Relatives for Justice, http://www.relativesforjustice.com , June 14th 2002

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Belfast BT12 4PE
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Steven's Report shows need for International Intervention on Collusion

14/6/02

Relatives for Justice's Mark Thompson's comments regarding the media reports today on the soon to be published Steven's report on collusion and the killing of Human Rights Lawyer Pat Finucane.

This report confirms publicly what relatives of people killed as a result of collusion and Relatives for Justice have been saying for decades - that state forces, in particular special branch acted to arm loyalists, provide information to loyalists, cover up loyalist killings and the state's central yet hidden role in these killings.

The only things that surprise us are doubts expressed in the Stevens Report that there was official co-ordination of this collusion or that it was institutionalised.

There is no doubt that collusion is an official policy that has included the RUC, British Military and Military Intelligence. All of these have been co-ordinated by government and 'security' officials at the Task Co-ordinating Group (TCG), directly under the responsibility of the Joint Security Committee (JSC) in London which is directly accountable to the British Cabinet. It is here that collusion was devised, and sanctioned. It is at this level that we will find the answers to the questions about who is responsible for the hundreds of killings of Irish nationalists by loyalists.

There were no answerable structures, and no systems of accountability, for special branch members running agents. Special branch gave loyalists information about targets. They worked with military intelligence to arm them with weapons. They thwarted investigations into murders. They destroyed all evidence, refusing to co-operate with those seeking transparency and information. Surely this defines a proactive policy of institutionalised collusion.

The Stevens Report proves that there is an urgent need for independent intervention on the subject of collusion through an international, independent judicial inquiry into the arming, and directing of loyalist terrorist organisations by the British state.

Relatives for Justice has documented 229 killings from 1988 - 1994 in its pamphlet entitled Collusion (www.relativesforjustice.com). These killings were a direct result of the importation of South African weapons by British Military Intelligence who then passed the deadly arsenal onto loyalists, along with thousands of 'P' files containing the personal details of many of those targeted. Relatives for Justice represents and supports the families left devastated by that legacy. It is now time to move towards what John Stevens said was lacking - "transparency and accountability" - and that includes immediately initiating this overdue impartial investigation. This and only this will begin to address the deep hurt of our community caused by the policy of institutionalised state collusion practised during the conflict in Ireland.