ROBINSON'S OMAGH VIEW EARNS REBUKE
Robinson's Omagh view earns rebuke
By ANNE PALMER
a.palmer@newsletter.co.uk
LAWRENCE Rush, who lost his wife Libby in the Omagh bombing, last night accused former president Mary Robinson of seeing things through rose-coloured spectacles.
His observations came after Mrs Robinson delivered a speech in Omagh on healing, and the lessons learnt from the Omagh bomb.
Mr Rush said: "People in Omagh have always shown generosity, resilience and compassion." He said he did not agree with the content of Mrs Robinson's speech, in particular with her suggestions about the truth and reconciliation commission.
He said: "I have listened to the Rev John Dunlop describe Mrs Robinson as being at the cutting edge, and I've listened to the council representative saying we have come to a phase of reconciliation.
"We have not come to a phase of reconciliation. We have come to a phase of requiring justice. I'm not going to sit down and talk to someone who murdered my wife.
"They loaded the bomb, they took two weeks to get the bomb together, they drove the bomb across the border from the Republic of Ireland, and took it into Omagh.
"They are going to be brought to justice, and I'm not going to negotiate with anyone. I'm going to look for justice, even if it's for the next 100 years."
Mrs Robinson replied that wanting justice was part of the healing process, and drew parallels with her experience as UN Human Rights Commissioner dealing with the aftermath of conflict in East Timor.
She said: "I hope that the perpetrators are brought to justice."
Carol Radford said her 16-year-old brother, Alan, had been butchered on the streets of Omagh and she wanted "justice not vengeance".
Mrs Robinson said more attention was being paid to the issues of how to deal with the terrorists and their responsibility, more so now than 10 years ago.
She said: "The pain is still raw, the hurt is still there, and the call for justice is still preventing healing from taking place in a more rounded way."
In her address Mary Robinson spoke of the resilience and inner strength of the Omagh community and of the "ethos of solidarity" which can still be called upon.
She said: "For the community to find a way forward it was important to have that sense that justice will be done and that there will be accountability."
By ANNE PALMER
a.palmer@newsletter.co.uk
LAWRENCE Rush, who lost his wife Libby in the Omagh bombing, last night accused former president Mary Robinson of seeing things through rose-coloured spectacles.
His observations came after Mrs Robinson delivered a speech in Omagh on healing, and the lessons learnt from the Omagh bomb.
Mr Rush said: "People in Omagh have always shown generosity, resilience and compassion." He said he did not agree with the content of Mrs Robinson's speech, in particular with her suggestions about the truth and reconciliation commission.
He said: "I have listened to the Rev John Dunlop describe Mrs Robinson as being at the cutting edge, and I've listened to the council representative saying we have come to a phase of reconciliation.
"We have not come to a phase of reconciliation. We have come to a phase of requiring justice. I'm not going to sit down and talk to someone who murdered my wife.
"They loaded the bomb, they took two weeks to get the bomb together, they drove the bomb across the border from the Republic of Ireland, and took it into Omagh.
"They are going to be brought to justice, and I'm not going to negotiate with anyone. I'm going to look for justice, even if it's for the next 100 years."
Mrs Robinson replied that wanting justice was part of the healing process, and drew parallels with her experience as UN Human Rights Commissioner dealing with the aftermath of conflict in East Timor.
She said: "I hope that the perpetrators are brought to justice."
Carol Radford said her 16-year-old brother, Alan, had been butchered on the streets of Omagh and she wanted "justice not vengeance".
Mrs Robinson said more attention was being paid to the issues of how to deal with the terrorists and their responsibility, more so now than 10 years ago.
She said: "The pain is still raw, the hurt is still there, and the call for justice is still preventing healing from taking place in a more rounded way."
In her address Mary Robinson spoke of the resilience and inner strength of the Omagh community and of the "ethos of solidarity" which can still be called upon.
She said: "For the community to find a way forward it was important to have that sense that justice will be done and that there will be accountability."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/484
Published Date: 18-Aug-03
Related Images
