Newsy: Reaction to Cameron's 'Bloody Sunday' Apology

After a 12-year-long inquiry, the British Government has found that the soldiers acted wrongly and without provocation.

Unjustified and unjustifiable. British Prime Minister David Cameron made a public apology for the 38-year-old massacre known as Bloody Sunday.

On January 30, 1972, British soldiers fired on Republican protestors in Northern Ireland, killing 13 civilians. After a 12-year-long inquiry, the British Government has found that the soldiers acted wrongly and without provocation. (Video: Daily Telegraph)

"The Saville report found the victims were unarmed when the British troops opened fire, some even shot dead while they stood pleading with their hands in the air, or while helping the injured, a very different story to the version of events the troops told of protecting themselves against an armed and dangerous crowd." (ninemsn)

"Some members of our armed forces acted wrongly. The government is ultimately responsible for the conduct of the armed forces. And for that, on behalf of the government, indeed, on behalf of our country, I am deeply sorry." (FLASH TO GUARDIAN) "There is no doubt, there is nothing equivocal, there are no ambiguities. What happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifiable. It was wrong." (The Guardian / Telegraph)

The apology came after the release of a report by Lord Saville, the result of a 12-year-long investigation started by Tony Blair in 1998.

But today, an article in the Guardian says the report's findings leave many unanswered questions: "... how did they sift the evidence? What evidence did they leave in, or out? What did the secret services redact? Why did he take so long?"

Mr. Cameron says the soldiers involved could face trial. But on the BBC, Stephen Pollard, an attorney for the soldiers, says he's confident they won't.

REPORTER: "This does open the door, does it not, for certain criminal prosecutions?"

POLLARD: "No, it doesn't."

REPORTER: "Why doesn't it?"

POLLARD: "Because firstly, Lord Saville's conclusions as to his certainty of identifying the individual soldiers fly in the face of most of what we've heard, and secondly-"

REPORTER: "Are you saying he cherry-picked the evidence?"

POLLARD: "I am saying he cherry-picked the evidence, yes."

What do you think? Is Britain's apology for Bloody Sunday long-overdue, or should the evidence be reevaluated?

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