Letter: The IRA's Musgrave Park Hospital bomb was a war crime, yet it's not deemed worthy of an inquiry

Last week, pro-Palestinian republicans, their cheerleaders, academics and so-called human rights activists condemned Israel for the Israel Defense Force (IDF) attack on an ambulance, which the IDF claimed was carrying Hamas terrorists.

What many of them conveniently forget is that 32 years ago last week, the IRA planted a 20lb semtex bomb in a service tunnel close to the military wing of Musgrave Park Hospital. The bomb destroyed the military wing, killed two medical soldiers, and injured many others. It also severely damaged the children’s ward in Withers Orthopaedic Centre, injuring one child.

This indiscriminate bomb could have killed many others, including children and staff in Withers. It was a war crime and to this day the monsters from the so-called Belfast brigade of the IRA who planned and ordered this callous bombing have not been held to account. It is highly likely that instead of paying for their crimes they ended up being elected to political office by those who decry Israel whilst chanting “Ooh ah up the Ra”.

Like the atrocities at La Mon, Darkley and Tullyvallen, this war crime is deemed not worthy of any further inquiry. Yet inquests into legitimate security force actions at incidents such as Loughgall are given the highest priority. This is a sad reflection on our judicial process, who put terrorists’ deaths before the innocent victims of the PSF/PIRA movement.

​Tom Nash, Derriaghy