Tony Blairs Public Apology

[BensGrandad]

What is peoples view of the public apology made by Tony Blair to the Guildford 4.

My own view is that it is outrageous. I was told by a an officer who was on the investigation that there was no shadow of doubt that they were the people responsible for committing those attrocities but they would get off on an appeal because of the incompetence of the Chief of Surrey Police long before they lodged an appeal.

 

[Simster]

Personally I don't believe the officer you spoke to.

 

[Dave the OAP]

BG

This sums you up entirely.

There was not one shred of evidence that these people were guilty of that crime. the evidence provided included confessions obtained by torture, which if you remember is inadmissable as evidence in court.

The people who comitted the bombings were the Balkan Street gang who admitted some time later that they carried the bombings.

 

[BensGrandad]

I do not know any more than anybody else other than what this officer told me that it was undeniable that they did the bombings and that Sir David McNair (I think it was him) exagerated the evidence to ensure a conviction.

That may or may not be so I do not know. What I do believe is that it is totally wrong for Tony Blair to make a publc apology to the IRA and its supporters on any issue.

 

[Albion Dan]

If those poor bastards lost 15 years of their life due to the Police fitting them up they deserve far more than an apology!!!!

 

[readingstockport]

BG

This sums you up entirely.

There was not one shred of evidence that these people were guilty of that crime. the evidence provided included confessions obtained by torture, which if you remember is inadmissable as evidence in court.

The people who comitted the bombings were the Balkan Street gang who admitted some time later that they carried the bombings.

As dtg says the IRA have already admitted that the bombings were carried out by the Balkan Street group.

The Maguire 7, Guilford 4, Birmingham 6 and don't forget Julie Ward (M6 coach bombing) spent years in prison exactly because too many police officers were 'positive' they had the right people, and sod letting any little thing like evidence get in the way.

 

[Dave the OAP]

well there you and I disagree then

If the state has made an error then the state should be man enough to stand up, admit it and apologise for it.

BTW Sir David McNair was the Chief Constable...why would he have been involved with gathering evidence?

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It is the oldest Police trick in the book "well of course they were guilty but got away on a technicality". Surrey Police should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[readingstockport]

I do not know any more than anybody else other than what this officer told me that it was undeniable that they did the bombings and that Sir David McNair (I think it was him) exagerated the evidence to ensure a conviction.

That may or may not be so I do not know. What I do believe is that it is totally wrong for Tony Blair to make a publc apology to the IRA and its supporters on any issue.

FFS, bliar DID NOT appologise to the IRA or it's supporters.

He appologised to a group of people who had been subject to an appaling miscarriage of justice and had been fitted up by the self same security forces who were positive there were wmd in Iraq.

If you are unwilling or unable to accept that then I feel very sorry for you.

 

[BensGrandad]

I am lead to believe that Sir David McNair presented a lot of the police evidence to the court both directly and indirectly through other officers.

On the issue of apologies I do not belive the Prime Minister, whoever it is, should make such apologies and that the victims should be compensated through the courts as anybody else would have done who was proved to have been wrongly convicted.

 

[readingstockport]

But he didn't appologise to the IRA as you said he did. Did he?

I'm no bloody fan of the lying toerag but don't accuse him of things he patently didn't do.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

I totally support Blair's decision to offer an apology for a miscarriage of justice which shamed this country.

 

[Screaming J]

Agreed. All I can see from what BensGrandad has said is that Surrey Police are still in complete denial that they made an enormous great bloody cock up owing to their desperation to find some bugger - any bugger - guilty. Only small thing to say in their defence is that they were undoubtedly under massive pressure to do this.

 

[BensGrandad]

But he didn't appologise to the IRA as you said he did. Did he?

I'm no bloody fan of the lying toerag but don't accuse him of things he patently didn't do.

OK I accept that it wasn't DIRECTLY to the IRA but to individuals.

I am probably biased because I had a pub in North London and stopped Tariq Ali and Bernadette Devlin( as she was) holding meetings in my fuction room after the police requested permissiion to listen in to the meeting from our kitchen.

 

[Eggmundo]

I wasn't there, don't know anything about it.
From what some of you say, the IRA identified 'the balkan street' gang as being responsible.
Must be true then, we all know how reliable a bunch of murdering paddys are!
Oh and did ' the balkan gang apologise for killing anyone, has the IRA ever apologised for killing anyone?

 

[readingstockport]

I wasn't there, don't know anything about it.
From what some of you say, the IRA identified 'the balkan street' gang as being responsible.
Must be true then, we all know how reliable a bunch of murdering paddys are!
Oh and did ' the balkan gang apologise for killing anyone, has the IRA ever apologised for killing anyone?

WTF has that to do with giving an appology to those who were wrongly convicted and served lengthy sentences.

And yes, the IRA have appologised for killing some of the people they killed. The innocent dissapeared for example, some of whos remians were 'discovered' recently. Maybe too little and too late I would tend to agree, but the answer is Yes, they have said sorry for SOME of the things they did in the past.

 

[Albion Dan]

If ever there was an argument against the Death Penalty then this whole mess backs it to the hilt!

 

[Brovion]

I totally support Blair's decision to offer an apology for a miscarriage of justice which shamed this country.

Totally agree. We as a nation behaved abysmally after the Guildford and Birmingham pub bombings. Yes we were angry but that was no excuse for just grabbing the nearest Paddys and locking them up after a couple of sham show trials.

The one thing we have always had over the IRA is the moral high ground and we lost it badly. 'Fortunately' (wrong word I know) since then we've gained it back; Eniskillen, Manchester, Warrington, Omagh etc.

 

[Gwylan]

I think you'll find that it was the Balcombe Street gang. Balkan street implies that it's a bunch of Bosnians running around.

Why do the police always say that they got the right man after some poor sod is freed after it's revealed the police falsified evidence.

Perhaps if the police spent a bit more time trying to find out who really committed a crime and less time on fitting up innocent people, we'd have a better justice system.

And yes, TB was right to apologise. They were victims of the state's failure to deal with their case properly.

 

[Eggmundo]

WTF has that to do with giving an appology to those who were wrongly convicted and served lengthy sentences.

And yes, the IRA have appologised for killing some of the people they killed. The innocent dissapeared for example, some of whos remians were 'discovered' recently. Maybe too little and too late I would tend to agree, but the answer is Yes, they have said sorry for SOME of the things they did in the past.

Thats my Opinion, up your arse if you don't like it.