A Letter from Ireland

a Chara,

In the history of the conflict in Ireland, truth like peace comes dropping slow. This week, Operation Kenova, a police led investigation into the actions of state agents and agencies suspected of involvement in killings, published its final report. 

The report brought various strands and murders together.  One strand of investigation was into 127 killings by one group of “loyalist paramilitaries” known as  the Glennanne Gang, 

I put “loyalist paramilitaries” in quotes because there is little distinction in the actions of the British military and paramilitaries. Some of the killings were conducted by members of the British Military. 

In several cases, the report found “clear evidence of collusion with loyalist paramilitaries by state actors”. 

Branches of the military provided intelligence and materials for this gang. They also covered up their actions and failed to prosecute the known killers and the murders continued. The Kenova investigation was hampered by the destruction of military files and evidence. 

Another section of the report dealt with the actions of a State Agent within the IRA. This agent, codenamed Stakeknife, aka Freddie Scappaticci, was involved in providing over 3,500 intelligence reports to the Irish Republicans. He was also directly implicated in the killing of 14 murders.

Most of those cases involved the killing of suspected British agents. The report makes clear that to protect Scappaticci, the British allowed the killings of others, including their own agents. 

Kenova reported that Stakeknife killed more people than his intelligence saved. As if there would be some morally devoid ledger in which these actions would have been acceptable.

In the case of Stakeknife, the report details how files had been destroyed or withheld by MI5, who had claimed to have little or no interaction with the agent. 

The report found that British Military Intelligence had handled Stakeknife from the beginning and for decades had protected him. They funded him, advised him on hiding assets, took him on holiday when the police had a warrant for his arrest and finally resettled and supported him in Britain until he died. 

Even after his death, they protected him by blocking the publication of his will for 70 years.  The British Military still refuse to acknowledge that Freddie Scappaticci was Stakeknife. 

The Kenova Report is not definitive, as evidence was destroyed and information withheld.

The report nails the lie that the British were neutral referees between warring tribes. The British pursued a war against Irish Republicans by any means necessary. That included working with unionist paramilitaries in the case of 127 killings by the Glennane Gang and the killing of 14 to protect their agent in the IRA. 

Margaret Thatcher infamously said in denying political status to Bobby Sands and the Hunger Strikers, “A crime is a crime, is a crime”. At the same time, her agents and agencies were killing and covering up the murders of hundreds. 

There are some who might say that these were the actions of a few bad apples. The evidence points to a widespread and ongoing cover-up. We now know the whole orchard was rotten.

Have a great weekend,