Public enquiry into Omagh bombing long overdue

Editorial Department • Published 12 Aug 2010 16:00 0 Comments

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Dear Sir, The twelfth anniversary of the Omagh bombing is on 15 August. This was the single worst atrocity since the recent ‘Troubles’ began in 1969, and it occurred only a few months after the signing of the Belfast Agreement.

Twenty-nine people and two unborn children died in the explosion. Furthermore, some 250 people were injured, some of them seriously. Thus more than twice as many people were murdered than those who were killed on Bloody Sunday.

In the latter incident, there have been two Public Inquiries, whereas in respect of the Omagh bomb atrocity no such proper Public Inquiry has yet been held. A Public Inquiry is essential because of its powers to subpoena witnesses to attend and to demand the production of relevant documents.

The recent Saville Inquiry has been criticised for having been open-ended time wise and for having taken years to reach its conclusions, and having been too costly. Such opinion should not detract from the justice of the cause of the relatives of the victims of the Omagh bomb in wanting such an Inquiry.

Clear distinctions can be made as follows: firstly, such an Inquiry into the Omagh bombing would not have to be open-ended, since the number of questions, and the number of persons qualified to answer them, are limited. Secondly, such an Inquiry would not have to take months to establish how each individual was murdered as they were all murdered in the one explosion.

Terrorism is still a threat in the UK. There is also the wider public interest as to how promptly the security forces react to such incidents and as to how many atrocities could be prevented.

For example, the public have a right to know the full extent to which MI5 was monitoring telephone calls both before and after the atrocity.

In the concluding comments to her Police Ombudsman’s report, Nuala O’Loan urged that “a positive way will be found which will facilitate the thorough and effective investigation into the Omagh bomb”. She realised that her own report raised more questions than it answered. A full Public Inquiry is long overdue.

Yours faithfully,

Neil C. Oliver,

Castle Toppy

114 Crawfordsburn Road

NEWTOWNARDS

Co. Down

This letter appeared in Impartial Reporter 12 Aug 10

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