compensation for IRA victims after an about-turn to offer support for the claims against Libya was undermined by Saif Gaddafi, its leader's son.
Mr Brown's changes of political position have left him in an embarrassing position with little room to manoeuvre.
Initially, he isolated himself by angering the families of victims of the IRA, whose loved ones were killed with Semtex supplied by the African nation, by failing to personally intervene on their behalf for payouts from Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
In a letter to a lawyer representing IRA victims, he argued that it was “inappropriate” for him to lobby Col Gaddafi, partly because trade and Libya’s co-operation in the battle against extremism might be affected.
The reaction was so strong that, by Sunday night, the Prime Minister was forced into an about-turn in which he tried to defuse the row by offering "dedicated Foreign Office support” to the victims' families.
However, the Libyan authorities swiftly poured cold water on the chances the compensation bid.
Speaking in a television interview on Monday morning, Saif Gaddafi said the first response to any claim for a payout would be: "No."
He added that any attempt would be forced through a legal process.
"Anyone can knock on our door. You go to the court. They have their lawyers. We have our lawyers," he said.
Mr Brown's mishandling of the issue now risks jeopardising the relations with Libya, the very thing which the Government has tried so hard to improve. >>> Simon Johnson and Andrew Porter | Monday, September 07, 2009
