8 July 1999 Edition
U.S. politicians want unbiased Finucane probe
In a recent letter signed by 26 members of the United States Congress, a broad bipartisan group of American legislators has renewed pressure on the British government to establish a public inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane.
The letter is a follow-up to one sent late last year urging an independent probe into the 1989 killing. British Prime Minister Tony Blair responded to the last letter that he was ``not persuaded that such an inquiry would bring to light anything new''.
``Over the last six months, however, considerable new evidence has come to light, and we are renewing the call to Prime Minister Blair to initiate an independent public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane as a means to bolster the people's confidence in the peace process and the government's commitment to secure human rights for all citizens,'' said Congressman Chris Smith, the charman of the House Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.
``We hope that you would agree that since our last correspondence, enormous, consequential events have taken place warranting an independent inquiry,'' they lawmakers said in their letter. They listed several events that they called ``compelling developments and said. ``We believe that many of these outstanding questions - which do so much to undermine public confidence in the RUC and the rule of law in Northern Ireland - can only be answered adequately through, among other things, the mechanism of a full judicial inquiry into Pat Finucane's murder.'' The developments cited include the reappointment of John Stevens, whose two previous investigations, they say, served to further public scepticism about government collusion in the Finucane murder. They said that the recent charging of RUC-paid agent Billy Stobie for the Finucane murder makes it all too clear that the RUC must be removed from the case.
``It is clear that the murderers and the supporters of the murderers of Patrick Finucane are trying to hide behind the current investigations,'' said Smith. ``The British government must not allow them to further sully the name and reputation of the RUC by standing in the way of a public inquiry. Accountability for public institutions is central to any lasting peace. The Blair government, through the establishment of a public inquiry into the Finucane murder, wpould enghance the administration of the rulke of law in Northern Ireland, take an important step towards confidence building and advance the causes of peace and justice.''
The letter is a follow-up to one sent late last year urging an independent probe into the 1989 killing. British Prime Minister Tony Blair responded to the last letter that he was ``not persuaded that such an inquiry would bring to light anything new''.
``Over the last six months, however, considerable new evidence has come to light, and we are renewing the call to Prime Minister Blair to initiate an independent public inquiry into the murder of Patrick Finucane as a means to bolster the people's confidence in the peace process and the government's commitment to secure human rights for all citizens,'' said Congressman Chris Smith, the charman of the House Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights.
``We hope that you would agree that since our last correspondence, enormous, consequential events have taken place warranting an independent inquiry,'' they lawmakers said in their letter. They listed several events that they called ``compelling developments and said. ``We believe that many of these outstanding questions - which do so much to undermine public confidence in the RUC and the rule of law in Northern Ireland - can only be answered adequately through, among other things, the mechanism of a full judicial inquiry into Pat Finucane's murder.'' The developments cited include the reappointment of John Stevens, whose two previous investigations, they say, served to further public scepticism about government collusion in the Finucane murder. They said that the recent charging of RUC-paid agent Billy Stobie for the Finucane murder makes it all too clear that the RUC must be removed from the case.
``It is clear that the murderers and the supporters of the murderers of Patrick Finucane are trying to hide behind the current investigations,'' said Smith. ``The British government must not allow them to further sully the name and reputation of the RUC by standing in the way of a public inquiry. Accountability for public institutions is central to any lasting peace. The Blair government, through the establishment of a public inquiry into the Finucane murder, wpould enghance the administration of the rulke of law in Northern Ireland, take an important step towards confidence building and advance the causes of peace and justice.''