John Kerry blasts British failure on Cory reports

United States presidential candidate John Kerry and six other leading U.S. senators have demanded Tony Blair immediately disclose the long-awaited Cory reports on allegations of collusion by the British government in four notorious murders in the North of Ireland.

The group accused the British government of threatening police reforms in the North over delays in publishing the dossier, prepared by retired Canadian Judge Peter Cory.

In a letter to Downing Street they hit out at the continued secrecy over the findings, which may yet be censored or further delayed by unnecessary legal proceedings.

The senators, who also include Ted Kennedy, expressed concern at the six month delay since the findings were handed to the British Government. Judge Cory, also angered at the British behaviour, has already revealed to the families fo the victims that he has recommended public inquiries into each of the killings.

Senators Kerry, Kennedy, Christopher Dodd, Patrick Leahy, Charles Schumer, Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg, warned that efforts to improve boost nationalist confidence in the renamed PSNI police will be wasted.

Mr Blair was told: ``It is of grave concern that your Government's handling of this matter is jeopardising much of the progress made to date in achieving a new beginning for policing in Northern Ireland.''

The senators added: ``There has been no clear confirmation that public inquiries will be held into all cases where Judge Cory as recommended them.

``Further, your Government has refused to confirm that Judge Cory has recommended public inquiries into these cases - even though he himself has gone on record to do so.''

After a meeting today with British Minister John Spellar, Sinn Féin's Bairbre de Brun said she was alarmed he was unable to give guarantees Judge Cory's report would be released in full.

``Sinn Féin is especially concerned that when we raised the need for the Cory Report to be published in full and uncensored we could not get a commitment from him that that would be the case,'' the West Belfast Assembly member said.

``Clearly there is a strict refusal by the British Government to release the Cory Report in full yet the Irish Government, when it was also handed its report by Judge Cory, was able to do so last December full and uncensored.

``You have to ask why is the British government reluctant to release the Cory Report in full.''

Urgent Appeal