Canada releases action plan concerning '85 Air India bombing
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The Canadian government Tuesday released a "roadmap" designed to fix communication problems among the country's security agencies that led to the Air India flight bombing.
Air India Flight 182 exploded off the coast of Ireland in 1985, killing 329 people. Investigators believe the bomb was placed in luggage that originated in Vancouver and was transferred to the Air India Boeing 747 bounding for New Delhi.
Vic Toews, Canada's minister of public safety, called the Air India Inquiry Action Plan "a roadmap to help ensure that such a terrible and senseless act does not happen again."
Canadian authorities have attempted to prosecute several people in the case, but ended with a court releasing the suspects because of inadequate evidence collected by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
Testimony showed the two agencies refused to cooperate with each other, causing them to miss major leads in the case.
The Canadian government in 2006 appointed retired Supreme Court judge John Major to examine the cause of the explosion and the failed prosecution, which resulted in the acquittal of the Sikh extremists who were believed to be responsible for the crash.
He recommended improvements to intelligence-gathering and payments to the relatives of the victims.
Toews said many of the improvements have already started.
"We haven't waited until we announced our action plan today," Toews said. "We've already commenced our action plan...well in advance of today's announcement."
The plan will streamline the criminal trial process to better manage the unique complexity of terrorist prosecutions.
The federal Witness Protection Program will be redesigned to suit the types of witnesses who need protection in terrorism cases.
The Canadian government said it will strengthen its policing of terrorism financing, and law enforcement and intelligence agencies will also work more closely together and will do a better job of handling information.
The government also promised better aviation security.
"Our government would like to thank the families of the victims in the bombing of Flight 182, which was truly an act of unconscionable cruelty, for their ongoing efforts and consultation with our government on this action plan," said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
The announcement was greeted with criticism by relatives of Air India victims and opposition politicians.
Relatives of the victims said they are frustrated over the government's low compensation payments.
Major had recommended the amount of payments should be set by an independent agency, which was ignored by the Canadian government.
Anil Hanse, son of one of the plane's pilots, told the Canadian state broadcaster CBC that, after 25 years, "We're at the end of our tether!"
Critics say the lawyer representing victims' families was shut out of important meetings, and the families have been ignored.
Liberal public safety critic Mark Holland and liberal foreign affairs critic Bob Rae told reporters they were "deeply disappointed" with Tuesday's announcement.
"What the government has tabled is an inaction plan," Holland said. "Most of (Major's) key recommendations are left on the sidelines."
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