A BOOK on the Omagh bombing written by former police chief constable Hugh Orde and ex-Policing Board chairman Desmond Rea is to be launched on Tuesday.
'Bear in mind these dead', The Omagh Bombing and Policing analyses the events leading up to the 1998 atrocity as well as the aftermath and subsequent investigation.
An illustrious panel of speakers will be at the launch, including Dennis Bradley, former vice-chairman of the Policing Board and prominent QC Sir Keir Starmer as well as the two authors.
The book examines "two searing questions (that) have bedevilled all discussion on the Omagh Bombing".
"The first is whether any information or intelligence was available to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), which, if acted upon, could have prevented the bombing," the book states.
"The second is whether the investigation into the Omagh Bombing was as robust as it should have been."
The book "map(s) out in great detail the work carried out by the PSNI in investigating this atrocity and the detailed workings of the various PSNI oversight bodies, not least the Policing Board of Northern Ireland".
Speaking ahead of the launch, Sir Desmond said on Monday night: "This book notes at its beginning and end that the Omagh bombing was and is seen as the single worst atrocity of the so called Troubles between 1969 and 2001.
"Its impact is compounded when the definition of 'victim' is rightly extended beyond those killed and injured to the families, friends and those who came to rescue and offered aid.
"Thus ‘Bear in mind these dead’ from John Hewitt’s poem of the same name is appropriate to be part of the title of this book.
"He tells us that the words 'propose no more than thoughtful response', this book through the authors tells the story of the thoughtful response of the Northern Ireland Policing Board and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to the voices of the victims of Omagh broadly defined."
