According to two Irish American lobby groups, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has backed calls for an inquiry into the murder of Northern Ireland solicitor Pat Finucane.

The Irish American Unity Conference and the Irish National Caucus said on Tuesday that they had secured Obama's support for a fully independent inquiry into the controversial Finucane killing 1n 1989, a course of action recommended in a report compiled for the British government by Canadian Judge Peter Cory.

The senator's support for the campaign to allow an independent, international probe into the killing is significant, in that it marks the first time a presidential candidate has thrown their weight behind the issue.

Finucane was shot dead in front of his family by Loyalist paramilitaries in 1989, but security forces have repeatedly been implicated in the killing of the solicitor, who had publicly represented Republican suspects.

"I'm very pleased with Senator Obama's decision to support our calls for an independent inquiry," Father Sean McManus of the Irish National Caucus told the Irish Voice. "We need to have a real inquiry, not the bogus one they've offered the Finucane family and which the family have quite rightly rejected."

McManus added that he was also grateful that Obama had also earlier emphasized his concern about the Lieutenant Tom Spicer case, the former lieutenant colonel who served with the British Army in Northern Ireland in 1992 when soldiers of the Scots Guards under his command shot and killed Catholic civilian Peter McBride.

"Senator Obama has now come out in support of the Finucane case and the Spicer case," said McManus. "That means on two very emotive and important Irish issues he has taken a very strong stand, so fair play to him, he's making all the right moves. I only wish that the John McCain campaign would show the same leadership."

In a statement Michael Finucane, the murdered solicitor's son, said, "We are extremely grateful to Senator Obama for lending us his support. As Senator Obama points out, this inquiry was a recommendation of Judge Cory as a way to look at all the very serious circumstances arising out of the death of Pat Finucane. And it is a recommendation that has not been implemented by the British government."

In response to a questionnaire submitted by the two groups on establishing a truth process for Northern Ireland, Obama's team said, "Senator Obama would support a reconciliation process that seeks the comprehensive truth about past violence. Senator Obama believes there should be an independent, public inquiry as Judge Cory recommended."

Michael Finucane added that the 20th anniversary of his father's death would be marked next year and added that the campaign to uncover the truth of what happened would continue.

"As Senator Obama himself points out, disclosure of information would increase community confidence in the security forces and ultimately the institutions responsible for shaping the new society," said Finucane.

It is understood that Senator Obama also submitted responses to a series of Irish related questions to representatives of the Ancient Order of Hibernians on Monday, however his replies would have to be assessed by the AOH's leadership before being released to the media later in the week.