[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 152 (Friday, November 22, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2126]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                PAT FINUCANE REPORT IN NORTHERN IRELAND

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 22, 2002

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on the London 
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens to expeditiously 
complete the report on the February 1989 killing of Pat Finucane in 
Belfast. Sir Stevens has been investigating this case for almost 3 
years.
  Pat Finucane was shot and killed by British-Loyalist paramilitaries 
while he sat eating a Sunday meal with his wife and three children. 
Since his murder in 1989, Amnesty International and the United Nations 
have called on the British Government to investigate any collusion 
between the RUC/British Government officials and the Loyalist 
paramilitaries. Unfortunately, after 3 years of investigation still no 
report has been made public.
  Prior to being murdered, Mr. Finucane was a human rights lawyer who 
defended several individuals that were detained by the RUC. According 
to the UDA, Ulster Defense Association, which claimed responsibility 
for his murder, Mr. Finucane was profiled as an individual who was 
helping support the procatholic, pro-Republican cause in Northern 
Ireland.
  Last week, Sir John Stevens announced, for a second time, that the 
Finucane report would be delayed as a result of a British military 
witness being reluctant to speak to the police. Stevens claims that the 
report will be released `before next spring', however, there continues 
to be speculation that the report may be delayed further should a 
public inquiry be ordered.
  There are few who will dispute the facts in this case. According to 
Brian Nelson, a former British military intelligence agent who also 
served as chief intelligence office of the UDA, he directly assisted in 
the targeting of Pat Finucane and passed a photograph of Pat Finucane 
to a UDA member just days before the killing. However, Mr. Nelson 
claims have never been examined in an open court.
  To date no one has been prosecuted for the murder of Pat Finucane.
  The facts in this case seem quite straighforward--once again a pro-
Loyalist police force used its authority to further sectarian rule and 
continue the rash of violence against the Catholic Community.
  I call on Prime Minister Tony Blair and London Metropolitan Police 
Commissioner Stevens to finally release the current report and then 
immediately open a full public inquiry into this matter. My hope is 
that by putting an end to this long drawn-out process we can bring both 
justice to the individuals who undertook this gruesome act and take 
steps to ensure that this doesn't happen again.
  This whole matter once again reinforces my belief that for too long 
both the British government, along with their police force, and the 
Loyalist paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland have worked in tandem 
to usurp the rights of the Catholic Community.
  A full public inquiry into this matter will show the world that the 
only way peace can last in Northern Ireland is for a full fair and just 
reform in policing in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland must 
immediately implement all of the Patten Commission's recommendations on 
policing.
  Mr. Speaker, if there is to be a just and lasting peace in Northern 
Ireland we must learn from what happened to Pat Finucane and ensure 
that it never happens again.

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