US presidential candidate Barack Obama has backed calls for an inquiry into the murder of Northern Ireland solicitor Pat Finucane, campaigners said today.
Two
Irish-American lobby groups said they had secured the senator's support
for the campaign to compel the British government to allow an
independent, international probe into the killing.
Mr Finucane was shot dead in front of his
family by loyalist paramilitaries in 1989, but the security forces have
repeatedly been implicated in the killing of the solicitor, who had
represented republican suspects.
The British government has faced widespread
criticism for its attempts to examine the case under new public inquiry
legislation that critics say would allow ministers to intervene to
obstruct the search for the truth.
Tonight the Irish-American Unity Conference
said it had secured Mr Obama's support for a fully independent inquiry,
as recommended in a report compiled for the British government by
Canadian Judge Peter Cory.
"We are extremely grateful to senator Obama for lending us his support," said the murdered solicitor's son, Michael Finucane.
"As senator Obama points out, this was a recommendation of Judge Cory
as a way to look at all the very serious circumstances arising out of
the death of Pat Finucane.
"And it is a recommendation that has not been implemented by the British government."
In response to a questionnaire on establishing a truth process for
Northern Ireland, Mr Obama's team said: "senator Obama would support a
reconciliation process that seeks the comprehensive truth about past
violence."
It added: "senator Obama believes there should be an independent, public inquiry as Judge Cory recommended."
Michael Finucane said the 20th anniversary of his father's death was to
be marked next year and added that the campaign to uncover the truth of
what happened would continue.
"As senator Obama himself points out,
disclosure of information would increase community confidence in the
security forces and ultimately the institutions responsible for shaping
the new society," said Mr Finucane.
"In order to ensure that this society has
the best chances of success, difficult issues such as the death of Pat
Finucane must be completely and publicly addressed."
PFC July 08
"...As you know, the CEO of Aegis Defense Services Tim Spicer has been implicated in a variety of human rights abuses around the globe. Given his history, I agree that the United States should consider rescinding its contract with his company." US Senator Barack Obama
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