I’m listening as I type to the Nolan Show on Raidio Uladh/Radio Ulster and no prizes for knowing what they’re talking about: the Attorney-General’s call for an end to all law-suits, enquiries and the like into Troubles-related events pre-1998. A few points strike me as I listen.
1.This is no solo run by the Attorney-General. The idea that he could take this into his head without consulting the First and Deputy First Ministers is stretching credulity until it groans and snaps.
2. This is – must be – related to the Haas talks, where everybody including my cat knows that the big issue is how we cope with the past .( No, not ‘deal with’ – cope – let’s have some realism, please.)
3.We have always said that the victims should be central to any examination of what has happened in the course of the conflict. I’ve just listened to John Finucane, whose father Pat was killed by a loyalist death-squad as he sat down to a meal in his own house, almost certainly supported in what they did by the state.
4.In other similar conflicts in Ireland, the loved ones of those killed have not had a chance to discover the truth, much less have justice for the killings. I’m not saying that’s right and I’m not saying it should happen but I am saying that over a long enough period, it works. An obvious example is the tweedledum-tweedledumber relationship between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Get on like a house on fire. Yet we still don’t know who killed Michael Collins.
5.There are two issues which the Attorney-General seeks to set aside: justice and truth. Who is set to gain most by the building of a brick wall between us and the past? The British state. Others too, indeed – loyalists and republicans. But the big winner when all the bricks are in place and the cement solidified would be the British state. Why? Because it up-ends the wheel-barrow argument put forward by the first caller to Nolan this morning, that it was all the IRA’s fault.
The Attorney-General seeks to set aside justice and truth to ensure the protection of the British establishment and in so doing will halt further investigation into collusion which will in turn undermine the rational for republicanism, present and past. The whole cause of the troubles will then fall firmly onto the IRA. Between delayed border polls, cancelations for an improved road to Derry, delay’s for the Omeath bridge, better roads built to Larne rather than to Dublin, Girdwood, DSD Funding to repopulate Loyalist area’s, Maze crisis and on it goes. I really am starting to loose faith in the Assembly and question are we really working towards equality for the Nationalist population.
Indeed Jude, and just a matter of days after the release of Ann Cadwallader’s definitively damning catalogue of proof of collusion at the very highest level of the fetid mechanics of State not so long long ago (surely just a most lamentably unfortunate coincidence!).
The British State, however, will never come clean, nor will they be be compelled to, from whatever quarter, quisling or otherwise (witness the perpetually reflexive and resolutely obeisant submission of the incumbents of Dáil Eireann, when in the unique position of pressing Whitehall for answers about Dublin-Monaghan ’74, for example).
In light of such, and tortuously difficult though it will undoubtedly be, might drawing this line of impenetrable opacity on that past be the most effective way of reaching out to the future?
A comment I made on your blog last January, almost a year later and if anything my assertions are becoming even more realistic and plausible by the day….
“Anonymous18 January 2013 19:27
As pointed out, UDA/UVF/RHC still exist, organizing & recruiting. No sign of disappearing off the stage (as PIRA has done – they had a tangible project to occupy their members & integrate them into the political system).
The same groups are, as is well documented historically & more recently; infiltrated & probably controlled to some degree by British Intelligence.
The Intelligence agencies know what murky secrets exist between themselves & loyalist paramilitaries. It is very much to their benefit to get the groups wound down, off the streets & out of sight. The longer they continue to operate, the more pressure the forces of law&order will come under to treat them as common criminals & take them to task properly.
Along with the impending Super Grass trial – you have A LOT of potentially disgruntled paramilitaries, some of who may have been immune from the rule of law until now & may decide to sling whatever murky muck they know of, in the interests of deflection & self preservation.
What to do then? These guys have a substantial support base, a genuine & understandable beef with mainstream unionism & a serious envy of Republican ex-combatants. Many of whom they see in Stormont or generally wearing suits & having mainstream credibility – while they are described as thugs & drug dealers instead of politicians & statesmen.
They don’t understand that SF permeates all social classes, have a thoughtful strategic vision, many highly educated members at all levels & have worked tirelessly at grass roots level to get to this point. These guys want suits & salaries & credibility, because in their minds they are the mirror image of the Republican Movement & DESERVE their “Peace Dividend.”
What are the spooks to do then to help with this “dividend”? Get their foot onto the political ladder at a much more accelerated rate than they thus far merit. To do this one would need an issue, one which could be manipulated & hyped up to gain widespread engagement from working class Protestants. Ensure the issue is one which extols the virtues of voting & organising politically – yet can flag the lack of representation for working class loyalists, creating space to move into.
Carefully select a small number of individuals to front such a campaign of agitation, who can publicly steer seemingly spontaneous new groupings. This will afford the said individuals a fast tracked avenue to publicity & an overnight public profile. With the newly awakened & engaged energies of loyalism beginning to understand the virtues of political education and working the political system from the inside; use the said individuals to front political efforts into the future & hey presto!
Wind down the paramilitary apparatus, to appease security service handlers, eventually disown any elements maintaining their criminal enterprises – as cover for this activity unchecked by police is unsustainable long term.
I could make specific references to individuals, I won’t. However, a certain educated, well spoken person joining a certain party “sooner rather than later” before a prime publicity opportunity may back my assertions…
Problem is though – you lose partial control of the monster you knowingly created/ unleashed – a ragtag of nutcases seizing control of the “people’s revolution” or if you cannot maintain cohesion with said groups on their journey to constitutional politics/extinction…
If enough progress is made, a certain trial may fall apart & people can keep their secrets to themselves & no organised crime boss’s need be arrested etc & the imperfect peace process can trundle on & the British Security Services can sleep well at night & continue doing their thing…
Or not! I can’t think properly with this damned tinfoil hat on!”