Claudy bombings - when will there be justice for the victims ?  

This post has been cross-posted at Harry's Place

NI Deputy First Minister and self confessed Derry PIRA second in command in January 1972 is likely to be facing more questions about what he knows about the Claudy bombings (July 1972, also in County Derry) after his confession he "forgot" having met suspect "very bad man" priest James Chesney. He was obviously having a bad day then when he told the BBC in 2002 he had never met Chesney.

Why McGuinness has now fessed up to his lapse of memory is a bit of a mystery in itself, there are suggestions it was to pre-empt press investigation. What is certain is that McGuinness has questions to answer about the PIRA role in this atrocity especially now that he has admitted meeting Chesney  :

Ulster Unionist councillor Mary Hamilton, who was injured in the Claudy bombings, said she did want to meet the deputy first minister because she had questions to put to him.

She said that if he had forgotten his meeting with Father Chesney it was possible he had also forgotten "other things".

"If we were all sitting around a table talking to him maybe we would be able to jog his memory...because I really can't believe that was eight miles down the road and didn't know what was happening in Claudy."

Ms Hamilton added that he "owed it" to the victims' families to sit with them and answer their questions.

Compare and contrast the level of investigation into this case and that of the long running Bloody Sunday inquiry. Whan are the Claudy victims (most of whom were also Catholic) to get a proper investigation ? Its time for McGuinness and any SF'ers who were active at that time in the area to open up fully on all they know on this one.