A draft letter that will be sent to Blair is currently circulating in the U.S. Senate. It has been signed to date by Sens. Chuck Schumer, Chris Dodd, Edward Kennedy Patrick Leahy and John Kerry.
The letter focuses on the murders of Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Billy Wright and expresses concern over the British government’s handling of the Cory reports into these killings. It comes against the backdrop of a three-week adjournment in the case, which had been taken by the families of the four in a Belfast court that is aimed at securing publication of the reports. The court ruled Monday that the British government must, by March 22, either publish the reports or give a date for publication.
There was “widespread concern” about “credible allegations” of security force collusion in the murders of Finucane, Hamill, Nelson and Wright, the senators stated in the letter.
The letter points to the Weston Park negotiations of July 2001, talks that resulted in the British government agreeing to appoint Judge Peter Cory, a former Canadian jurist, to examine the four cases as well as others alleged collusion incidents involving security forces in the Republic of Ireland.
“It was subsequently further agreed that Judge Cory’s reports would be published,” the letters from the senators said.
“Despite the fact that Judge Cory submitted his report nearly six months ago, the Cory report has not yet been published, no target date for publication has been given and there has been no clear confirmation that public inquiries will be held into all cases where Judge Cory has recommended them.
“Further, your Government has refused to confirm that Judge Cory has recommended public inquiries into these cases, even though Judge Cory himself has gone on record to do so,” the senators wrote.
They added that it was “difficult to accept” fear of prejudice to prosecutions as a reason for delay.
“We share the continuing concern of families that justice has already been delayed for far too long in these cases,” the letter said.
Schumer, in a separate statement, said that immediate release of the reports was a necessary step to building a sustainable peace in Northern Ireland.
The Senate letter follows statements from two British-based human rights groups expressing concern over the timing of an upcoming American Ireland Fund award to Tony Blair in Washington, D.C.
The Campaign on the Administration of Justice and British Irish Human Rights Watch said in a joint statement that they were “concerned” that Blair would be honored by the AIF in the absence of the full publication of the Cory reports.
Blair is to be presented with the AIF’s Humanitarian Award March 16 by the fund at its annual St. Patrick’s Day National Gala in the nation’s capital.
Blair is not due to attend the event but is to be represented by Northern Ireland Secretary of State Paul Murphy.
The announcement of a delay in the publication of the reports means that the AIF event will take place before the reports are seen by the families, the media, and the public.
Jane Winter of Rights Watch, who flew from London to attend Monday’s Belfast court hearing, described the hearing and its outcome as a “complete charade.”
Winter said that attorneys representing the British government had written a letter to lawyers representing the families on Friday evening, after the court had adjourned for the day.
“It was dirty tricks,” said Winter who was unaware that the case would be adjourned until she heard the announcement in court.
Winter said that the letter from the U.S. senators was particularly welcome in the light of the adjournment.
“The letter is very helpful. American pressure is the only pressure that I think Blair feels at the moment. He might just cut to the chase and publish the reports after this letter,” she said.
Publication of the reports, according to Winter, would then be followed by full public inquiries into the assassinations.