We are sorry: Canadian govt on Kanishka bombing

Toronto, Jun 24: On the 25th anniversary of the Kanishka bombings, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper acknowledged the pain of the families of the victims of "the single worst act of terrorism in Canadian history" and said "sorry".

"Some wounds are too deep to be healed even by the remedy of time...We are sorry," Mr Harper said on Wednesday, Jun 23 at Air India memorial in Humber Bay Park.

Terming the destruction of Air India Flight 182 as the 'worst act of terrorism', the Prime Minister said “This was evil. Perpetrated by cowards. Despicable...Senseless... And vicious."

Terrorism is an enemy with a thousand faces, and a hatred that festers in the darkest spots of the human mind, he said.

Harper's statements especially gains significance after the indictment came last week in former Supreme Court Justice John C Major report blaming a 'cascading series of errors' by the Canadian government.

Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Toronto Mayor David Miller, Indian High Commissioner to Canada S M Gavai and senior officials of RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Services were among the others who gathered to mourn the bombing of Montreal-New Delhi Air India Kanishka flight via Toronto and London.

The plane exploded mid-air 45 minutes before it was to land at London"s Heathrow Airport, killing all 329 people on board. Most of the victims were Canadians of Indian descent.

OneIndia News