Libya court battle looms for IRA victims
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son said Libya would contest the compensation claims
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Libya has said it will go to the courts to contest compensation claims from the families of IRA victims.
Gordon Brown has already said the government would help the families sue the Libyan authorities, who are accused of providing weapons to the IRA in the 1980s and 90s.
Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam told Sky News on Monday: "Anyone can knock at our door and ask for money.
"But we go to the courts. They have their lawyers, we have our lawyers."
The lawyer representing the families seeking compensation said his clients were "overjoyed" at Mr Brown's intervention and that of Saif Gaddafi.
"It means they have decided to engage with us whereas previously there was no engagement," said Jason McCue.
"We always expected this to go to the courts and now it means there will be a process to getting compensation."
The US government has already helped to secure $1.5 billion worth of compensation from Libya over Americans killed by the IRA.
Mr Brown's comments last night have been labelled a U-turn by opposition politicians.
The prime minister had initially said that UK support would be "inappropriate".
But last night he promised "dedicated Foreign Office support to the victims' campaign".
"I care enormously about the impact of IRA terror on victims and their families and on our communities," Mr Brown said.