Omagh Page #7

I want to start by saying

that the people responsible

for the Omagh bombing

are the terrorists who planned

and executed the atrocity.

Nothing should ever detract

from that unequivocal fact.

We have established Kevin Fulton

did pass on information

relating to the alleged

dissident terrorist activity

to his Special Branch handlers.

The Chief Constable has said

that Kevin Fulton's evidence

was disregarded

because it was unreliable.

But I have to tell you

that when we examined

Special Branch records,

we found

no formal written record

of Kevin Fulton being unreliable

in the period up to August 1998.

He is graded

as a reliable source.

I am satisfied

that further action should have

been taken on that information.

It is clear that Special Branch

did not pass it on

to the Omagh bomb

investigation team.

A large crowd has gathered at

the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh.

The Police Ombudsman is meeting

the Omagh families

to discuss

her long-awaited report.

We'll bring you more news

as soon as we have it.

More worryingly,

in the course of our review,

it became clear to us

that Special Branch were also

in receipt of other information

which indicated that

an attack on Omagh was imminent.

Not least, an anonymous call

on the 4th of August

warned that an attack

would be made on police in Omagh

on the 15th of August 1998.

I have to tell you that these

warnings were not followed up

prior to the bombing.

Now, significant

evidential opportunities

were most certainly lost

when Special Branch did not

share the intelligence

with the senior investigator.

- Are youse in, girls?

- Aye, Mummy.

Now, this is only one

of a number of concerns we have

about the conduct

of the inquiry.

We found

which we say could have

relevance to the Omagh bombing.

Of these documents,

only 22%

have been made available

to the investigation team.

The book logging

all terrorist warnings at Omagh

disappeared without explanation.

Whose fault was that?

We don't have any satisfactory

answer to that question.

Two months

into the investigation,

the investigation team

was reduced by 42%.

Shame!

Shame!

It's all full up.

It's not possible to say

what impact

action taken

as a result might have had

or whether this action would

have prevented the Omagh bomb,

but it is little wonder

that out of this uncertainty

that doubt and mistrust

and conspiracy arise.

I have concluded

with great sadness

that the judgment and leadership

of the Chief Constable

has been seriously flawed.

The victims,

you, the families,

the people of Omagh,

as well as the officers

of the RUC

have been let down

by defective leadership,

poor judgment,

and a lack of urgency.

And as a result,

the chances of detaining

and convicting the Omagh bombers

has been significantly reduced.

The man's a disgrace!

He should resign!

- Yes, he should resign!

- He should resign!

Have we not suffered enough?

This has gone far enough!

It's a disgrace.

We won't get any justice,

not in this country.

Justice.

Justice!

Mr. Gallagher.

We need to speak out.

How do the families feel,

Mr. Gallagher?

Mr. Wilson.

Mr. Wilson.

Do you have anything to say

to the Chief Constable?

Mr. Wilson.

I'm sorry. I have to

get through to my wife.

Five minutes.

Michael, please.

Can I get through there, please?

You came.

The girls said I had to.

I wanted to.

We lost our sister,

Esther Gibson.

We have fought this far...

Thank you.

You have to say something.

Please.

They're waiting for you.

Okay.

Come on.

Mr. Wilson.

Mr. Gallagher.

Mr. Gallagher, please.

Mr. Gallagher.

Mrs. O'Loan is the first person

to tell us the full story

of the Omagh investigation

and why there have been

no prosecutions,

and we'd like to thank her

for that.

The day our loved ones

lost their lives

and our families

were torn apart,

we were told

that everything would be done

to bring their killers

to justice.

To learn today

that they have failed us

before the bomb, after the bomb,

and are still failing us now,

to have that knowledge,

however distressing,

however shocking,

means that we can at last

move forward.

I would like to announce today

that we will be pursuing

our own legal action

against the Real IRA,

against those

who support and fund it,

and those who are responsible

for this dreadful atrocity.

But more than that,

we would like to call

into account

the security forces

and the police

and the politicians

in London, Belfast, and Dublin

who have promised us so much

but have, so far,

singularly failed to deliver.

We speak not just for ourselves.

We speak for the victims of the

Troubles of whatever tradition

and all those victims of terror

wherever it happens.

We will not go away.

We will not be quiet.

We will not be forgotten.

Come on, girls.

We'll go round this way.

I do not accept

either the broad thrust

or most of the detail

of the Ombudsman's criticisms.

And any impartial

or objective assessment

cannot fail to recognize

the high quality of leadership

that I have given

to the Omagh investigation.

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