Spotlight on the Troubles - A Secret History
- Thread starter parmoboy
- Start date
scuzzmonster
Active member
It was excellent. Our recent history brought to life and so much that was new to me, too. Great watch.
parmoboy
Well-known member
My Mam is from Northern Ireland so I've always been fascinated by it. I thought I knew almost everything there was to know about that period but it was a real eye-opener.
parmoboy
Well-known member
That MI5 were running around 1 in 4 of all IRA operatives, and possibly as many as 1 in 2 of the Army Council members.
Done a fair bit of reading about undercover operations in NI over the last few months, a small selection below. It's mad to think how high ranking within the IRA some of the agents got. And crazy to learn about how the SAS operated there
Double Agent by Kevin Fulton, story of a guy who joins the IRA as a protestant soldier and works his way up to being part of a divisional nutting squad
The Nemesis File by Paul Bruce, the story of an SAS execution squad in NI
Fishers of Men by Rob Lewis, another story of a British Army undercover agent in the IRA
Stakeknife by Martin Ingram, more British agent 'handlers' in NI so the other side of being undercover
The Shankhill Butchers by Martin Dillon, the story behind an IRA man who basically used his position in the nutting squad to unleash his propensity for just killing people
Double Agent by Kevin Fulton, story of a guy who joins the IRA as a protestant soldier and works his way up to being part of a divisional nutting squad
The Nemesis File by Paul Bruce, the story of an SAS execution squad in NI
Fishers of Men by Rob Lewis, another story of a British Army undercover agent in the IRA
Stakeknife by Martin Ingram, more British agent 'handlers' in NI so the other side of being undercover
The Shankhill Butchers by Martin Dillon, the story behind an IRA man who basically used his position in the nutting squad to unleash his propensity for just killing people
Jedi boro
Well-known member
I don’t think it was a coincidence that the the peace process sped up after 9/11 when the Americans finally realised what the “can they passed” around “really” paid for.
google “NORAID” if you want to know more.
Jedi boro
Well-known member
An excellent book ( if you can still find it) is
Ambush: The War Between The Sas And The Ira -James Adams
Just looked and there’s an old copy on
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ambush-War-Between-Sas-Ira/dp/0330308939
Looks at the secret war between the sas and PIRA. James Adams is a journalist Who specialises in the security services and special forces. ( all his book are excellent btw inc secret armies)
he states in it that such was the resourcefulness of PIRA businesses across Ireland that had they been legit they’d prob be awarded the queens award for enterprise. Taxi firms Pirate records games etc
atypical_boro
Well-known member
Yeah I watched it. Thought it was mostly very good.
Jedi boro
Well-known member
My issue with this is that one of the key elements of the peace process was a clean slate for the provos and their cohorts on al sides in the maze and that all bad deeds were largely forgotten ( hence the recent get out of jail letters) yet this doesn’t seem to apply to the security services. Double standards as it was a Faustian pact that however painful was needed but it should be same for all.
Cheers zorro, just purchased it
Jedi boro
Well-known member
Enjoy mate as I said James Adams is an incredible author who does really know his stuff.
He’s lived quite a life as well.
James Adams is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading experts on intelligence, covert warfare and terrorism and has written 15 bestselling books around those subjects. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and now lives in Ashland, Oregon. He worked at The London Sunday Times as both the Defense Correspondent and Managing Editor. He then became CEO of United Press International, founded a cyber intelligence company and a virtual intelligence agency. He was on the Board of the National Security Agency where he was responsible for creating a new strategic plan for Signals Intelligence and he was also Chairman of the Technology Advisory Panel to oversee NSA’s multi-billion dollar investment in new technology.
He’s lived quite a life as well.
James Adams is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading experts on intelligence, covert warfare and terrorism and has written 15 bestselling books around those subjects. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and now lives in Ashland, Oregon. He worked at The London Sunday Times as both the Defense Correspondent and Managing Editor. He then became CEO of United Press International, founded a cyber intelligence company and a virtual intelligence agency. He was on the Board of the National Security Agency where he was responsible for creating a new strategic plan for Signals Intelligence and he was also Chairman of the Technology Advisory Panel to oversee NSA’s multi-billion dollar investment in new technology.
motownjunk
Well-known member
Yes, my mistake. Difficult to remember all the details after reading a number of different accounts
parmoboy
Well-known member
Things changed when they got a real taste of it on their own shores.
parmoboy
Well-known member
I recently made contact with Harry Maguire, one of the men convicted of the killing of the corporals. I asked him whether he felt any remorse on a human level and he wouldn't say, although he did say that reconciliation is a key element of the peace process and something which he supports.
He said he feels Soldier F should face prosecution for Bloody Sunday, and when I mentioned the good Friday agreement he said it was different as Soldier F operated within a legal framework.