Air India families still yearn for answers

Ottawa: Today marks 24 years since a Delhi-bound Air India flight left Toronto and Montreal and exploded over the Atlantic Ocean. And families of 329 victims yearn to know the story behind Canada's worst terror attack.
Yet, three years after the federal Conservatives called a commission of inquiry into the disaster — a year and a half after public hearings ended — there are still no answers.
The inquiry, led by former Supreme Court Justice John Major, has still not produced its final report.
More important, there is no hint of when it will come.
Commission counsel Mark Freiman would not take calls from the Star, and directed questions to the inquiry's media spokesman Michael Tansey.
"We still have not set a date for the release of the report," Tansey said by email, with no further explanation.
Major quickly produced a first report on the victims, their would-be rescuers, and their stories.
But families await his more substantive examination of what the government agencies knew and when, and how they failed to prevent the tragedy, or successfully prosecute the alleged bombers.
A lot turns on Major's final conclusions and recommendations, including what kind of reforms the federal Conservative government will propose for oversight of the various agencies involved. For the past two months, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan has said he will await Major's final report.
Justice Minister Rob Nicholson declined comment Monday on what is taking so long.
"I mean, I have complete confidence in the commission as it's set up, and I look forward to the report," said Nicholson.
Lawyer Norm Boxall, who represents a majority of families of the 329 victims, said he doesn't anticipate anything until the fall.
23/06/09 Tonda Maccharles/thestar.com

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Categories: Air India - International Jun 2009, Foreign Jun 2009, NACIL Jun 2009, Safety Jun 2009