[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 103 (Tuesday, July 13, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1303-E1304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   COMMENDING THE PUBLICATION OF THE SAVILLE INQUIRY AND THE BRITISH 
 GOVERNMENT'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF ``BLOODY SUNDAY''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RUSS CARNAHAN

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 13, 2010

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, on June 15, 2010, the British Government 
published the conclusions of Lord Saville's comprehensive report on the 
tragic events in Northern Ireland of January 30th, 1972, otherwise 
known as ``Bloody Sunday.''
  After 38 years this full and sober account of the events of that day 
at last made unmistakably clear that 14 innocent civilians lost their 
lives in one of the worst episodes of a dark era in the history of 
Northern Ireland.
  Nothing can erase the pain endured by the families and loved one of 
those who were killed in the unjustifiable Bloody Sunday shootings. 
However, the admissions of the Saville Inquiry have helped advance the 
healing process of those affected and the country as a whole.
  It also serves as a reminder of how far the peace process in Northern 
Ireland has come; how many brave steps have been taken on both sides; 
and how firm the commitment to peace and reconciliation has proven 
itself for more than a decade now, since the 1998 signing of the 
historic Good Friday Agreements.
  The Saville Inquiry was commissioned in 1998 and opened in 2000 in 
response to outcries from the families of the victims of Bloody Sunday. 
This Inquiry was specifically tasked to resolve unanswered accusations 
left after a previous inconclusive tribunal immediately following the 
shootings, as well as the establishment of a definitive account of 
events.
  For ten years the Saville tribunal heard testimony from witnesses in 
order to fully ascertain the truth of what happened that terrible day 
in 1972. The findings of the Saville Inquiry state unambiguously that 
the conduct of British Army soldiers on January 30, 1972, was ``both 
unjustified and unjustifiable.''
  It concludes that certain British soldiers ``reacted by losing self-
control . . . forgetting or ignoring their instructions and training.'' 
Without provocation, the soldiers fired the first shots at unarmed 
civilians.
  Many of those civilians had been marching in protest to a policy of 
internment without trial introduced in response to rising sectarian and 
paramilitary violence particularly against British soldiers, during the 
height of the period known as ``The Troubles.''
  It is clear that the recent history of Northern Ireland is a painful 
one with deep divisions and violent sectarian clashes in which 
thousands of people on all sides lost their lives, lost loved ones, and 
suffered terrible injustice as a result of the escalation of tensions 
and force. Over 3,500 people from every community lost their lives in 
the violence in Northern Ireland.
  However, the history of Northern Ireland is also a shining example of 
the resilience and determination of the will to live in peace, and how 
people with the strength to cross the divide can indeed build a better 
future together. Northern Ireland can and should be very

[[Page E1304]]

proud of the remarkable peace and cross-community cooperation it has 
accomplished.
  While there are many more unanswered questions lingering in Northern 
Ireland, and many unacknowledged tragedies across each community, no 
step to resolve these is trivial. The publication of the Saville 
Inquiry is an important component of the ongoing reconciliation process 
in Northern Ireland.
  I commend Lord Saville and the members of his tribunal for their 
determination to bring the truth to light. I also commend former 
British Prime Minister Tony Blair for his leadership in helping to 
begin this critical process, and current Prime Minister David Cameron 
for taking up that torch in offering his heartfelt apology on behalf of 
the British Government for the events of Bloody Sunday. His Statement 
to the House of Commons on June 15, 2010, was deeply moving.
  This Inquiry at last lays to rest one of the most tragic events in 
the history of Northern Ireland. And I hope it will help bring closure 
to the affected families and further the healing process in Northern 
Ireland. There is still more work to be done, and I stand ready, with 
my colleagues, to lend assistance to our friends in the British 
Government, and the people of Northern Ireland, to ensure that peace 
and reconciliation continue to progress in Northern Ireland.

                          ____________________