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
Fein's Bairbre de Brun said she was alarmed he was unable to give
guarantees Judge Cory's report would be released in full.

"Sinn Fein 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."