British govt attempts to censor Cory report

The Canadian judge appointed to look into a number of
high-profile assassinations in which there were widespread
allegations of British Crown force collusion has recommended
four inquiries.

Peter Cory is believed to have advised holding inquiries into
the murders of Robert Hamill, Pat Finucane, Billy Wright and
Rosemary Nelson.

The British government was reported to be considering the
legal and security implications of publishing the judge's
report.

The Irish government has received reports on two murders in
the 26 Counties and it is believed Mr Cory has requested one
inquiry into the matter.

The two governments have agreed to be bound by the judge's
recommendations.

The families of the victims have complained that Cory's
involvement has only delayed what they view as the inevitable
calling of independent inquiries.

Publication of Judge Peter Cory's highly embarrassing report,
originally scheduled for Monday, has been delayed because the
British authorities have sought significant removals from
several sections.

Judge Cory has had access to a vast amount of material,
including intelligence files and the full unpublished report
into collusion by the London police chief John Stevens.

His report is said to have taken an even tougher line than the
Stevens team, which concluded collusion cost innocent lives
and that his team of detectives had been obstructed by the
police and British Army in the North.

One passage of Judge Cory's report is said to disclose that a
pistol which the former RUC Special Branch supplied to a
member of the the unionist paramilitary UDA was later used in
a series of atrocities, including the 1992 massacre of five
Catholics at a bookmakers.

It is understood that Cory has been angered by the British
demand to edit his report. He is said to have made it clear to
both governments that he would write his report in such a way
that he did not expect to have to make significant changes.

The difficulties are understood to have arisen following
intervention from the British Attorney General Sir Peter
Goldsmith QC.

Sinn Fein Assembly member Conor Murphy said that the British
government should now move speedily to establish independent
judicial inquiries into the killings investigated.

"Today the Cory report has been delivered to the British
government," Mr Murphy said. "The last obstacle put in the
place of these families search for the truth has been removed.

"These families should not have had to go through this process
in the first place. The validity of their cases is well known.
The British government have stalled their search for the truth
for long enough.

"Sinn Fein will continue to support these families in their
pursuit of the truth into the death of their loved ones and we
once again call upon the British government to speedily
establish the independent judicial inquires which they know
are required."