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March 20, 2007

IAUC Welcomes Senate Resolution for Pat Finucane Inquiry



IAUC Welcomes Senate Resolution For Pat Finucane Inquiry

Washington, DC - March 19, 2007 - The Irish American Unity
Conference (IAUC) welcomes the Senate's unanimous passage
of resolution H. Con. Res. 20 calling for the United
Kingdom (UK) "to immediately establish a full, independent,
and public judicial inquiry into the murder of Northern
Ireland defense attorney Patrick Finucane, as recommended
by Judge Peter Cory as part of the Weston Park Agreement,
in order to move forward on the Northern Ireland peace
process."

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern (the Republic of Ireland's Prime
Minister) speaking last week in Washington at a luncheon
hosted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and attended by
President Bush, expressed similar thoughts when he asked
the U.S. Government to "continue to walk with us on our
journey of peace in Ireland". He further asked those
present to please continue their "support in individual
cases - like the need for a full public inquiry into the
murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane - where your
determined voice gives hope and makes a real difference."

Pat Finucane, an Irish civil rights lawyer, was murdered 18
years ago. Strong evidence points to the murderers being
loyalists in collusion with the British government. Judge
Cory, a retired Canadian judge appointed by the UK, found
evidence to support that contention and he recommended a
full and independent inquiry into his death. However, no
such inquiry has been called. The recently passed
"Inquiries Act" would give control of an inquiry to the N.
Ireland Office (NIO). The NIO, the policing agencies and
the British military would be subjects of the inquiry.
Therefore, since the NIO would be controlling an inquiry
into itself, the inquiry would not be independent.

While the murder of Pat Finucane may seem a lifetime away,
this March 15th marked only the eighth (8th) anniversary of
the murder of another civil rights attorney in N. Ireland,
Rosemary Nelson. Her death was also strongly linked to
loyalist/police collusion. Police Ombudsman for the
Policing Service of N Ireland, Mrs. Nuala O'Loan only
recently released the results of her investigation that
found strong evidence of even more recent collusion between
loyalists and police.

The IAUC calls on Paula Dobriansky, the U.S. Special Envoy
to N. Ireland, to implore the British government to follow
the call of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S.
Senate, Bertie Ahern, and Judy Cory to immediately start a
full, independent and public inquiry into the death of
Patrick Finucane.
END

"Working for Justice & Peace in a Re-united Ireland"
The IRISH AMERICAN UNITY CONFERENCE is a nationwide,
nonpartisan, nonsectarian, chapter-based human rights
organization working for justice and peace in Ireland. We
are a wholly American 501c(4) organization that advocates
the end of British colonial occupation and the peaceful
reunification of Ireland. We endeavor to achieve these
goals by working through the American democratic process.
Individually, our members represent every occupational and
educational stratum in the United States.

Deanna Turner
IRISH AMERICAN UNITY CONFERENCE
National Office
611 Pennsylvania Ave, SE #4150
Washington, D.C. 20003
#1-800-947-4282

http://www.iauc.org
email: iauc@iauc.org

Robert "Jay" Dooling Press Relations Officer
rdooling@swbell.net


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