8 November 2001:

“BRITAIN’S ZERO RESPONSE”:

1974 BOMBINGS VICTIMS LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
TO FORCE BRITISH CO-OPERATION WITH INQUIRY

The bereaved families and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings 1974 are launching an intensive international campaign seeking immediate British co-operation with the Independent Commission of Inquiry into the bombings, as they fear that the Commission may be forced by Britain’s delay to compile its report without access to crucial information on the circumstances surrounding the bombings in which 33 people lost their lives.

The campaign “Britain’s Zero Response” will be formally launched at 11.30am on Thursday 8 November in the Oak Room of the Mansion House in Dublin.

Highlights of the four-week campaign include:

Public meeting on 21 November at Trinity College (Ussher Theatre) featuring Vincent Browne, Jane Winter (British Irish Rights Watch), Robert Ballagh.
International letter-writing campaign.
Meetings with the French, Italian and U.S. embassies.
Newspaper display advertisements in British and Irish press.

The British authorities have furnished no information of any kind to the Commission, nine months after the Chairman Mr. Justice Barron made his first formal request.

Their response to date has been that the process is “extensive and time-consuming” and that a “single co-ordinated response” will be made when the searching of files has been completed.

The victims and relatives feel that this response is deeply inadequate in light of Tony Blair’s strongly expressed commitment to the global fight against terrorism since the events of 11 September.

The victims and relatives have received broad support in their campaign.

At a meeting of Dublin City Council on Monday 5 November, it was unanimously agreed that the Lord Mayor should write to the British Prime Minister calling for co-operation with the Inquiry. A number of questions will be tabled in the Dail next week.