INTELLIGENCE ON OMAGH WAS NOT WITHHELD - ORDE
Intelligence on Omagh was not withheld - Orde
BY ALISTAIR BUSHE
Security Correspondent
a.bushe@newsletter.co.uk
SIR Hugh Orde yesterday faced fresh claims that more could have been done to prevent the Omagh bombing.
At a meeting of the Policing Board in Belfast, SDLP MLA Alex Attwood highlighted newspaper reports that MI5 withheld vital information prior to the August 1998 atrocity.
The Chief Constable insisted the PSNI were not deprived of any anti-terrorism intelligence during their investigation into the bombing that claimed 29 lives.
But Sir Hugh played a straight bat to claims that MI5 deliberately withheld intelligence that could have helped the former RUC foil the bombers.
He merely stressed that the speculation has "been in the public domain for many years" and is "simply being redrafted".
The Chief Constable also stressed there was no link between a dissident republican gang investigated in April 1998 and the Omagh bombers.
"It's the view of the senior investigating officer who I spoke to only two hours ago that the security services did not withhold intelligence that was relevant or would have progressed the criminal Omagh inquiry," he said.
"The dissident republican unit involved in the April 1998 incident has been investigated by the inquiry, which has found that it was a different unit to that involved in the actually bombing of Omagh.
"There is no evidence of a link between these two units."
But Mr Attwood insisted Sir Hugh had not answered the question put to him.
"The Chief Constable did say that MI5 did share everything in respect of the murder inquiry, but the point of the question was their intelligence prior to the murders," he said.
Mr Attwood said the claims raised new and disturbing possibilities for the Omagh families.
"After all this length of time this piece of information comes into the public domain and I think we need to know whether it is true or not true," he added.
"I think all the families need to know who knew and how that information was shared.
"The failure to answer that question will not reassure people. The truth of the matter is there may have been intelligence prior to the murders that wasn't shared."
Sir Hugh added that efforts should concentrate on finding the bombers who were "determined to kill and maim innocent people".
He added: "My job and my senior investigating officer's job is to bring people to justice and we will continue to work tirelessly to do that."
The allegations that MI5 failed to inform the RUC of the threat emerged during an investigation into an FBI agent who infiltrated the Real IRA.
The agent warned that terrorists based in Co Donegal were planning a strike on either Omagh or Londonderry.
BY ALISTAIR BUSHE
Security Correspondent
a.bushe@newsletter.co.uk
SIR Hugh Orde yesterday faced fresh claims that more could have been done to prevent the Omagh bombing.
At a meeting of the Policing Board in Belfast, SDLP MLA Alex Attwood highlighted newspaper reports that MI5 withheld vital information prior to the August 1998 atrocity.
The Chief Constable insisted the PSNI were not deprived of any anti-terrorism intelligence during their investigation into the bombing that claimed 29 lives.
But Sir Hugh played a straight bat to claims that MI5 deliberately withheld intelligence that could have helped the former RUC foil the bombers.
He merely stressed that the speculation has "been in the public domain for many years" and is "simply being redrafted".
The Chief Constable also stressed there was no link between a dissident republican gang investigated in April 1998 and the Omagh bombers.
"It's the view of the senior investigating officer who I spoke to only two hours ago that the security services did not withhold intelligence that was relevant or would have progressed the criminal Omagh inquiry," he said.
"The dissident republican unit involved in the April 1998 incident has been investigated by the inquiry, which has found that it was a different unit to that involved in the actually bombing of Omagh.
"There is no evidence of a link between these two units."
But Mr Attwood insisted Sir Hugh had not answered the question put to him.
"The Chief Constable did say that MI5 did share everything in respect of the murder inquiry, but the point of the question was their intelligence prior to the murders," he said.
Mr Attwood said the claims raised new and disturbing possibilities for the Omagh families.
"After all this length of time this piece of information comes into the public domain and I think we need to know whether it is true or not true," he added.
"I think all the families need to know who knew and how that information was shared.
"The failure to answer that question will not reassure people. The truth of the matter is there may have been intelligence prior to the murders that wasn't shared."
Sir Hugh added that efforts should concentrate on finding the bombers who were "determined to kill and maim innocent people".
He added: "My job and my senior investigating officer's job is to bring people to justice and we will continue to work tirelessly to do that."
The allegations that MI5 failed to inform the RUC of the threat emerged during an investigation into an FBI agent who infiltrated the Real IRA.
The agent warned that terrorists based in Co Donegal were planning a strike on either Omagh or Londonderry.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/641
Published Date: 02-Mar-06
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