ASSEMBLYMAN RETURNED FROM FLORIDA
ASSEMBLYMAN RETURNED FROM FLORIDA
WEST Tyrone Assemblyman, Derek Hussey, believes that the bombers who devastated Omagh town centre on Saturday afternoon intended to kill as many civilians as possible.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Mr. Hussey said that he had no doubt that the Real IRA had intended to "kill and maim as many ordinary citizens as possible, given the nature of their warnings and the geography of Omagh's main shopping area.
"To plant a bomb in such an area on a busy shopping day during the school holidays, timed to explode just prior to a community event, speaks for itself," he said.
"Such people are beyond the comprehension of normal civilised society and do not deserve to be part of it.
"They claim that their warnings were not properly passed on. This despicable attempt to transfer blame adds insult to the pain and misery they have already created."
Mr. Hussey, who interrupted a family holiday in Florida after hearing of the Omagh blast, welcomed the fact that a task force had been established in a bid to assist those who are suffering trauma as a result of the bomb:
"The ramifications of this atrocity will be with us all for a long time to come and it is vital that everything possible is done to cushion, in as far as possible, the ongoing difficulties that will have to be faced by so many."
Describing the attack as "evil and indiscriminate", Mr. Hussey said that he believed its effects would be felt by many during the years to come and he called on Government to ensure that everything possible was done to ensure that the entire district returned to normal during the coming months.
Mr. Hussey described as "hypocritical" the Real IRA's announcement of a ceasefire. He accused them of "diving for cover" in the face of public anger over the Omagh bombing and declared that there should be no hiding place for those responsible:
"We have had the Prime Minister's promise that no stone will be left unturned in the efforts to bring those responsible to justice and we have heard it all before. On this occasion, the rhetoric must be backed up by positive results from both Governments if our society is to be given any hope for the future."
Mr. Hussey also said that he believed that it was not enough for Sinn Fein to condemn the attack:
"They know who these people are and should now be sharing this information with the authorities north or south," he continued.
Finally, he called for "swift and ruthless" police action:
"The RUC, the Gardai and the military almost certainly know who these perpetrators of evil are. They must be rounded up and taken out of civilised society," declared Mr. Hussey.
WEST Tyrone Assemblyman, Derek Hussey, believes that the bombers who devastated Omagh town centre on Saturday afternoon intended to kill as many civilians as possible.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Mr. Hussey said that he had no doubt that the Real IRA had intended to "kill and maim as many ordinary citizens as possible, given the nature of their warnings and the geography of Omagh's main shopping area.
"To plant a bomb in such an area on a busy shopping day during the school holidays, timed to explode just prior to a community event, speaks for itself," he said.
"Such people are beyond the comprehension of normal civilised society and do not deserve to be part of it.
"They claim that their warnings were not properly passed on. This despicable attempt to transfer blame adds insult to the pain and misery they have already created."
Mr. Hussey, who interrupted a family holiday in Florida after hearing of the Omagh blast, welcomed the fact that a task force had been established in a bid to assist those who are suffering trauma as a result of the bomb:
"The ramifications of this atrocity will be with us all for a long time to come and it is vital that everything possible is done to cushion, in as far as possible, the ongoing difficulties that will have to be faced by so many."
Describing the attack as "evil and indiscriminate", Mr. Hussey said that he believed its effects would be felt by many during the years to come and he called on Government to ensure that everything possible was done to ensure that the entire district returned to normal during the coming months.
Mr. Hussey described as "hypocritical" the Real IRA's announcement of a ceasefire. He accused them of "diving for cover" in the face of public anger over the Omagh bombing and declared that there should be no hiding place for those responsible:
"We have had the Prime Minister's promise that no stone will be left unturned in the efforts to bring those responsible to justice and we have heard it all before. On this occasion, the rhetoric must be backed up by positive results from both Governments if our society is to be given any hope for the future."
Mr. Hussey also said that he believed that it was not enough for Sinn Fein to condemn the attack:
"They know who these people are and should now be sharing this information with the authorities north or south," he continued.
Finally, he called for "swift and ruthless" police action:
"The RUC, the Gardai and the military almost certainly know who these perpetrators of evil are. They must be rounded up and taken out of civilised society," declared Mr. Hussey.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0201
Published Date: 20-Aug-98
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.