IRA trying to rewrite history over inquest ruling, says former Cabinet minister

As published by the Telegraph

A former Cabinet minister has accused the IRA of trying to rewrite history over a coroner’s ruling that four terrorists were unlawfully killed by SAS soldiers.

Sir David Davis told MPs the ruling by Mr Justice Michael Humphreys only served to “further the IRA’s attempt to rewrite the history of Northern Ireland”.

He told MPs the coroner had judged events 33 years later “in retrospect” and “without any new evidence”, which he said was at odds with the legal investigation that took place immediately after the incident.

On Feb 6, Mr Humphreys ruled that SAS soldiers who shot and killed the four IRA members at Clonoe, County Tyrone, in 1992 had used unjustified lethal force and will now face prosecution.

The IRA terrorists were killed minutes after carrying out an armed attack on an RUC police station.

The coroner rejected the claims made by two soldiers, who are in their 50s, that they held the “honest belief” they needed to use lethal force.

“I entirely believe in a process of peace and reconciliation, which will allow closure for the relatives of all the dead,” Sir David said.

“But this is a process of vindictiveness and vengeance. It is an attempt to rewrite history, not to find the truth.”

Last month the Ministry of Defence confirmed it will seek a judicial review to challenge the ruling, which could lead to prosecutions of SAS veterans.

The decision to commit to a judicial review came after James Cartlidge, shadow defence secretary, wrote to Al Carns, the veterans minister who served in Northern Ireland, asking for one.

However, Sir David said that any review “must put in place statutory protections for our soldiers now and in the future from this persecution”.

Speaking on Wednesday evening, Sir David added: “Our veterans are being punished in their retirement years for the decisions they made serving their country.”

‘Enormous’ psychological impact
He warned that this would have an “enormous” psychological impact on troops in both present and future operations.

“We cannot send soldiers into high-risk environments, ask them to undergo brutal training, and expect them to operate with confidence if they fear being condemned decades later,” he said.

He added: “These are men who served their country with honour, heroism and skill, sometimes in the face of the most incredible danger.

“They are now no doubt hoping for a well-earned peaceful retirement, not a future of endless stress and psychological torture.

“If the Government leaves them open to persecution, it will frankly be shameful and serve only to further the IRA’s attempt to rewrite the history of Northern Ireland.”