BLAST OF EVIL WON'T STOP PEACE PROCESS
Blast of evil won't stop peace process
By JAMES HARDY and JEREMY ARMSTRONG
DISTRAUGHT BLAIR'S VOW
ULSTER'S peace will NOT be derailed by the bombing, Tony Blair pledged yesterday.
He vowed: "We won't let these people wreck the future. They are not going to succeed."
And he said the monsters responsible for the "blast of evil" would be hunted down and caged.
The shocked Premier made his promise after breaking off his French holiday and flying to the province.
Mr Blair and his deputy John Prescott comforted blast victims in Tyrone County Hospital.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams also met relatives of the dead and injured.
He repeated his "utter condemnation" of the outrage, adding: "Those responsible for this action should admit it." Mr Adams hit out as Mr Blair had crisis talks with Irish Premier Bertie Ahern, Ulster Secretary Mo Mowlam, other political leaders and top cop Ronnie Flanagan.
The RUC chief said he was setting up a special task force to hunt down the killers.
Mr Blair spoke earlier of his grief at the killings.
He said: "I am obviously very full of emotion this morning. I just kept thinking last night of those poor murdered people.
"Yesterday at this time it was just another normal day for them leading normal lives with the normal balance of cares and worries and hopes.
"Now, by this blast of evil, their lives are gone."
He said he grieved for the parents who would not see their children again, and children who would not see their parents.
"But." he added, "we must be strong and we must be determined.
"We must say that these perpetrated this deed will not win. They are a small group of people, a tiny fanatical group of people.
"They have no political base, they have no votes, they have no support in Northern Ireland. They have just this capacity for evil."
Mr Prescott was equally scathing.
Slamming the "appalling and evil act." he added: "You can't help but believe that it was designed to maximise injury to people, particularly women and children.
"I welcome the fact that there has been universal condemnation. I hope that universal condemnation will also lead to universal commitment to provide as much information as possible to find the people who perpetrated this act."
Mr Prescott stressed: "We must redouble our efforts to make sure that the peace process goes on.
"It has to survive. We can't go back to the dark days."
Mr Prescott had some joyful news for young bomb victim Rory McCrory.
He promised him a seat at Anfield so he can see his beloved Liverpool in action when he recovers.
SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon said his visit to see the injured had humbled him.
"It makes us recognise the strength of people and the forces for good that exist in this community."
Irish president Mary McAleese said there was a "posse of serial killers at loose" who should be brought to justice.
Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley said the IRA should have been made to hand over its arms as part of the Good Friday deal.
By JAMES HARDY and JEREMY ARMSTRONG
DISTRAUGHT BLAIR'S VOW
ULSTER'S peace will NOT be derailed by the bombing, Tony Blair pledged yesterday.
He vowed: "We won't let these people wreck the future. They are not going to succeed."
And he said the monsters responsible for the "blast of evil" would be hunted down and caged.
The shocked Premier made his promise after breaking off his French holiday and flying to the province.
Mr Blair and his deputy John Prescott comforted blast victims in Tyrone County Hospital.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams also met relatives of the dead and injured.
He repeated his "utter condemnation" of the outrage, adding: "Those responsible for this action should admit it." Mr Adams hit out as Mr Blair had crisis talks with Irish Premier Bertie Ahern, Ulster Secretary Mo Mowlam, other political leaders and top cop Ronnie Flanagan.
The RUC chief said he was setting up a special task force to hunt down the killers.
Mr Blair spoke earlier of his grief at the killings.
He said: "I am obviously very full of emotion this morning. I just kept thinking last night of those poor murdered people.
"Yesterday at this time it was just another normal day for them leading normal lives with the normal balance of cares and worries and hopes.
"Now, by this blast of evil, their lives are gone."
He said he grieved for the parents who would not see their children again, and children who would not see their parents.
"But." he added, "we must be strong and we must be determined.
"We must say that these perpetrated this deed will not win. They are a small group of people, a tiny fanatical group of people.
"They have no political base, they have no votes, they have no support in Northern Ireland. They have just this capacity for evil."
Mr Prescott was equally scathing.
Slamming the "appalling and evil act." he added: "You can't help but believe that it was designed to maximise injury to people, particularly women and children.
"I welcome the fact that there has been universal condemnation. I hope that universal condemnation will also lead to universal commitment to provide as much information as possible to find the people who perpetrated this act."
Mr Prescott stressed: "We must redouble our efforts to make sure that the peace process goes on.
"It has to survive. We can't go back to the dark days."
Mr Prescott had some joyful news for young bomb victim Rory McCrory.
He promised him a seat at Anfield so he can see his beloved Liverpool in action when he recovers.
SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon said his visit to see the injured had humbled him.
"It makes us recognise the strength of people and the forces for good that exist in this community."
Irish president Mary McAleese said there was a "posse of serial killers at loose" who should be brought to justice.
Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley said the IRA should have been made to hand over its arms as part of the Good Friday deal.
Further Information
Publisher: THE MIRROR
Ref: TM/012
Published Date: 17-Aug-98
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