British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today announced a review of intelligence material from the Omagh bombing after claims in a TV documentary that the bombers’ phones were being tapped.
Sir Peter Gibson, the Intelligence Services Commissioner, will examine all intercept material from the security and intelligence services and how it was shared.
A BBC documentary claimed GCHQ, Britain’s special intelligence monitoring agency, was recording the bombers’ calls before the 1998 bombing, which killed 29 people.
Britain’s Cabinet Office said the review should be completed within three months.
A spokesman said: “The prime minister has invited the Rt Hon Sir Peter Gibson, the Intelligence Services Commissioner, to review the intercepted intelligence material available to the security and intelligence agencies in relation to the Omagh bombing and how it was shared.”
Yesterday, victims’ relatives warned the British government it faces legal action within a week if it does not hand over intelligence files which could have helped to catch the bombers.
They want to use any transcripts or recollections from individuals relating to mobile phone calls between the bombers on their way to Omagh in their ongoing civil legal case against five men they blame for the tragedy.
Nobody has been convicted of the Omagh bombing and grieving families are demanding an independent cross-border public inquiry into events before the blast and the security force investigations.
Yesterday, at a meeting in Belfast, victims’ spokesman Michael Gallagher demanded action to bring the intelligence services to account.
He said he would be writing to Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde and the Irish and Spanish governments, whose citizens also died, after the Panorama programme’s findings.
Former police ombudsman Nuala O’Loan published a damning critique of the police investigation, accusing detectives of letting down victims and their families.
Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward welcomed Mr Brown’s announcement.
He said: “Everybody feels terribly badly for the families of the victims who, after 10 years, have not seen anyone brought properly to justice. You have to be struck by the sense of injustice.”
He added: “I think, given the information that was put into the public domain by Panorama, it is absolutely right that the Prime Minister has said there should be a review of the use of the intercepted material at the time and how it was shared.”
He said the British government would look carefully at the work of Sir Peter once he has reported and see what the next step should be. But he added: “I don’t want to falsely raise people’s expectations.”
He challenged those in the community who knew who the bombers were to finally come forward with the information to help police. "The fact of the matter is that there are people out there who murdered 29 people and two unborn children. There are people out there who know who those people are.
“The best way for there still to be a prosecution is for those people to have the courage to come forward and give evidence to the police that will allow us to successfully prosecute those responsible.”