O P 301602Z JAN 09 FM AMCONSUL BELFAST TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1448 C O N F I D E N T I A L BELFAST 000006 SUBJECT: PROPOSED PAYMENTS TO VICTIMS OF NORTHERN

IRELAND'S TROUBLES IGNITE CONTROVERSY CLASSIFIED BY: Susan Elliott, Consul General, Belfast, State Department. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 1. (C) Summary: The public release on January 28 of The Consultative Group on the Past's report sparked controversy among Northern Ireland's politicians and victims groups. The Group, appointed by the British government in 2007, had a mandate to explore ways to deal with Northern Ireland's legacy of conflict. The Group made 31 recommendations including the creation of a Legacy Commission to investigate all outstanding murder cases and study future reconciliation efforts. One recommendation, a payment of 12,000 British pounds to relatives of all victims of the Troubles, including members of paramilitary organizations, has sparked intense controversy. Unionist politicians, in particular, have been vocal in opposing the payment to relatives of the IRA members. Eames and Bradley defended their compensation scheme, saying there should be no hierarchy of victims. UK Prime Minister Brown was cautious in his response, but said he understands the concerns of those opposed to such payments.

With the total cost of the recommendations expected to be around 300 million British pounds (roughly 450 million US dollars), it is likely the British and Irish governments will carefully study all aspects of the report before making decisions on how to implement its findings. While the final report does not mention USG financial support, Eames and Bradley have indicated privately that they would like the USG to share in the cost of financing their proposals. End Summary. ---------------------------------------Consultative Group Makes Recommendations ---------------------------------------2. (SBU) The Consultative Group on the Past, headed by Lord Eames, former Anglican Archbishop of Armagh, and Denis Bradley, formerly a Catholic priest and Vice Chairman of Northern Ireland's Policing Board, released its report publicly on January 28. The British government set up the Consultative Group in June 2007 to make recommendations on all issues relating to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Before releasing the report publicly, Eames and Bradley met with Prime Minister Brown on January 22 to brief him on the report's conclusions. While collecting information for the report, Eames and Bradley met on several occasions with former Special Envoy Dobriansky and Consul General. -----------------------------Legacy Commission Key Proposal ------------------------------

3. (U) Key recommendations include the creation of a Legacy Commission, chaired by an international commissioner appointed by the British and Irish governments, which would have a five-year mandate to complete investigations of historic murder cases as well as assist with reconciliation efforts. Eames and Bradley also call for the creation of the Reconciliation Forum to help the new Legacy Commission and the already existing Commission for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland (CVSNI) address issues linked to the Troubles. -----------------------------------------------Compensation Recommendation Creates Controversy -----------------------------------------------4. (U) The recommendation that compensation of 12,000 British pounds be paid to relatives of those who died during the conflict has generated considerable negative reaction because the payments would go to relatives of members of paramilitary groups, including the IRA who died during the conflict. Several Unionist politicians were quick to denounce the recommendation saying innocent victims could not be equated with terrorists. DUP First Minister Peter Robinson has harshly criticized the proposal and said publicly that he would never support its implementation. A few victims groups protested noisily at the January 28 press conference where Eames and Bradley presented their findings. Eames and Bradley have defended their compensation scheme, saying there should be no hierarchy of victims. They point out a similar

scheme had taken place in the Republic of Ireland. (Note: Press reports indicate this was the "Remembrance Fund" established in 2003 by former Irish Prime Minister Ahern to help the families of those in Ireland who had been killed or injured during the Troubles. This fund allowed for payments to families of paramilitary group members, including the IRA. End Note.) -------------------Nationalist Reaction -------------------5. (U) Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein, who attended the January 28 press conference, told the media he needed to study the full report, but noted his view that the Legacy Commission should not be a UKappointed body. Adams would prefer that the United Nations or other international entity establish this Commission. SDLP Leader Mark Durkan was less critical and called for careful reflection of the Consultative Group's recommendations. -------------------------------------------------Prime Minister Brown Guarded In Response to Report -------------------------------------------------6. (U) DUP MP Nigel Dodds strongly criticized the compensation scheme during a session of the UK Parliament and asked a response from the Prime Minister. Gordon Brown said he understood why one of the recommendations has evoked controversy in Northern Ireland (i.e. the compensation scheme),

but noted that some of the recommendations such as settling outstanding cases and moving forward with reconciliation should be acceptable to all communities. ------Comment ------7. (C) The British and Irish governments will likely take several months to review the EamesBradley report before making public what they will be able to support financially. With the total cost of the recommendations expected to be around 300 million British pounds (approximately 450 million USD), the British and Irish governments will probably focus on the Report's less controversial aspects, such as the creation of a Legacy Commission. Over the last 18 months Eames and Bradley met several times with the Consul General and former Special Envoy Dobriansky. During those meetings they mentioned the high cost of implementing their proposed recommendations. While the final report does not mention USG financial support, Eames and Bradley have indicated privately that they would like the USG to share in the cost of financing their proposals. ELLIOTT (Edited and reading.) reformatted by Andres for ease of