Republican News · Thursday 23 January 1997

[An Phoblacht]

Bloody Sunday evidence shows planned operation

By Peadar Whelan

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT STILL REFUSES to call a new inquiry into Bloody Sunday in Derry in January 1972 despite disclosures that the original Widgery Tribunal suppressed evidence that a number of those killed were fired on from Derry's Walls.

As well as statements given to the Tribunal by NICRA (Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association), radio ham Jimmy Porter submitted recordings of British Army radio traffic he made on the day of the killings. These confirmed that the British Army fired from the walls on the marchers. Widgery rejected the tapes saying they had been obtained illegally, despite the fact that the Brigade log for the day confirmed them. Widgery also rejected the evidence of Dr Raymond McClean who attended the dying and wounded on the day and observed the official post mortems on behalf of Cardinal Conway. Said McClean, ``I wrote a detailed submission to Widgery and I was told my evidence would not be required''.

Speaking to An Phoblacht Don Mullan, the author of a new book on Bloody Sunday, said, ``we could now call it the `Bloody Sunday Ambush' as the [new] evidence points to a wider military operation''. Mullan agreed that it is possible that the British set up a crossfire into which they drove the marchers.

Channel Four News on Friday 17 January reported that British soldiers from the Anglian Regiment fired from the walls at civilians in and around Rossville Street, possibly killing three men, John Young, William Nash and Michael McDaid, at a rubble barricade near Columbcille Court/Glenfada Park which ran across to the multi-storey Rossville Flats.

d according to a document discovered in the Public Record Office in London, the ``LCJ (Lord Chief Justice Widgery) will pile up the evidence against the deceased....but will conclude that he cannot find with certainty that any one of 13 was a gunman''. The document is believed to be suggesting that the bulk of the 700 statements from eye-witnesses collected by NICRA and handed over to the Tribunal be ignored and only a small number be admitted as evidence. All the statements that referred to firing from the Walls were ignored. 

 

  • A BALLISTICS EXPERT WITH 25 years experience in the New York Police Department, Robert Breglio, is to come to Derry to conduct an independent field investigation into the Bloody Sunday killings. The announcement was made on 21 January at a Belfast press conference in the Linen Hall Library where the latest book about the killings - Eyewitness Bloody Sunday - was being launched.

    Breglio, who was consulted by the book's author, Don Mullan, said in a statement to Mullan, ``after examination of photographs and statements and inquest reports... in my opinion the angles of trajectory of bullet wounds of three deceased: William Nash, John Young and Michael McDaid, originated from a height that would inflict wounds of this angle trajectory''.

    Breglio is due to arrive in Derry on 25 January where he will conduct interviews with the surviving wounded and key witnesses.

    According to Don Mullan, Breglio's report ``will, in due course, form part of the new evidence which will be made available to the British government as part of the relatives' demand for a new impartial and open inquiry''.

    Meanwhile, John Kelly Chair of the Bloody Sunday Justice Group told the press conference, ``we are not campaigning for apologies - the time for apologies has come and gone. No one should ask for one on our behalf''.

    After the press conference Kelly confirmed that the Campaign would disclose new documentary evidence that will condemn the British paratroopers for their actions on Bloody Sunday. ``The new evidence condemns the Paras outright,'' Kelly said. 

     
    Martin McGuinness will be the main speaker at the London Bloody Sunday rally on Saturday 25 January. Other speakers at the rally include Tony Benn MP, Gerry Duddy of Bloody Sunday Relatives for Justice, and Declan Bree TD Irish Labour Party.

    The rally takes place at 3pm at Caxton House, Archway and will be preceded by the annual Bloody Sunday March which assembles at 12 noon at Highbury Fields.

    • Contents Page for this Issue
    Reply to: Republican News