OMAGH INQUIRY IS A PRIORITY
Omagh inquiry is a priority
IT is difficult to believe that, rather less than a year ago, people in high places were still robustly defending the performance of the police both before and after the 1998 Omagh atrocity.
Matters have moved on dramatically since then, and every new piece of evidence which has become available has only confirmed a devastating picture.
It is now widely accepted that the investigation into the outrage was mishandled in many key areas, and the belief is also growing that the explosion which murdered 29 people and two unborn children might have been prevented.
The latest revelations, outlined on Channel 4 News over the last two evenings, strongly suggest that RUC special branch officers were in possession of not two but four warnings of possible dissident republican operations in the days leading to the Omagh bombing.
It has already been well documented that two tip-offs about potentially serious developments had been passed on, one from an anonymous telephone caller who spoke of an attack in Omagh on August 15 - the actual day of the bombing - and another from a double agent who said the Real IRA was preparing a device for an unknown location somewhere in Northern Ireland.
Details of two further threats are now known to have been in special branch hands on August 11 and August 14.
While it appears police were not specifically and directly informed that the Real IRA intended to plant a huge bomb in the centre of Omagh on August 15, there seems to have been considerable grounds for suspecting that evil individuals were attempting to target the town during that period.
If a number of standard checkpoints had been in place during the course of the day, it is reasonable to conclude that the bombing might never have taken place.
During every debate on Omagh, it is essential to stress that the basic responsibility for the catastrophe lies squarely with the Real IRA.
It is also necessary to point out that at all stages the dissident group employed the methods, equipment and almost certainly the former personnel of the Provisional IRA.
In addition, if the Omagh explosion had been avoided, there is every possibility that another town elsewhere in Northern Ireland would have suffered a similar fate.
However, in all the circumstances, demands from relatives of the Omagh victims for a public inquiry should no longer be opposed by the authorities.
The format of any tribunal can be debated, but it should have the capacity to examine allegations relating to events in the Republic. A commitment to such a step must be a priority.
IT is difficult to believe that, rather less than a year ago, people in high places were still robustly defending the performance of the police both before and after the 1998 Omagh atrocity.
Matters have moved on dramatically since then, and every new piece of evidence which has become available has only confirmed a devastating picture.
It is now widely accepted that the investigation into the outrage was mishandled in many key areas, and the belief is also growing that the explosion which murdered 29 people and two unborn children might have been prevented.
The latest revelations, outlined on Channel 4 News over the last two evenings, strongly suggest that RUC special branch officers were in possession of not two but four warnings of possible dissident republican operations in the days leading to the Omagh bombing.
It has already been well documented that two tip-offs about potentially serious developments had been passed on, one from an anonymous telephone caller who spoke of an attack in Omagh on August 15 - the actual day of the bombing - and another from a double agent who said the Real IRA was preparing a device for an unknown location somewhere in Northern Ireland.
Details of two further threats are now known to have been in special branch hands on August 11 and August 14.
While it appears police were not specifically and directly informed that the Real IRA intended to plant a huge bomb in the centre of Omagh on August 15, there seems to have been considerable grounds for suspecting that evil individuals were attempting to target the town during that period.
If a number of standard checkpoints had been in place during the course of the day, it is reasonable to conclude that the bombing might never have taken place.
During every debate on Omagh, it is essential to stress that the basic responsibility for the catastrophe lies squarely with the Real IRA.
It is also necessary to point out that at all stages the dissident group employed the methods, equipment and almost certainly the former personnel of the Provisional IRA.
In addition, if the Omagh explosion had been avoided, there is every possibility that another town elsewhere in Northern Ireland would have suffered a similar fate.
However, in all the circumstances, demands from relatives of the Omagh victims for a public inquiry should no longer be opposed by the authorities.
The format of any tribunal can be debated, but it should have the capacity to examine allegations relating to events in the Republic. A commitment to such a step must be a priority.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0583
Published Date: 30-Oct-02
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