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In my novel The Bleeding Hills I raise the view that conservative powers, including those of the British security establishment, are, in a passive defensive way, not interested in upholding the Good Friday agreement, and, in all consequence, refuse to support lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.
- George Bernard Shaw
In my novel The Bleeding Hills I raise the view that conservative powers, including those of the British security establishment, are, in a passive aggressive way, not interested in upholding the Good Friday agreement, and, in all consequence, refuse to support lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
In my book I also refer to Tony Blair as “the first prime minister with a brain.” In fact, Tony Blair, despite his failure of handling the Iraq question, was the first prime minister who successfully established peace in Northern Ireland, which included the disarmament of paramilitary organizations of both sides, Protestant and Catholic.
The events of Bloody Sunday, almost 40 years ago, were particularly damaging to Britain’s reputation as was the Widgery report which is widely – even in Great Britian – considered a white-wash. I am counting that the Saville report, which will be released today, will provide an objective finding of what really happened during the events of Bloody Sunday. After all those years it is not a matter of pointing to the guilty; this is a matter of admitting a wrong-doing that shouldn’t have happened and never should happen again. In order to make a better future we need to learn from the past – See above quote by George Bernard Shaw.
My view that conservative powers and the British security establishment are not interested in finding the truth are, with the upcoming Saville report, being confirmed on a daily basis – See the Guardian’s article below and read my post Bloody Sunday – Saville Report Will Be Published.
Bertie Ahern says security chiefs pressed Tony Blair not to call inquiry
Guardian.co.uk – Monday 14 June 2010
Britain’s security establishment tried to dissuade Tony Blair from agreeing to the Bloody Sunday inquiry, the former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern said today. Ahern, who was taoiseach at the time the Saville inquiry was set up in early 1998, also said its creation had helped build nationalist confidence in the Northern Ireland peace process.
The inquiry’s long-awaited report into the killing of 14 civil rights marchers by British paratroopers in Derry in 1972 will be published at 3.30pm on Tuesday in Derry and London. The 5,000-page, 10-volume report took 12 years to compile, at a cost of almost £191m.
Ahern said its impact on the peace process had been critical. “It was immensely important because at that time we were trying to build confidence and help the people of Derry, who had been dealing with this for years,” Ahern said.
Martin McGuinness, the former IRA chief of staff who is now Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, today denied claims that he had told Blair an apology from London over Bloody Sunday would be enough. The Sinn Féin MP said the assertion by Jonathan Powell, Blair’s chief of staff in Downing Street, that McGuinness told Blair a multimillion-pound inquiry was not necessary was “erroneous.”
In his book Great Hatred, Little Room, Powell alleges McGuinness made the observations to Blair during secret talks. But McGuinness said: “The citizens of Derry, to a man and woman, want Saville to make it absolutely clear that the 27 people who were shot on that day – murdered and injured – were completely innocent people and that those people who inflicted those deaths and injuries were the guilty parties.” In evidence, McGuinness told the inquiry that on Bloody Sunday he was adjutant of the Derry IRA.
Today I found an article in The Guardian which represents the most critical account of British handling of the affair I have ever read in an English newspaper. It bluntly addresses the cover-up by British troops that continues to this day.
Banner and Crosses carried by the families of the Bloody Sunday victims on the annual commemoration march.
More than twelve years after the hearings started, and after numerous delays, the Saville Report addressing the findings of the events of Bloody Sunday will finally be released tomorrow.
Also today I found an article in The Guardian which represents the most critical account of British handling of the affair I have ever read in an English newspaper. It bluntly addresses the cover-up by British troops that continues to this day.
In my novel The Bleeding Hills I refer to the British Army’s poor handling of the situation during and after the events of Bloody Sunday, and my views are definitely not shared by British militaries. Nevertheless, I feel great satisfaction that my views are confirmed by the Guardian’s reporter, Richard Norton-Tayler.
And there is yet another aspect in my novel that is being confirmed in the article, namely the different handling of the affair by the new conservative government. I raise the point that a conservative government will change Great Britain’s course on achieving lasting peace in Northern Ireland, and it will change it dramatically. In fact, I predict that, in the long run, a conservative British government will challenge the validity of the Good Friday agreement and thus fuel violence in the Northern Provinces again.
The Guardian article also refers to the justice secretary Kenneth Clarke complaining about costs and timeline of the Saville report, and the tone used indicates to me a very critical view not limited to expenses. Yes, the inquiry took longer than expected, and the continued delays angered many. The most important aspect, however, is finding the truth, and it seems the truth will not sit well with British conservatives and militaries. In all consequence, they will criticize every aspect that comes with the report.
Bloody Sunday: Amnesia among troops, inflammatory claims by officers
Source: Guardian.co.uk, Sunday 13 June 2010
A week after Bloody Sunday, Field Marshal Michael Carver, chief of the defence staff, met soldiers from 1 Para. He told them they would be supported if they had acted in good faith and if they told the truth at the Widgery tribunal. If they did not, “God help them”, Carver told the soldiers.
They did not tell the truth to Widgery. No disciplinary action was taken against them even though that inquiry, accepted as a whitewash (the secretary to the tribunal said Widgery would “pile up the case against the deceased”, according to declassified documents) concluded that firing by some soldiers “bordered on the reckless”.
Nor did the soldiers tell the truth, years later, to the Saville inquiry. By then they had long since left the army. Most – though not all – fell back on their lawyers’ advice, blocking questions with the refrain “I can’t remember”.
It is an unfortunate situation that comments not agreeing with my assessment of British Captain Robert Nairac’s sexual orientation are harsh to the degree of unfairness, and they are usually insulting, which indicates to me that the commenters are unable, if not incompetent, to contribute solid facts that would contradict my writings. The only solution out of their dilemma is plain rudeness. All they offer are unsubstantiated opinions.
Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength.
- Eric Hoffer
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
During the research for my novel The Bleeding Hills I found information on British Captain Robert Nairac whose behavioral patterns during the Irish Troubles can only be described as bizarre, to use a mild expression. I have posted two articles on Nairac on this blog, Robert Nairac – Hero, Butcher, Homosexual…? and Robert Nairac – Supplement to previous entry. I understand that my assessment that Nairac was gay is provocative to those who are unable to accept homosexuality as a different form of lifestyle, and I had to learn to live with criticism.
It is an unfortunate situation, though, that comments not agreeing with my assessment of Captain Robert Nairac’s sexual orientation are harsh to the degree of unfairness, and they are usually insulting, which indicates to me that the commenters are unable, if not incompetent, to contribute solid facts that would contradict my writings. The only solution out of their dilemma is plain rudeness. All they offer are unsubstantiated opinions.
In earlier days I would re-engage into more research on the topic just to learn that my previous research activities on the subject of Robert Nairac, even though he is not the central part of my novel, were thorough. At the same time, nobody who ever criticized my research has been able to prove me wrong. The information I found on Robert Nairac is primarily from English and Irish newspapers and through books written on the subject. I found further information, including a personal testimony, on sexual abuse at Ampleforth College during the time when Nairac was a student there. The speculation that Nairac may have been one of the victims is not out of this world, considering his self-destructive behavior as recorded by the previously mentioned newspapers.
These days I am familiar with the pattern of the criticism and the insult that comes with it, and I use these comments to post them here on my blog. The language of the comments speaks for itself.
April 28, 2010:
Comment:
“Nothing that you’ve grubbed up, googled or just plain guessed at constitutes research in any meaningful sense. Trawling through blogs written by embittered ex-squaddies and republican sympathisers certainly doesn’t, nor does regurgitating damaging hearsay.
For your information, there is absolutely nothing that anyone has ever said or written which suggests that Nairac was abused as a child, at Ampleforth or anywhere else. Your assertion that abuse occurred at Ampleforth, and Nairac was at Ampleforth (although not at the time of the abuse), and therefore Nairac was abused is typically specious. Even an apprentice in his first week on a local newspaper would know that you can’t get away with that kind of post hoc ergo propter hoc rationalisation. But then, I suspect, such a person would know a lot more about writing than you do.
Robert Nairac was a valiant soldier who died in tragic circumstances, and he and his long-suffering family deserve better than to have individuals like you making prurient, pseudo-psychological claims about his private life. Nor, for your information, do you have the moral right to distort the facts in the interest of your (presumably vanity-published) “novel”.
Following one of the links on this site, I note that you are putting together another masterwork, entitled American Male Prostitute. Might I suggest that you direct a little of that “research” towards yourself, and your own fantasy life?”
Response:
“It is funny, but every comment that does not agree with my view is harsh to a degree of unfairness, and they are usually rude, which indicates to me that the commenter is unable to contribute solid facts that would contradict my writings. The only solution out of their dilemma is plain rudeness. My research on the subject of Robert Nairac, even though he is not the central part of my novel, was thorough, and nobody who ever criticized my research has been able to prove me wrong.
I do encourage comments on my work, may they agree with my view or not, but I will not give in to unsubstantiated opinions.”
April 29, 2010:
Comment:
“Your “research” as you call it, is no more than a rehashing of other men’s work and (usually tendentious) opinions. Anyone who knows anything about this subject would recognise the sensationalist articles, no-check blogs, republican propaganda-pieces, and shameful would-be novelisations that you’ve drawn your conclusions from. There’s nothing remotely original about any of it. It’s not a question of not agreeing with your “view”, because the regurgitation of hearsay and rumour does not constitute a view.
There are two respectable sources on Nairac’s life, namely John Parker’s Death of a Hero and Martin Dillon’s The Dirty War. Both writers employ professional journalistic methodology. They have talked to primary sources, remained personally objective, and where facts cannot be established, they have said so. Learn from them.
Your blundering pseudo-psychology (Freddy Mercury? Elton John? Please) would be harmless if it didn’t involve real people and their families. Can’t you see how offensive your comments are? Are you surprised that people get angry when they see people like you, with their glib, shallow, second-hand opinions, trying to make a fast buck out of these tragic events?”
Response:
“Ray,
I have both books, that of John Parker and Martin Dillon, in my book shelf. I also own “War Without Honour: True Story of Military Intelligence in Northern Ireland” by Fred Holroyd and Nick Burbridge. Other sources I used were English and Irish newspapers.
Let me, for a moment, ignore your insulting tone and ask you: In what way are my comments offensive? I would like to learn your view on gay rights, because your comments point toward a despicable discrimination of homosexuals, and that may be the root of your anger.
Regards,
Wilfried”
Comment:
“You should know that Fred Holroyd’s account of events in NI has long been discredited for more reasons than there are time to go into here.
I have absolutely no problem with gay people or gay rights, and if Nairac was gay (which Martin Dillon suggests, and which many people have believed for some time), then that’s fine by me too. As ever, your pseudo-psychology is a mile wide of the mark.
What I find offensive is your crude fixation with Nairac’s sexuality, and the way you use it to try and generate publicity for yourself and your “novel”. If you can’t see that a headline like “Robert Nairac – Hero, Butcher, Homosexual” is crass and sensationalist, then there’s no more to be said. For your information, no reputable source suggests that Nairac ever “butchered” anyone, and Dillon comprehensively refutes all such claims.”
Response:
“Ray,
I thank you for confirming that my assertion that Nairac was gay is valid. As to the reputation of Fred Holroyd let me state that my research activities do not exclude any sources that may not be pleasing to either side in the conflict. I engage into thorough research and when finished I form an opinion.
You have the right to disagree with my marketing techniques. I only wished you had expressed your concern a bit more to the point and, after all, I wished you kept a professional tone. You should be aware that your accusatory style only damages your credibility.
I consider this matter closed.
Regards,
Wilfried”
A car bomb exploded last night outside a police station in a Northern Ireland village close to the border with the Irish Republic. The explosion in Newtownhamilton in South Armagh came half an hour before midnight and damaged the building and nearby houses.
The Bleeding Hills - A Novel by Wilfried F. Voss
Today, The Guardian reports:
A car bomb exploded last night outside a police station in a Northern Ireland village close to the border with the Irish Republic. The explosion in Newtownhamilton in South Armagh came half an hour before midnight and damaged the building and nearby houses.
:
Senior police sources have recently warned that the threat by dissident republican terrorists is higher than at any time since the Omagh bomb almost 12 years ago.
Read the full article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/23/northernireland-uksecurity.
More soldiers have died in the South Armagh region than any other part of Northern Ireland. Even today, in peacetime, the South Armagh region is a fertile recruiting ground for the Real IRA, and British soldiers never dare to patrol there on foot.
Earlier this month, on April 12, the Real IRA claimed responsibility for a separate car bomb attack outside MI5′s headquarters in Holywood, but it is now believed that a smaller republican group, Óglaigh na hEireann, was behind the MI5 attack rather than the Real IRA. It seems that Óglaigh na hEireann has a number of experienced ex-Provisional IRA bomb makers within its ranks .
A car bomb exploded early this morning on the outskirts of Belfast, timed to coincide with the transfer of power as the Stormont parliament took over judicial and policing powers at midnight. Northern Ireland now has its first justice minister in nearly four decades.
On Monday, April 12, 2010, The Guardian reported:
A car bomb exploded early this morning on the outskirts of Belfast, timed to coincide with the transfer of power as the Stormont parliament took over judicial and policing powers at midnight. Northern Ireland now has its first justice minister in nearly four decades.
A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: “A device has exploded in a vehicle at the rear of Palace Barracks, Holywood. The explosion occurred at approximately 12.24am. The investigation in ongoing, and there are no further details at this stage.”
It was reported that one person was injured in the blast.
Read the full article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/12/northern-ireland-justice-minister-david-ford.
The MI5′s office in Northern Ireland is located in the British Army Palace Barracks in Holywood, on the outskirts of East Belfast. During the high time of the Irish troubles, the Palace Barracks were the site for in-depth interrogation of Republican detainees. There they were beaten and subjected to noise and sleep deprivation. One of the more popular detainees was Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Fein, who was arrested and interrogated there in 1972. The official establishment of an MI5 office in Northern Ireland was, and still is, highly controversial. See also Gerry Adams’ article No room for MI5 in the North.
While any violent act in Northern Ireland these times is a futile attempt of dragging it back to its past, the perpetrators, the Real IRA, tried to make a valid point, even if they chose the most useless means to make that point.
In another article on April 13, 2010, The Guardian reported:
Although no one was killed or seriously injured, the bombing was a highly symbolic attack. The Real IRA chose the MI5 headquarters to make a political point – that Ford and the devolved justice ministry have no control over the British agents stationed there. MI5′s operations are independent of the power-sharing executive in Belfast and are only answerable to the home secretary in London. The security services now play the lead role in counter-terrorism both in Britain and Northern Ireland.
Read the full article at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/apr/13/northern-ireland-justice-minister.
Let me also quote from the previously referenced article by Gerry Adams:
MI5 is a not a new player on the intelligence scene in the six counties. No more than MI6 in the 26 counties.
It is true, British Intelligence Services were instrumental in supporting terrorist acts in the Irish Republic as well as Northern Ireland, and, as I have pointed out in previously published posts, the political system in the United Kingdom has still not managed to take control of MI5 and MI6.
Let me close with a quote by George Bernard Shaw (and that quote is addressed to all sides in the conflict):
If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must Man be of learning from experience.
Former Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley will not seek re-election in the forthcoming general election. The 83-year-old founder and ex-leader of the Democratic Unionist Party is to relinquish the North Antrim seat he first won in 1970. Mr Paisley announced his decision to stand down in his local constituency paper, the Ballymena Guardian. Famed for his firebrand oratory, Mr Paisley was a founding member of the Free Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1951. His evangelical theology heavily influenced his political views and throughout the Troubles he forthrightly denounced Catholicism and the papacy.
The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.
- Hannah Arendt
The news came in yesterday, March 2nd, 2010. Let me quote from RTE News:
“Former Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley will not seek re-election in the forthcoming general election. The 83-year-old founder and ex-leader of the Democratic Unionist Party is to relinquish the North Antrim seat he first won in 1970. Mr Paisley announced his decision to stand down in his local constituency paper, the Ballymena Guardian.
Famed for his firebrand oratory, Mr Paisley was a founding member of the Free Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1951. His evangelical theology heavily influenced his political views and throughout the Troubles he forthrightly denounced Catholicism and the papacy.
During the conflict he was a fierce critic of power-sharing with nationalists and of the Republic of Ireland having a say in Northern Ireland’s affairs. But in his later political life, the one-time cheer-leader for hardline unionism underwent somewhat of a political conversion which finally saw him enter office with his long-time enemy, Sinn Féin.
Mr Paisley stood down as First Minister in 2008. He was replaced by his long-time DUP deputy leader, Peter Robinson.”
Ref: http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0302/nipolitics.html
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley was born on April 6, 1926 in Armagh, County Armagh in Northern Ireland. Even though one of his recent accomplishments was assuming the duty as First Minister of Northern Ireland from May 2007 to June 2008, history will mainly remember him as a militant Protestant leader in a sectarian conflict that divided Northern Ireland. When the conflict gained intensity during the 1960′s Paisley used his ability to combine the language of biblical certainty with that of politics at a time when many Protestants grew increasingly concerned about their constitutional superiority over the Catholic population. His ideological message, a combination of militant anti-Catholicism and militant unionism, and his active involvement in the oppression of the Catholic minority unnecessarily prolonged the Irish Troubles even at times when the people of Northern Ireland became increasingly tired of violence. By the time of the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998, Paisley had already lost touch with the people he claimed to represent, and his election as First Minister of Northern Ireland was more or less a symbolic act to satisfy the remaining radical Protestant elements. He resigned the post after only twelve months, may it be due to his age, or the inability to function as a leader in times of peace. I will never blame anybody for being old, but I will blame anybody who maintains old ideas and ideologies that reflect a blatant inability of learning from experience.
THE BLEEDING HILLS (Paperback)
US$7.95
Few outside the security services have heard of 14 Company. As deadly as the SAS yet more secret, the Operators of 14 Company are Britain’s most effective weapon against international terrorism. For every bomb that goes off 14 Company prevent twelve. The selection process is the most physically, intellectually and emotionally demanding anywhere in the world. Trained to operate under cover, Operators have at their disposal an arsenal of techniques and weapons unmatched by any other UK government or military agency. This is the true story of one Operator and of some of the most hair-raising military operations ever conducted on the streets of Britain.
Product Description
Few outside the security services have heard of 14 Company. As deadly as the SAS yet more secret, the Operators of 14 Company are Britain’s most effective weapon against international terrorism. For every bomb that goes off 14 Company prevent twelve. The selection process is the most physically, intellectually and emotionally demanding anywhere in the world. Trained to operate under cover, Operators have at their disposal an arsenal of techniques and weapons unmatched by any other UK government or military agency. This is the true story of one Operator and of some of the most hair-raising military operations ever conducted on the streets of Britain.
Review
My reason to buy this book was the hope that it would contribute interesting insights for my research on the Irish Troubles. To put it in a nut-shell: I hope the author didn’t quit his day job over writing this book. What caught my attention was the sub-title “On the streets with Britain’s most secret service,” which proves yet again how important, but also how terribly misleading a title can be.
Little did I know how immature the writer deals with a serious topic like the Irish Troubles. The book starts with “Standby, standby. Zero, Oscar. I have Bravo 1 foxtrot from Alpha 2 towards Charlie 2,” and it doesn’t get much better from there. There is not much to say other than reading this book was a huge waste of my time.
The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. Finn is protected in his exile in the United States after having worked for the CIA. Consequently, British Intelligence has come up with a plan to lure Finn back into their jurisdiction, Northern Ireland, by revealing the identity of the man who is ultimately responsible for the killing of Finn’s wife, Shauna. Here they hope not only to apprehend him, but also lead them to another conspirator, Martin Sheehan, who hides in the Northern provinces. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland.
Books:
A History of Ireland
by Mike Cronin
Highly recommended! I like that it’s, compared to many other works on Ireland, actually readable and entertaining. If you need a relatively quick overview on the history of Ireland (the tile of the book doesn’t lie!) this is the one I recommend.
The Operators
by James Rennie
To put it in a nut-shell: I hope the author didn’t quit his day job over writing this book. What caught my attention was the sub-title “On the streets with Britain’s most secret service”. Little did I know how immature the writer deals with a serious topic like the Irish Troubles. The book starts with “Standby, standby. Zero, Oscar. I have Bravo 1 foxtrot from Alpha 2 towards Charlie 2″ and it doesn’t get much better from there. Reading this book was a huge waste of my time.
The Irish War
by Tony Geraghty
Here we go again: Another book with misleading title and misleading sub-title, “The hidden conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence”. I have to admit, I found some valuable information here, but I also could not muster to read the book to the end. I am an advocate for intriguing literature, even when it comes to serious issues like the Irish War. However, the writing style is mind-numbingly boring and there is absolutely no visible structure in the book. The author jumps from topic to topic without any visible connection. Until this day I have no clue what drove Mr. Garaghty to write this book.
Secret Hero: The life and mysterious death of Captain Robert Nairac
by John Parker
Yet another really bad book. The life and death of Captain Robert Nairac is one of the most compelling stories related to the Irish troubles, regardless of which side you’re on. That being said, it is a pity, that the author fails to live up to the vast potential of this particular topic, especially considering that he tried to glorify the memory of Captain Nairac – as the title implies.
The Ultras
by Eoin McNamee
This is a novel that is supposed to depict the life of Captain Robet Nairac. I made it to page 8 and gave up. Enough said.
Sorry, I hate to be that negative, but I really do enjoy reading a good book. It seems to me now that there aren’t too many good ones out there, and if they are, they are hard to find. After buying and reading too many bad books on the Irish War I gave up and concentrated on Online resources as listed below.
Online Resources:
14 Company
Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday Inquiry
British Army Satellite Equipment
| http://defense-update.com/news/ofeq5.htm |
| http://www.armedforces.co.uk/army/listings/l0103.html |
| http://www.army.mod.uk/signals/equipment/3519.aspx |
Government of Ireland Act 1920
Inverness County
IRA Actions in 1970s
Irish History
MI5 & MI6
Misc.
| http://www.answers.com/topic/royal-ulster-constabulary |
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_IRA |
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Showband_killings |
Port of Belfast
| http://www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/about-us.htm |
| http://www.answers.com/topic/belfast-harbour-police |
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Belfast |
Real IRA
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_IRA |
| http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/nira.htm |
| http://irelandsown.net/RIRA.html |
| http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/1471373.stm |
Robert Bunting
Robert Nairac
SAS
| http://www.fantompowa.net/Flame/dirty_war_in_ireland.htm |
| http://www.sasspecialairservice.com/sas-northern-ireland-ira.html |
Sean Mac Stiofain
Shannon Airport
| http://www.shannonairport.com/index.html |
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_Airport |
| http://www.myguideireland.com/shannon-airport |
St. Patrick Cemetary
| http://www.interment.net/data/nire/derry/stpat/stpat1.htm |
| http://www.libraryireland.com/Lewis/LewisD/46-DRAPERSTOWN.php |
| http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draperstown |
The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. Finn is protected in his exile in the United States after having worked for the CIA. Consequently, British Intelligence has come up with a plan to lure Finn back into their jurisdiction, Northern Ireland, by revealing the identity of the man who is ultimately responsible for the killing of Finn’s wife, Shauna. Here they hope not only to apprehend him, but also lead them to another conspirator, Martin Sheehan, who hides in the Northern provinces. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland.
The Bleeding Hills
By Wilfried F. Voss
Published by
Copperhill Media Corporation
158 Log Plain Road
Greenfield, MA 01301
USA
Copyright © 2009 by Copperhill Media Corporation, Greenfield, Massachusetts
Joseph DeCarlo made the right turn from West Broad Street into Westerre Parkway. He was pleased with the fact that it had taken him only thirty-five minutes from the airport to his office in downtown Richmond, in Virginia, considering the heavy traffic on a late weekday afternoon. Time was of the essence, especially in view of the substantial contract he had signed with the British Security Service MI5 just the previous afternoon.
The service’s annual budget was estimated to be in excess of 200 Million British Pounds, more than 400 Million US Dollars, of which, according to his research, about thirty-nine percent funded the fight against Irish and domestic terrorism. Joe was more than willing to charge his share for services to be rendered, which would be accounted toward that thirty-nine percent.
He was also pleased to be back in Virginia, where the sun was shining, and temperatures were high even in late September. He had missed wearing his Armani sunglasses and the ride to the office presented a welcome opportunity to do so.
The trip to England had been his first outside the American continent, and, after spending only a weekend in London, he already despised everything British, including the weather. He regarded his contacts at the MI5 as snotty bastards and considered taxi rides in London an act of international terrorism. London’s taxi drivers are notorious for overcharging passengers from foreign countries.
On the way from Heathrow Airport to the MI5 headquarters in central London, near the Palace of Westminster, he had seen all the main tourist attractions including, but most certainly not restricted to Buckingham Palace, the House of Parliament, and Tower Bridge.
He knew he was the victim of a scam, but he had no way to prove it. The involuntary sightseeing tour had cost him a little over eighty English pounds, triggering a mental note to extort his new client, who, in his mind, was ultimately responsible for this highway robbery.
In London he had endured two never-ending days of continuous meetings with no chance for a late-night beer or any other leisurely activities. His new business partners appeared to be ignorant of any hospitality beyond warm coffee and stale pastries in a large conference room without windows or heat.
The people he met were as cold as the weather. They all had their individual expertise, and everybody meticulously presented him with background information, rules, and regulations. Their great degree of zealousness made him wonder if they would ever get to the point. Toward the end of the last day they finally did.
The return flight from London into New York’s JFK airport had been smooth and uneventful. He had enjoyed the luxury of First-Class, which helped him to get some sleep during the flight over the Atlantic Ocean. The connection to Richmond was quick, despite the expected delay through Homeland Security and US Customs, but he hated flying in the two-engine Turboprop.
He parked his 1992 Volvo in the large space behind the office building on Westerre Parkway. Parking in front of the building was reserved for clients only. He walked toward the building’s main entrance, but stopped at the end of the parking lot to take a look at his car. It stuck out like a sore thumb in the presence of a fleet of Cadillacs, Mercedes Benz’s, and BMW’s. He shook his head and, after a few moments, he turned to enter the building.
All offices in this built-to-impress environment shared receptionist and secretarial services. Rents were steep and the revenues barely justified the expense through his first years in business, but in the long run it had paid off for Joe to keep up appearances.
He had been an FBI agent for twenty-six years but quit his job out of frustration. His hope was that, after the September 11 debacle, things at the bureau might improve, but ultimately he was disappointed. In his view, the ineffectiveness remained. Maybe it had taken a different form, but it was still there. He could retire – not a tempting thought – or follow a career as a freelance security consultant.
In the end, he opted for the new career, and he had been careful not to burn any bridges behind him. The friendly contacts he maintained at the bureau handed him a few assignments, which looked on the surface like easy tasks for any private investigator. Ultimately, however, the assignments in question required specific skills, blurring the line between legal investigation and criminal activity that, if published, would have been embarrassing for the FBI. By hiring Joseph DeCarlo they counted on his loyalty to avoid such embarrassment.
His fledgling career finally took off with his first work for the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley. It was also his contact at the CIA who had initiated the connection with the MI5.
Joe opened the large, heavy, glass entrance door, entered the large, marble-covered reception area, and walked toward the reception desk.
“Hey, Cindy,” he called out to the receptionist, a pretty woman in her early thirties. She looked up with a smile.
“Hey, Mr. DeCarlo. You’re back! How was London?”
Dressed in the required blue uniform, white shirt, and red, white, and blue tie, she reminded him of the flight attendants during his flight with British Airways earlier that day. It was also part of the book of regulations – probably a piece of colossal dimensions – that employees addressed tenants only by their last name. Any violation of the rules could result in being fired on the spot.
“Business, just business,” Joe answered with a profound lack of enthusiasm. “No time for any tourist activities.”
Their chat was interrupted as a man in his forties entered the reception hall from the back of the building, the section accommodating the various offices. Internally he was known as “The Chancellor” because, in fact, he was German, and he represented a German company that sold military electronic equipment to the Pentagon. He also shared his name with a former German Chancellor.
“Hello, Mr. Kohl,” Cindy called out to him. “I put your copies plus the original into your mailbox.”
The Chancellor, a man with a blond haircut a little too progressive for his age, rimless glasses with tiny lenses, white shirt with thin blue stripes, navy blue pants, belt, and suspenders walked over to the Mailroom to pick up the papers and returned to his office without acknowledging their presence. Joe pushed the sunglasses up above his hairline, and both he and the receptionist looked after the man. They were speechless for a few seconds.
“You’re welcome,” Cindy couldn’t help to blurt out.
“Oops!” She blushed with embarrassment, putting her hand over her mouth.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I am sorry, Mr. DeCarlo.”
He smiled at her. “Cindy, it’s me! I won’t tell anybody.”
“By the way,” he said, in an attempt to cheer her up. “Do you know about the best food in London?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“It’s called take-out pizza! They deliver it to your hotel room. You take the pizza and throw it away. Then you eat the carton. Without a doubt, that’s the best food in London!”
Joe watched the receptionist. She looked at him for a brief moment without an expression on her face and finally started giggling. He was glad the joke had worked, and he smiled.
Then he changed to a more serious demeanor.
“Sorry,” he said. “Back to business.”
He cleared his throat and continued, “Cindy, I need your help setting up a meeting. I will need a large conference room, either Thursday or Friday, starting sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. for several hours. I will be expecting about four or five people, and we’ll need some catering, preferably a continuous supply of coffee and some sandwiches.”
Cindy looked surprised. “They’re going to charge you an arm and a leg for that. Business must be good.”
He grinned. “Big contract with a client. I’m even thinking about buying a new Volvo.”
“Ooh!” she swooned. “Business is going well!”
“Hey, I know it’s late, and you’re probably ready to go home, but could you let me know in the morning what’s available?”
“You got it,” she said. She was still smiling.
“Have a good night.”
“You too, Mr. DeCarlo!”
He walked over to the office area through a hallway as impressive and as marble as the reception area until he reached a glass door with the engraving, “DeCarlo & Associates Security Consulting Services.”
He nestled to retrieve the key from his pockets, and when he found it he unlocked the door. Once he had settled in with a cup of vanilla flavored coffee in his hand, he spent the rest of his day with phone calls.
Two days later he stood in front of an assembly of specialists, all top-ranked in their areas of expertise. Tom Watson, or Tom-Tom as everybody called him, was an Australian citizen with a permanent visa status – also known as Green Card – specializing in electronic surveillance from wiretapping phones to video surveillance.
Chris Jankowski was a computer whiz specializing in accessing password-protected computer systems and planting undetectable programs to record computer activities.
Ken O’Brien, also known as Kenobi, was responsible for coordinating reconnaissance activities, especially those involving tracking a subject. His assistant, Ethan Lipinski, was considered one of the best lock breakers anywhere.
Joe handled the laptop connected to a projector and presented the first slide of an old black and white photo of a young man with blond hair. He had already told them in brief about his visit to London.
“The subject’s name is Finnean Michael Whelan,” he started his introduction of their target. “According to the information I received from MI5, he is still a member of the IRA, or, to be precise, a more recent spin-off, the Real IRA. Apparently during the seventies, Whelan was the IRA’s top man on sniffing out the activities of British Intelligence, not only in Northern Ireland, but also in the United Kingdom. He was responsible for reconnaissance prior to planned bomb attacks on the Brits, as well as monitoring the operations of their intelligence services.”
Joe switched to the next slide, which was similar to the first, and looked at it with dismay.
“Sorry,” he said, “But they didn’t have any recent photos.”
He turned back to his associates. “He presently lives in Boston so that’s where we will need to start. I’ll give you the specifics later. For now let’s say the people at MI5 want him, and they want him with a passion. Our task in this scenario is strictly surveillance. The MI5 wants to know every step he takes 24/7, from when he wakes up in the morning to when he wakes up the next morning, which also means that we won’t get much sleep.
“They have assured me that he will leave the country soon, and the actual surveillance mission should not take more than two days. Don’t ask how they know. They wouldn’t tell me. Our mission ends as soon as he steps into a plane either to Ireland or the UK.”
Ken raised his hand to get Joe’s attention.
“Sorry,” he said. “Nothing personal, I like working with you, and I like taking your money, but why didn’t they contact our guys, like the Homeland Security Department, and have the guy extradited?”
Joe smiled. He and Ken went a longtime back, and the one thing he appreciated most about Ken was his no-nonsense attitude.
“Actually, they did,” he explained. “However, our guys insisted on some hard-proof evidence that he is indeed the terrorist they allege. It seems, due to his exceptional knowledge of the workings of British Military Intelligence Services, he has worked as a consultant for the CIA for the last twenty-something years, and, naturally, they were reluctant to give him up without solid evidence.
“The information I have is that the whole matter hinged on the source of the information the MI5 provided. Obviously, the Brits were not willing to reveal their source, and that’s where the deal went downhill. However, our guys, trying to sustain a friendly relationship, pointed out that there was nothing they could do if Whelan left the country voluntarily, without direct involvement by the MI5. Consequently, my contact at the CIA recommended our services.”
“Believe me,” he added wryly, “a lot of things have changed after September eleventh. No more loyalty for former employees. I can tell you a story about that.”
Ken nodded while Tom cleared his throat and raised his arm to signal that he, too, had a question.
“If I remember correctly,” he asked, “wasn’t there some kind of pardon for IRA members? The Good Friday Agreement, I believe. This guy may be a hardcore Irish Republican with a criminal past, at least in the view of the Brits, but is he officially a felon?”
Joe nodded. It was a valid question. “Obviously this whole matter is not about the past. First, he doesn’t have a criminal record. They never managed to catch him with his pants down. This assignment is about what he is allegedly doing now.”
“Then what is it? Why do they want him so desperately?”
Joe remembered asking that same question of his new clients in London, and they were reluctant at first to disclose any background information, but Joe was relentless until they finally conceded.
He remembered Sergeant O’Reilly, the closest thing to a liaison during his visit, walking toward the far end of the conference room where a high-ranked, uniformed officer sat and watched, the only thing he had done during Joe’s introduction. Joe already hated the prick because he wouldn’t give him the time of day. He just sat there watching with contempt clearly written on his face.
O’Reilly whispered into the prick’s ear, obviously delivering Joe’s rationale for requesting the information. The prick just sat there and looked at Joe without any indication that, in fact, he was listening to O’Reilly. Then, suddenly, he nodded and impatiently waved O’Reilly away, who made his way back to Joe to give him the information that Joe was about shared with his team.
“He is building a new illegal army in Northern Ireland, and the first item on his action plan is to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland.”
Bloody Sunday: PM Apologizes For Killings
David Cameron today issued a formal apology on behalf of the state for the “unjustified and unjustifiable” killing of 14 civil rights marchers by British soldiers on Bloody Sunday in Derry 38 years ago.
Guardian.co.uk - Bloody Sunday - PM Apologizes
David Cameron today issued a formal apology on behalf of the state for the “unjustified and unjustifiable” killing of 14 civil rights marchers by British soldiers on Bloody Sunday in Derry 38 years ago.
The prime minister said the Lord Saville inquiry’s long-awaited report showed soldiers lied about their involvement in the killings, and that all of those who died were innocent.
He said the inquiry was “absolutely clear” and there were “no ambiguities” about the conclusions.
Cameron told the Commons: “What happened on Bloody Sunday was both unjustified and unjustifiable. It was wrong.”
Relatives cheered as they watched the statement, relayed to screens outside the Guildhall in Derry.
Bloody Sunday, as the events on 30 January 30 1972 came to be known, was one of the most controversial moments of the Troubles. Paratroopers opened fire while trying to police a banned civil rights march.
They killed 13 marchers outright, and wounded another 13, one of whom subsequently died later in hospital.
The conclusions of the 5,000-page, 10-volume report, which took 12 years to compile at a cost of almost £191m, prompted the first formal apology to victims’ families in almost four decades.
The prime minister began his statement by saying he was deeply patriotic and did not want to believe anything bad about his country. But he said that the conclusion of the 12-year inquiry were “absolutely clear”. He went on to outline the findings of the inquiry before making the apology.
“The government is ultimately responsible for the conduct of the armed forces, and for that, on behalf of the government and on behalf of the country, I am deeply sorry.”
The inquiry found that the order that sent British soldiers into the Bogside “should not have been given”, said Cameron.
It found none of those killed by British soldiers was armed with firearms and no warning was given by the soldiers.
Cameron said the casualties were down to the soldiers “losing their self control”. Some soldiers had “knowingly put forward false accounts” to the inquiry.
Lord Saville uses the word “unjustifiable” repeatedly throughout the report to describe the fatal shootings carried out by the parachute regiment – a judgment that opens up the possibility of legal action against soldiers involved in the atrocity.
In terms of declaring the Bloody Sunday dead innocent, the report concludes: “None of the firing by the Support Company (paratroopers) was aimed at people posing a threat or causing death or serious injury.”
While the report clears the 14 civilians killed that day, it appears to exonerate some of the army officers who were in charge of the military operation.
The report finds that Lieutenant Colonel Wilford blatantly ignored the advice of senior military commanders not to send troops into the Bogside.
Many of the soldiers lied to the inquiry, Lord Saville also concludes in his report. “Many of these soldiers have knowingly put forward false accounts in order to seek to justify their firing.”
Under the rules of the inquiry this conclusion means that soldiers can also be prosecuted for perjury. Lord Saville said that on Bloody Sunday there had been “a serious and widespread loss of fire discipline among the soldiers”.
Reacting to the report, a former priest who was on the fated march 38 years ago, Denis Bradley, said: “The city has been vindicated, the city has been telling the truth about Bloody Sunday all along.”
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/15/bloody-sunday-report-saville-inquiry