Are you expecting to be surprised tonight? I hope not. Except you are very naive or have been living in a sound-proof pod buried 100 metres below ground level, you must by now be aware of claims that there was collusion between British forces in the north of Ireland and loyalist/unionist paramilitary groupings such as the UVF and the UDA. If you’ve even skimmed Anne Cadwallader’s book Lethal Allies, you’ll know of claims that the UDA and the UVF were used by the authorities as part of the effort to defeat the IRA.
I know I’m not anticipating any startling new information. What may be new is the response to and behind actions. I note that the RTÉ One programme tonight (9.30 pm), will be looking at the Dublin/Monaghan bombs that killed so many innocent people, and the claim will be that it was aimed to foment a civil war which the authorities were confident the right side would win. (Which side was right, Virginia? Watch the programme). My initial reaction to that claim is one of deep scepticism. Far from hoping to foment civil war, I’ve always had the belief that it was intended to discourage the south of Ireland from being in any way soft on the IRA, since such softness would lead to the overspill of the northern violence into the southern state.
What that brings us to is not whether or not there was collusion, but to what your reaction is. I have a liberal unionist friend who is dismissive of those who express horror that the authorities in the north should have colluded with loyalist/unionist paramilitaries. “It was a violent conflict. What did you expect? Of course the authorities enlisted all the help they could get, from whatever quarter”. I think at heart a lot of unionists would take that position: they may not openly concede there was systemic collusion but they can see the military thinking behind collusion and even, in a rough way, agree with it.
I can understand it too, which is why I don’t expect to be too surprised by tonight’s programme. But I remain aware of the fact that the authorities have consistently denied any such collusion, and have been supported in that by a number of people who would describe themselves as nationalists. The police, the British army, in cahoots with vicious loyalist/unionist killers? Rubbish – aren’t lots of loyalists in jail? People with this happy black vs white view of the Troubles are likely to be disabused of such simplicities by the programme.
The key question is not, did it happen but what view do we take of it? Was it a pragmatic case of “My enemy’s enemy is my friend”? Or do we expect higher standards of conduct from those we pay to keep us safe, to maintain the security of citizens? For some, questions about quis custodiet ipsos custodes – who will guard the guardians themselves? – are word-play, theoretical juggling of ethical questions. For others, they address issues which are fundamental to a civilised society. If those into whose hands the protection of citizens is entrusted covertly arrange for the deaths of those citizens, then all respect for law must be abandoned.
I’ll be watching, but I’ll not be expecting much discussion of questions like these.
I was at a party recently and spotted a copy of Anne Cadwallader’s ‘Lethal Allies’ on the bookshelf. ‘Have you read it?’ I asked the host, to which he winced and replied saying ‘I can’t really bring myself to read it. I don’t really need to; I lived through it – I know what went on’.
There may well be some out there who adopt a head in the sand approach, and refuse to accept that any collusion occurred. There are none so blind as those who will not see.
It is those, like your ‘liberal(?) unionist’ friend who accept that collusion occurred and that these things are inevitable in a violent conflict, who cause me greater concern. We’re into the realms of moral relativism here, so my thoughts are not easily summed up in an Internet friendly soundbite.
Allow me a glib YouTube link instead. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating – Unionism has now entered its ‘Are We The Baddies?’ phase.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToKcmnrE5oY
That said ‘Northern Ireland’
I worked in Belfast Central Library in 1973, while there, I chanced upon Frank Kitson’s “Low Intensity a Operations”. He outlined the development of tactics used against insurgents in the campaigns, that peace loving nation, had been involved in in the 50s and 60s. One of the major tactics was the use of counter gangs comprised of locals anti to the insurgents and also counter agents developed from ‘turned’ insurgents. It was the textbook for tactics used here.
BTW, have you ever wondered why all new housing estates have one entrance/exit? This was Kitson’s idea to make control of movement easier in urban areas.
For those Unionist in denial that they or their British masters did anything wrong, i suggest they read the book ‘Ambush at Tullywest’ written by Kennedy Lynsday, a well known Unionist politician during the 70’s.
is the book still in print? will have to look it up.
Sarah
Sorry Anne Cadwalladers book should not be treated as gospel any more so than Gerry Adams biographies.
Did the British army commit crimes its fairly clear they did as did loyalists and republicans however as I have said before we got ourselves into a blood lust which wreaked people here.
We have to face a serious issue to we chase everybody who killed no matter the cost and imprison them or do we sadly have to let the past go and try to deal with it in the best way possible?
Did the southern government arm the IRA its fairly clear they did so should the Irish government be bought to justice.
The real victims are the ones who will never see any justice and the real heroes were the people who tried to keep society going
Neill – I’m with you on some of what you say – maybe even on the central one of letting the past go rather than seeking justice. If for no other reason than those wronged will not get justice. Re Ann Cadwallader’s book and its veracity – a lot of what she details is public knowledge and verifiable from newspaper accounts of the time. As to “Did the southern government arm the IRA its fairly clear they did” – really? Source? All one can say is they made a pretty poor job of it if they did.
For the squeamish, Lethal Allies contains serial numbers of weapons used to murder innocent civilians. It is also possible to evidence the fate of an unborn baby. One man who had been shot noticed his attacker was wearing police issue boots. The same policeman returned to his place of work to record incoming calls about the attack.
Judge Peter Cory found evidence of collusion and recommended a full public inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane. Perhaps the less squeamish might prefer to read the De Silva Report December 2012, which was commissioned by David Cameron after he publicly reneged on a pledge to establish such an inquiry. De Silva concluded that most of the information acted upon by disloyalists came directly from the security forces. The report also states that one of the weapons used in the murder of Pat Finucane came from the armoury of Belfast based 10 UDR. There is archive material that also reveals political knowledge of collusion.
“and the real heroes were the people who tried to keep society going”
Who would that be Neill? The RUC? The UDR? The British state? who murdered, and colluded in the murders, of hundreds of people? Or are they the heroes because they murdered far more Catholics than Protestants? If it was Protestants they mostly murdered something tells me you wouldn’t be calling them “heroes”, Neill.
“Sorry Anne Cadwalladers book should not be treated as gospel any more so than Gerry Adams biographies”
And anything the British state/RUC/Unionists/etc says can be treated as gospel Neill? especially given its systematic collusion with loyalist murder gangs and its own murders of civilians committed by the British Army?
I don’t think you paid much attention to Jude’s article, Neill.
“If those who make the law break the law then there is no law”. Remember that one Neill.
These revelations of British state collusion and its systematic structure proves that the IRA’s “propaganda” wasn’t propaganda at all but the truth. Don’t get me wrong, many things the IRA did was wrong but were they terrorists? did they start the troubles? Definitely not. Even Nelson Mandela regarded hunger striker Bobby Sands as his hero. I understand completely why nationalists joined the IRA to defend their community and as time goes on we’re seeing their actions were justified, the British state certainly wasn’t defending the nationalist/catholic community, quite the opposite.
My opinion to Unionists like Neill will be “shocking” or whatever but the reality is its time for Unionists like Neill to grow up and see both sides argument because Catholics/Nationalists/Republicans aren’t going away.
The Northern Ireland statelet has been doomed from day 1. Its a long slow death but it’ll die all the same because its been a utter failure.
If this documentary gets discussed on the Nolan radio show tomorrow, expect call ins from Unionists/Loyalists crying “this is a rewriting of history!”. Yes it is a rewriting of history, its eroding Unionist/British lies and replacing it with facts and the truth.
Were the IRA terrorists er yes Ryan as for your rant that’s your opinion entirely wrong but never stop a republican when he is in a good rant about the poor republicans being misunderstood and that is was the nasty unionists who caused republicans to bomb and murder bad unionists sure they deserved what they got!
Thanks for, err, answering my points Neill. Not.
You didn’t address a single point I made Neill. But then again, how can you argue with facts?
Ryan opinions are not facts.
Nelson Mandela should choose his hero’s better after all why was bobby sands sent to prison for in the first place?
All roads lead to Whitehall
It should not come as a shock that the “manufacture of consent” (Chomsky) is well under way. In spite of a plethora of reports on collusion, many politicians and media outlets routinely denied the very idea of collusion, at worst it was, a few isolated cases, a few bad apples in the barrel or a former UDR soldier turned cheese operative engaging in minor security breaches. One measure of progress is that many of the same no longer challenge the notion of collusion. There is irrefutable evidence that it was a colonial mind set of assumptions combined with sectarian bigotry masquerading as ‘intelligence’ that resulted in internment without trial, “armoured cars and tanks and guns… Just what was he guilty of they did not have to say, but they would think of something in time…”
Pax Britannica has been described as the story of crime and violence against a civilian enemy, (Operation Demetrius 1971) masquerading as protective civilization. That should not come as a shock either.
That’s interesting about the entrance/exit to housing estates….so the manipulation and control goes so deep!!! Time to start digging a few tunnels, methinks!
It really is odd looking back from the vantage point of “peacetime”, isn’t it?Remember when you couldn’t go anywhere without tripping over someone in a uniform of some sort? They were everywhere…behind hedges , in fields on the roads , playing soldiers…. They were all supposed to be part of the State’s mechanism.Realistically , not too many with a nationalist worldview joined any of those organisations .Does anyone know anybody who was in the TA or say the UDR? It was for one community only. There may have been the odd policeman or UDR who was a nationalist but who knows.
Way back . I knew a few guys .One joined the old RUC. Remember them , anybody ? From my perspective, joining something like that would have been like joining the Moonies or the Children of God. It wasn’t something that would ever occur to me or most of the friends I knew.Of course there were always a few Catholic fellows in the police force and the assumption was that they were of a unionist state of mind anyway. It didn’t really matter too much I suppose, before the Troubles took off in a big way and they all ended up living in little police settlements of like-minded souls.Like I say, one guy whom we knew in the cafes, joined the RUC .He thought it would be a better gig than working a boring office job for the local council .The next thing I knew was the Troubles had kicked off and i later saw an itemon the national news, while at college in England and his ID card flashed on the screen. He’d been blown up in a jeep …way up in Derry. That was the end of his life .
Then there was another guy who worked with a lot of us in a factory for a while. He was in the UDR as well so he must have worked that gig part-time, out doing those road patrols that were all over the place back then . They’d call it double -jobbing now. He was obviously making money around the clock but he was always exhausted.I’ve no idea about his political leanings but I’ll assume he was a unionist. You’d see him lying on the bench in the changing rooms with his gun slipping out of his trousers. That wasn’t for me either .Nor was it for most of us.
Those guys were okay…you could have a yarn with them in a light manner about anything other than politics….. but seriously , they were on one side of a divided society , so how could they be anything other than on a very particular side of an ongoing argument .They were very obviously on the side of the British Government , no matter what they did. Good or bad , they were going to do what they thought was right for that government and if they got a helping hand from loyalist terrorists they were going to turn askance. It’s obvious that a blind eye was turned to the loyalist helpmates throughout the years .They all knew each other in those communities…I suppose actually saying it out loud is a step too far .It would only make it too real.
I remember being told in the early 1980s that the cul-de-sacs in the housing estates were built like that to make the job of the ‘security’ forces easier…
Anyone who has lived in the Andersonstown area throughout the troubles will remember that there used to be two lanes of traffic in and out of Belfast.
But then, under the label of traffic flow improvement, the full length of the road was changed to one lane in each direction, meaning that there is a virtual permanent traffic jam.
It was nothing to do with traffic flow improvement, but it did mean that the army and police could check the occupants of vehicles better at low speed, with no one able to sneak up or down another lane of traffic.
But although the ceasefires are 15 years old, they still intend to have more control of the traffic as paving and kerbing improvements have made clear.
It is with deep cynicism that I await tonight’s RTE programme.The evidence for collusion has been there from 18th May 1974…..The UVF/UDA were incapable then ,as the are now ,of constructing large car bombs without British military assistance .Despite numerous requests for a public inquiry these have been repeatedly been denied…Why ? The government in the 26 counties have been less than enthusiastic in demanding the relevant files that the British government hold.Why ?…From the very beginning I have smelled a rat , something just doesn’t add up. In March of that year the Littlejohn brothers, alleged British spies, conveniently escaped from Mountjoy prison and returned to England . Kenneth Littlejohn was put up in a house owned by a Mr Thomas Watt…..After the Birmingham pub bombings , this Thomas Watt coincidentally became a prosecution witness in the framing of The Birmingham six ……hence my cynicism
One would not be too downbeat, Esteemed Blogmeister, regarding the programme tonight to deal with Collusion.
The reason for one’s optimism arose on hearing the voice of one particular participant in the promo for the prog on RTE Radio I.
That would be the critically-acclaimed voice of the former FSS Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Chief Stable Boy of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
In the promo Sean Donlon (for it is he !) came out like the Two Ton Tony Galento of Governmental Go-to Guys swinging punches of every variety from from every imaginable angle, some of which might even end up hitting him on the nose (the one in his own phys-og): the pugilistic version of an o.g..
And all aimed in the direction of (gulp) the Auld Enemy
-Thump ! Thump ! Thump !
Schrodinger, Perkie’s pernikety pet pussy-cat, demanding an explanation for the Four Horsemen reference (as he remembers from life number 3) by thumping his impatient tail on the Axminster. On the basis that the Reader may not be of the same vintage.
The Four Horsemen, in brief, were the Four Most Influential Irish-American Politicos in Washington DC, begorrah, during Sean D’s stellar tenure as Ambassador of the FSS to the USA. And which Sean D. (may his tribe increase ! ) succeeded in harnessing so effectively together, despite their widely disparate points of view, which ranged all the way from kowtowing to La Thatcher to merely genuflecting in her direction.
Perhaps ‘yoking together” might be a more apt choice of word as the leader of the 4-H was the critically-acclaimed Tip-head O’Neill whose legendary wise crack has even been recorded by the Library of Congress:
-All politics are yokel..
The significance of this achievement by Sean D. (may his tribe increase !) was the switching of the allegiance of Irish America from the dubious Noraid to the far more salubrious Knorraid.
-A stroke of ad hoc genius, according to the admiring lads of the Hacketariat of the time.
(The title came from History Graduate Sean D’s familiarity with the Soup Kitchens of 19th Century Hibernia).
The Hi Flying Sean D. was soon wooed by Tony Ryan (whose name is immortalised in the cut-throat, oops, cut price Ryanair) to join the board of the oddly named GPA which was involved in the Leasing end of the Aircraft industry.
During this stage of his stellar,, wine-cellar career, he acquired the following acronynm by his backers in the hackiatriat:: SDLP. Sean Donlon Leasing Panjandrum.
Being a lover of the poetry of man of the mo, Yeats (WB not Ivan) he soon came up with the dodge, oops, distinguished idea of the GPA Literary Award which meant his inner celebrity networking skills (skill sets had yet to be invented) were called upon to max effect.
Thus, was Graham Greene (no less) brought on board to present the inaugural winner of the Award. GG (see how the equine motif was maintained) was, of course, the author of the Book of Last Month: ‘Travels with my Aunt’ An entertaining novel which featured such characters as – would one lie about such VIP matters? – as Camilla and yes, Tooley (whose real name was – gasp – O’Toole.)
Alas, the Guest of Honour of the Bauble-presenting Ceremony proved to be something of a Party Pooper / Bubble Pricker when he delivered his globally-acclaimed Greene Growl.
-One is in disagreement with the choice of winner.
Ye Gods, little fishes and Gadzooks !
But this is where the full extent,nay panoply ! of SDLP’s diplomatic skill sets (he was before his time, by this itme !) came into play and the two finger V sign for Victory was rescued from the jaws of Demoralising Embarrassment.
The subsequent bad publicity could not be bought by mere LS or D itself..
In fact, GPA (Guinness Peat Aviation) went from strength to strength and it was Roses, Roses all the way, till the Great Day of FOSE dawned (Flotation on the Stock Exhange).
Alas, and alack / Mo lean, mo bron, mo bhuairt.
Float was not the word: more like sink, as in stone. To the bottom of the fish-stinky ocean.
One hastens to add, of course, that no blame attached to the personage of the as always above reproach, SDLP. Rather was it down to a profound misconception arising in the minds of prospective bagmen from Bagdad to Bogata of the appalling vista conjured up by a company with the moniker: Guinness Peat Aviation.
-Bog-oak monolithic Paddies downing the Black Stuff before taking to the cockpit?
GRMA, but no thanks.
Form is temporary, a deirtear, but class is permanent. And so it came to pass that Schrodinger-admirer, Sean Donlon landed on his feline feet – as the Bullock-befriending Bruton’s special adviser on Norneverland.
( A break from the past: turning away from the Neigh-sayers and schmoozing with those who put the Moo into Moolah)
And this is where the, erm career paths of SD and Perkie crossed. Many a day and oft did an awestruck P. Warbeck, bureaucrat /starsheirbhseach totally stand in awe as through the ornamental gates of Government Buildings strutted once again the pinstriped and pugnacious Great One,
Once again, he was in Two Ton Tony Galento mode.
But, in this episode, there was a difference. Whereas in a previous diplomatic mode, just like his role model TTTG, he,SD, deliberately refrained (metaphorically speaking) from showering beforehand,preferring to use -gasp ! – body odour as a diplomatic ploy to distract his opponetns.
Max Baer, an opponent, once commented: ‘ He smelled of rotten tuna and a tub of old liquour being sweated out’.
Not any more; or at least, when Perkie was fortunate to encounter him.
Observe Ozymandias exuding an overwhieming aroma of Old Spice as he strutted through the Gates of Government Buildings he managed not only to show himself to be a swain of some unusual mettle but also to do the unthinkable: by proveing W. B. Yeats (see above) wrong.
-Romantic Ireland’s not dead and gone: it’s with Sean Donlon on the gravy train.
Those were the very heartfelt, even if perhaps parodied words which sprang spontaneously to the lips of a dumbstruck (almost) Perkie.
For, clutched in the right paw of the Ozimandias of Old Spice (‘look upon my Bouquet,ye Envious, and despair !) was a bouquet of 18 roses no less, newly purchased around the corner from Florrie’s Florist Shop on Merrion Row,Dublin 2, whose sales pitch was::
-Surprise your Sweetheart’s Nose with a bouquet of Florrie’s Roses !
It is only appropriate that the Ozymandias of Old Spice should devote a goodly part of his well-earned retirement exercising his olfactory neves in his far-famed grove of H.D. trees. Their ego-massaging scent never fails to bring him to an eye-closing ecstasy. They would of course, be his Honorary Doctorate trees which he has so assiduously cultivated after his long, distinguished and glittering career.
Perkie’s inner revisionist is looking forward to Tonight’s Rewriting of FSS Northernevrland Pussy-whipped Policy: Collusion / Schmollusion.
Le fonn Gaelach / eagerly.
I don`t expect to hear anything startling although I am looking forward to the programme. The conscience of the twenty six county state is probably being roused due to the upcoming centenary of the Easter rising. As already mentioned by PJ Dorrian the tactics used by the British here are the same tactics they have always used in colonial/imperial adventures. The same injustices are taking place now in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Neill,you ask did the British army commit crimes?,and then go on to say “they clearly did as did Loyalists and Republicans”.There is one clear difference Neill,a statistic that you and you’re ilk never seem to grasp and that is from 1969 to 1994 some 25,000 people from the Republican community did jail time for conflict related reasons.In my own rural parish ,the number interned ,remanded ,or sentenced would be nearly 100 persons.
Me and my ilk ah yes the ones who didn’t commit any murders or take part in illegal activities I am proud to be part of that ilk.
The Barron reports show collusion and actually name names of Glennane Gang members etc. Why were these reports not acted on? Why hasnt Dublin refused any cooperation with England until England gives over what it knows about Dublin Monaghan? Simple questions. Waiting for the answers
Jude
You should have time to nip down to Central Library for the talk by Dr Eamonn Phoenix on the decade from 1912-22 (6.30 to 7.30) and still be home for 9.30.
Like all the best things in life,it is free.
Thanks gio – just read this now…Oh well…There’s a documentary at QFT on Thurs, 6.30 pm. on same subjct more or less
I don’t subscribe to the idea if drawing a line in the sand. Collusion was systematic and if not directed, accepted in the highest levels of political and military circles.
The State has to be accountable. Much more so than paramiltary groups. Are some of these people now in the PSNI or civil service ?
Ok lets arrest everybody who has been involved in the troubles and I mean everybody however will that bring real closure I am doubtful very doubtful
Assassinations, black propaganda, extraordinary rendition, torture, human hurt on insufferable amounts, and the Murders argued hollowly as the “for the greater good”…..the charge to the current Chief Constable by Nuala O Loan, “that hundreds and hundreds where….Murdered by the State” was returned with essentially,-“That this saved thousands”……….
Nah, this doesn’t wash! The State Murdered Hundreds of people…..And There Is No Major Public Inquiry!!!!!!
Nazis where hunted even unto the twilight, that a new Reich would not be inspired, and potential future Nazis be warned that “…Just following Orders” is no absolutions for War Crimes….Most of the Murdered were not Combatants, and the state sponsored Sectarian Mass Murder. Agenda alert, this at last needs the Oxygen of Truth and Transparency, with Justice Perused unto the Doors and meeting rooms from Whitehall to the Shankill, and every bloody Death made account for by a Rogue State who Murdered with impunity!
Sean Mac Philemy’s exposed of the Committee shut down a major TV Company for its efforts, and put his life and others under determined threat….A Very British Jihad….Lethal Allies….Dark Exposés that need light, demand light, and a failure to expose this horror, allows it to reoccur, whenever the State wishes as impunity is a Given…I named the members of the committee in this forum, Justice needs perused relentlessly, lest the State repeat it Crimes against innocent, expendable Citizens, or outspoken advocates alike. Argue against the State and they can bury you…Pat Finucane and Rosemary Nelson paid for this pursuit, other Solicitors are fearlessly dismissing threat, and a “Tsunami” threatens to sweep away the lies the State are hiding behind. That is why we must peruse them and stop their
Continued Murder with
Impunity, from Iraq to Ireland, time for light….