Omagh Bomb - Exclusive

Open Festering Wounds Will Not Be Healed by Covering Them In A Veil Of Denial and Secrecy. By theirishobserver.blogspot.com




For many years before the Morris Tribunal was established in Donegal to uncover the institutional corruption of members of An Garda Siochana in that Division, there had been many innocent people crying out for justice, those people having been subjected to vile Human Rights violations at the hands of corrupt and criminal Gardai. Yet the cry from those innocent victims of cruel injustice went un-heard by many in the media and many in positions of authority. That seeing, hearing and knowing no evil was greatly assisted by the fact that the very Gardai who had acted in a criminal fashion, were in fact the very sources upon whom many people in authority and indeed the media were dependent on for their information. The gate-keepers to the information necessary to unravel hundreds of Human Rights violations in the Donegal Division were able to manipulate that information in order to compound injustice already done, while at the same time ensuring that those same gate-keepers were able to enjoy incremental pay and promotion. Many media exclusives came from the very same Gardai who were manufacturing and inventing those very exclusives, these exclusives were published without any examination or scrutiny.



Today in 2010 the families of those men, women and children murdered by ‘dissident’ politico-sectarian-criminals in Omagh on the 15th August 1998 are calling for a full cross-border public inquiry into the events surrounding what was the single greatest terrorist atrocity in the past forty years of politico-sectarian-criminal activity. This Public Inquiry would be greatly assisted by the fact that the families of the Omagh victims have already won a civil action against the ‘dissident’ bombers in the High Court in Belfast. So in effect a full cross-border public inquiry would simply be a process where information gaps are filled. The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen has been resistant to such an inquiry, as were former Taoiseach in relation to the public scandal in Donegal. Can the mass murder of 29 men, women and children be so easily dismissed? Yes, the political classes used the Omagh bomb as a catalyst for the fledgling peace-process, however, that self serving use of the Omagh atrocity done nothing for the search for the truth relating to events surrounding Omagh.



Twenty-nine men, women, children and unborn twins were butchered to death by ‘dissident’ republicans, can the Irish State afford to be involved in any kind of cover-up in relation to Omagh. Is it the case that such a public inquiry could unravel another Donegal type situation, where certain Gardai used their own rules in relation to the handling of informers and agents? Did certain Gardai insure that certain people were given free reign, while at the same time innocent people were arrested and harassed so that the truth could be buried by slight of hand? Michael Gallagher whose son Aidan was murdered in the Omagh bomb has been the driving force behind calls for a cross-border public inquiry. Michael has been subjected smear and allegation in order to stop his very public and international demands for justice. Michael Gallagher found himself at the centre of malicious and vexatious child abuse allegations; these allegations have been proven to be comprehensively untrue.



Background:



On the 15th of August 1998, 29 innocent people, and unborn twins, were murdered when a terrorist bomb exploded in the shopping town of Omagh, County Tyrone. When the initial national and international out-cry about the atrocity had subsided, the security forces on both sides of the Irish border were left to establish who had committed the single greatest atrocity in the history of 40 years of terrorism.



Such was the knowledge about the terrorists who had led this murderous campaign that they were named publicly. They were named publicly so that those people who may be tempted to offer them succour or support could see who these people where and have no association with them. This public naming had no negative impact on the police investigation into the Omagh atrocity, to the contrary, once people knew who they were the security services received massive amounts of information that was helpful to their inquiries. Indeed it was this public naming and shaming that ensured that a successful Civil Action could be taken against those responsible by the victim’s families.



Soon the police on both sides of the border were fairly certain about who had carried out the Omagh atrocity. The police were able to identify the mobile phone records used by the bombers as they made their way to plant their massive bomb. Soon after the Omagh atrocity the police, both An Garda Siochana and the RUC (PSNI) knew the identity of the bombers.



In the Irish Republic one man and one man only would be prosecuted for his alleged role in the Omagh Bomb, that man Colm Murphy was tried and convicted and later had his conviction overturned as it was clear from the evidence of a Garda Forensic Officer that certain Gardai had tampered with Murphy’s statements. While Murphy was sent for a retrial Murphy was again acquitted. The question must then be asked why such an important investigation was treated in such a ham-fisted manner. Why were local detectives in Monaghan left to deal with a case that had such significance, why were the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation not dispatched to deal with a case of such national and international magnitude.




In 2002 The Gardai in Monaghan Town went before Monaghan District Court and sought a Section 42 Warrant for the arrest of Vincent Mc Kenna, who was serving a 6 year sentence for sexual assault. The arrest warrant was sought in order to question Vincent Mc Kenna for his alleged role in the Omagh bomb. Mc Kenna was arrested and taken to Lucan Garda station where he was questioned for several hours. Senior Gardai admit that there is no evidence that Mc Kenna was ever associated with any dissident grouping and that he most certainly was never involved in any way manner or form with the Omagh bomb.



If the Gardai in Monaghan knew that there was not a scrap of evidence to suggest that Mc Kenna was connected or associated with dissidents groups or that he had any role what so ever in the Omagh bomb, why was Mc Kenna arrested. Why did a District Court Judge issue a Section 42 Warrant in such unwarranted circumstances? The Gardai would have had to present something to the Court to get a Warrant, but it would appear that the Gardai had nothing to present to the Court other than tabloid smear that had been provided by politico-sectarian-criminals.



It is this bizarre behaviour by some Gardai that really cries out for a full independent public inquiry. Why the National Bureau was not brought into deal with Colm Murphy and other suspects and why did senior Gardai in Monaghan, seek and have issued a Section 42 Warrant against Mc Kenna. The Omagh bomb was an own goal for the ‘dissidents’, however, the handling of the Omagh investigation by some Gardai has given the dissidents space, a space in which to continue to peddle their lies that they had given clear warnings about Omagh and that in some way the security services were responsible for the Omagh atrocity. This space has allowed the dissidents to grow in strength and they now pose a serious threat to our communities with Omagh long forgotten by many and not remembered by the 16 year olds now being recruited by the dissidents. This autumn and winter will see the most significant murderous on-slaught by the ‘dissident’ groupings since their formation, that campaign will include attacks in England.



We owe it to the victims of Omagh and their families to establish the truth in these matters, it is enough that we have had to bury our dead, lets not soil their memory by burying the truth.



By theirishobserver.blogspot.com



For a full history of ‘republican’ terrorism please see: theirishrepublicanarmy-ira.blogspot.com