The realities of life-the facts that the Belfast News Letter would rather you did not know
martin mcguinness
An open letter to George Hamilton
Dear George,
I’ve just got around to reading the full text of your speech of 15thMay.
Straightaway, you mention transparency. That doesn’t sit well with me. Perhaps it’s because since I started communicating with the PSNI in 2002, your force has been opaque.
But let’s leave that for now.
I’m glad that you agree with me that something untoward was happening in policing during the Troubles and that it was not restricted to a few bad apples.
But then I’m puzzled. You say “In the absence of any regulatory framework for managing ‘agents’ police officers were left to set their own standards.”
Then you say that “there was no law” a few lines later you say “ there are [sic] a range of charges that can be brought”
You see, George, the persons who murdered my parents, whose names you can find on my blog, most of them had a handler and some of those handlers were police officers and you know who they were. Those officers knew, if not before , then certainly afterwards, the identities of the perpetrators. They , the police officers, committed most of the range of offences you enumerated above.
Records: lets dwell on that for a second. Prof Lundy and other academics have commented on those records which you say the Police Ombudsman has “unfettered access to”. No he doesn’t. Are you telling the public that the Ombudsman’s representatives roam the stores at Sprucefield and Seapark at will? What about your gatekeepers? The old SB guys. What about your chief spook, Drew Harris? Don’t they keep tabs on the files? What about the ‘difficult’ files which the Security Service has removed from you and now stores at Loughside?
Although you admit that you know of no legal definition of collusion, you say that it “signals malevolent intent”. What’s your authority for that proposition , George? I know why you say it. The secret is in the next bit. You want us to think about all the brave officers. It’s not about bravery , George.
You can give me no lessons on what a brave officer looks like.
It’s not long before you return to your old unapologetic self. You say that the police were operating in a vacuum. The police had no “framework, guidance or legislation”
I’ve news for you , George. The Human Rights Act of 1998 simply put on the British statute book the provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms which had long been recognised by British courts and a good read of it by senior officers might have given a hint about how to police. Anyway, allowing an agent to kill doesn’t take much of a look at a moral compass to know that it is wrong .
Frankly, I got weary of the same old words at this point, George. Why? Because for almost twenty eight years your force and its predecessor and every chief constable has lied to me.
So, on close inspection, I’m as unimpressed by this speech as I have been by all the rest.
Take your own advice, get out of your own comfort zone, be selfless and open the files on James and Ellen Sefton.
Yours sincerely
Peter Sefton
Why Drew Harris is not to be trusted
Readers of this blog will have read my previous articles about the murders of my parents and my attempt to obtain justice for them.
During this campaign I have engaged, inter alia , the RUC, the PSNI, the HET , the Police Ombudsman and others.
A recurring theme, like “Blackpool” through a stick of rock , has been that there is no intelligence as to the killers. Every organisation has said the same thing.
Consider this. The two most deadly areas of conflict in the Troubles were South Armagh and North Belfast. It is likely that these two areas received the most attention from the security forces.
The “supremo” re intelligence in the PSNI is Drew Harris. He is presently Deputy Chief Constable.
In 2014 , when he was an ACC , I raised with him , again, the issue of intelligence, either before , during or after the murders. I had pointed out the persons whom I alleged were informers to the PSNI, MI5 or the Army. [See previous blogs]. All agencies had told me that no such intelligence existed.
He said in a letter to me dated 11th August 2014, “Whilst is [sic] not appropriate to comment upon the governance arrangements that exist in relation to the exchange of intelligence between agencies, I can assure you that both the SCRT and the HET had full access to all available information and intelligence during the course of their respective Reviews.”
I recommend to you that you read Ed Moloney’s blog entitled “The Tom Oliver Killing-Transcript of Drew Harris’ Testimony to the Smithwick Tribunal”
Aside from the specific references to the killing, Mr Harris is plainly uncomfortable about the twenty pieces of intelligence [not silver] which had lately been laid before the tribunal at his hand.
Where have they been all these years, was one question.
Mr Harris placed these items of intelligence before the tribunal in October 2012. When his testimony was read into the record, the tribunal had been hearing evidence for 124 days.
More importantly, North Belfast was riddled with PIRA informers. Sean Maguire, now SF/IRA publicity director , operated there. The command structure encompassed Gillen, Spike Murray, Scap and McGuinness. All likely informers.
To suggest that no intelligence exists for 1990 in North Belfast , comparable to that in 1989 in South Armagh, is a lie and a desecration of the memory of a man who served the RUC and of a woman who was an “innocent victim”
It’s time ‘men’ like Harris and others who populated Special Branch stood up and admitted what they did and the level of collusion between the State and PIRA.
Or are they just happy to spend their pension in Marks and Spencer ?
Does National Police Memorial Day prick any conscience?
St William’s Gospel
- In the beginning was the UVF. And the Lord looked down upon it and was pleased, For God and Ulster.
- The UVF became a mighty host and it moved upon the face of the Earth, smiting the Enemy. And the Enemy smiteth it not and God was pleased.
- So pleased was God that he gave to the Sons of the UVF and their Sons and their Sons for ever, the fertile lands of Ulster [well, most of it].
- And the tribes of Ulster prospered upon the plains and all rival tribes were unworthy in the sight of God , who cursed them with discordant music and dancing that was treated with scorn.
- The Lord gave these tribes an impenetrable tongue, which none in all the World could understand, not even the Priests of Babel.
- And two score and four years prospereth the UVF, by quiet and unassuming living.
- Then one came out of the West, by the name of Gusty, from the tribe of Spence. He had been a warrior and now he made war upon the Dispossessed.
- And God looked upon him and was not pleased.
- A mighty conflagration came upon the lands of Ulster.
- Up sprang the Association and saith unto the UVF, you have displeased the Lord and we are the True Sons of Ulster.
- And upon this , there was great violence, yea as between Cain and Abel.
- And the Lord’s word quelleth it not.
- And the Lord sent upon the lands of Ulster the People of the Box.
- And the People of the Box did set brother unto brother so that they might be wiped out from the Firmament.
- And they sent secret messages and set secret codes that the Sons of Ulster kneweth not.
- And the People of Ulster liked not the UVF nor the Association. And they were scorned on the Temple Mount , which is called Stor Mount.
- And the Lord made his face to shine on the Dispossessed People. And their music and their dancing was liked by all the Peoples of the Earth and in the Rivers and on the Flatly Plains was their music and dancing heard.
- And the Lord loosened the tongues of the Dispossessed and straightaway the broadcasters of Ulster made their voices heard and they made a pleasing sound.
- And God said onto the Sons of Ulster, in a terrible voice, did I not make you The People? And didst you not piss it all away?
- And great Trial and Tribulation fell upon the Sons of Ulster. Their mighty factories, in ships and planes and in linen and in rope were as nothing.
- And a great multitude of the Sons of Ulster were familiar with Brian Buroo, whom they visited each Monday.
- And they were troubled. Nothing like this has happened since that Job bloke got a hammering, saith the learned men of the Sons.
- And they turned to a False Prophet, whose name was Ian. How shall we please the Lord again, they cried.
- And the False Prophet took a moment away from the Temple Mount and the Money Changers and said, follow me because those who follow me will be THE PEOPLE.
- And the Sons of Ulster and each of them, followed the False Prophet, all save Peter
- And the False Prophet led the Sons of Ulster up a great hill, which was not the hill of Stor Mount but an even greater hill.
- And the False Prophet showed them a great land over the seas. This was the Land of their Fathers , he said and they would NEVER NEVER NEVER be sundered from it.
- And the Sons of Ulster were greatly pleased and they killed a goat and oiled the women and rejoiced, in a tavern called the Brown Bear.
- And it came to pass that there came out from the Land of their Fathers or from the Land of Song to be more accurate Peter The Hain, who was permanently touched by the Sun and who kneweth not the Truth, yea even when it smite him upon the visage. And lo, he spoke oily words to the False Prophet, like unto the hissing serpent. And he summoned the Assassins and all the tribes of the Dispossessed.
- And with a blinding light, God caused his servant Andrew to move upon the waters of the Northern Sea. And all around were mighty afraid.
- And God caused the False Prophet to chuckle and all around him , yea all his Brethren did also chuckle and of the agreement there was no end.
- And the Elders of the Sons of Ulster cried out. We have been betrayed. And they rent their sashes and did put their bowler hats upon the fire. Great was their distress but greater was their anger.
- And they ascended the Great Hill of Stor Mount whereon was the Temple and they saith to the False Prophet , you have betrayed us. You are of the Tribe of Lundy.
- The False Prophet didst chuckle and said that he knew them not, not even those who had stood with him upon hillsides with tablets of stone, nor those who shared chariots and many weapons with him.
- Then did the Lord strike down those whom Andrew had spoken to, even unto the False Prophet and the Hermit of the Bogside and Peter the Punt [by way of his wife Jezebel] save for Geroid. And he said to him, for you I have reserved a Great Punishment. You will roam all the Earth, yea into its corners and crevices, even unto Strabane and ye will deny that ye have a beard. And all about you will shoot out their tongues and make fun of you.
- And Geroid saith Thank Fuck, Barra isn’t going to prosecute.
- But the Gospel unto St William digresseth.
- Onto the Sons of Ulster and unto the UVF and unto the Association and unto the community groups and unto the victims’ groups there came a Great Light.
- For another Ian , the Son of Ian cometh.
- And he told all of them, be not afraid, I bring you tidings of Great Joy. Unto us from the City of London is Peace I-IV. Riches beyond the Dreams of Avarice will flow to you. Your women will toil not, neither will they spin but will have tattoos. Ye will be truly like the Orange Lillies of the Field. You will sit down with the Lion and the Lamb, for that is what the Criteria call for. Never again will you visit Brian Buroo, for that is in the past. You will beat your swords into ploughshares and your Romper Rooms into Community Centres. Ulster will be a land flowing with milk and honey [ and type II Diabetes]. This is what my Father chose for you , when you were poor , and didn’t have an ass in your trousers. He that chooseth another path and espouseth not the Agreement of Good Friday and the Agreement of Andrew will be cast into Outer Darkness and the Countenance of Community Funding will look not upon you.
- And the Sons of Ulster, whose fathers had once been mighty warriors and had saved the World from the Assyrians and the Hittites and the Hun, didst sit down and sup with Ian.
- And the poor and the lame and the homeless and the cancer victims and the special needs children and the victims of sexual abuse and of state collusion and those on waiting lists were forgotten.
- This is the Gospel according to William and it has come to pass in most of Ulster.
Gripping the IRA :Part II
It is useful to set out the correspondence in extenso. [Lawyers love Latin, no more so than Lord Carswell, that Old Instonian, whose surprising expenses claims for attendance at the House of Lords were set out in extenso in the Sunday Times.]
But I digress.
Here is the correspondence.
What is surprising about this exchange , coming in late 1988, is the pessimism shown by Peter Bell.
Note his comment “there still remains too much adhoccery in the way Whitehall grips…the kind of problem which IRA terrorism is likely to present us with over the coming months”.
Ivor Roberts has no firm proposals, in reply, except for a jolly good lunch. [Your club or mine?]
The exchange does not sit well with the analysis by those who say that by this point PIRA was heavily infiltrated and was being paralysed.
It does, however , point to the likelihood that each of the agencies, RUC , Box and Army , were very much doing their own thing with informers. That leads on to the question whether or not the RUC, with a duty to preserve life, could ever have known if informers to the Army and Box were participating in murder.
Re the Boyd Group, TOP [I] and the Assessment Staff Machinery, that is all for another day, Dear Reader.
Moussa Koussa and Andrew MacKinlay
You may remember, Dear Reader, the somewhat sensational evidence given by Andrew MacKinlay, retired MP, to the NI Affairs Committee, on 14th October 2015.
Here is an example of what he said, in giving evidence about MK:
Kate Hoey: Do you think it was anything to do with a fear that , if he talked too much–all the contacts with people in Sinn Fein, IRA , for example –it might bring down the peace process?
Andrew MacKinlay: He would have known about the Semtex and the supplying of arms to the IRA over many years—and probably authorised it.
He went on to state that MK was a key member of Gadafy’s regime and he just could not understand why he was never questioned by British police.
I asked the PSNI about, inter alia, the alleged supply of Semtex and the allegation that , in effect MK conspired with Sinn Fein/IRA to murder.
The PSNI made contact with MacKinlay and here is what they told me:
“Mr MacKinlay has confirmed that he has no further information to add to his evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee on 14 October 2015. Mr MacKinlay has also confirmed that he is not in possession of any evidence to suggest that Moussa Moussa committed a criminal offence”
Contrast this with the statement by our hero “this was a bad fellow, but I do not believe that the normal law enforcement agencies were given access to him”
One wonders how much other guff has been presented to the NIAC as “evidence”.
Deputy First Minister/Murderer
Two interesting points emerged from last night’s Spotlight on BBC NI.
First , that Sinn Fein/PIRA’s command structure requires that murders must be approved by the man at the top, Gerry Adams.
This would of course be known to the State and anyone who has the least knowledge of SF/PIRA operations.
I made a similar allegation in June 2015 and stated that Martin McGuinness as head of Northern Command would have been aware of the plan to kill my father. He approved it. This was not a new allegation. Ed Moloney first made it in 2002 , in his book, “A Secret History of the IRA”.
McGuinness is guilty of murder , as an accessory.
The PSNI have refused to pursue McGuinness or any of the other persons whom I named. See my blog “The murderers of my parents”.
Several of the people named are also State agents.
Secondly, the allegation that there might have been 800 to 1,000 State agents within PIRA will equally come as no surprise to many people. Except that the PSNI, the HET and the Police Ombudsman cannot find one agent who has information on the murderers of my parents. This is what I have been consistently told by these organs of the state, since 1990.
They are simply telling me lies.
Like Hillsborough, the truth cannot remain hidden for ever. Adams has been in the firing line for several months now, because he is no longer of value to either the British or Irish States. McGuinness’s day will also come.
Sinn Fein IRA , in their press releases and statements in the last twenty four hours blame the Brits for a further propaganda campaign.
The awful truth is that the British State is protecting men and women who were involved in the murder of my parents and , so far , are protecting McGuinness.
As for Denis Donaldson and his murder, remember Dear Reader, nothing is ever as it seems in Northern Ireland.
Ice cream, Gillen and the state
Many of you , Dear Readers, who have read about the book; “They killed the Ice Cream Man” will not be surprised by the allegations made by the Larmours.
Since I started my research in earnest two years ago, veteran observers had no difficulty in telling me about these practices. It was well known that senior members of PIRA were state agents and permitted to continue directing terrorism. They would have been little use to the spooks otherwise. On occasions they were permitted to commit murder, either directly or as someone who was involved in planning or directing. Look at the activities of Loyalist Mark Haddock for a mirror image of the practice.
One name that came up frequently was Brian Gillen. My informants were in no doubt that he had been turned by the state and that he continued to operate in the role of Belfast Brigade commander. I named him as a participant in my blog ” The murderers of my parents”.
I have no difficulty in stating that he is the person referred to by the Armours and by by Ed Moloney. I have also made this allegation , some time ago to the Police Ombudsman.
Just as disturbing as these revelations are, what is more disturbing is that the State and its employees and ex employees refuse to admit that these tactics were used. I have had assurances from the PSNI, the Police Ombudsman and the Secretary of State that there was no advance intelligence of the murders of my parents . The same bodies have denied that an informer participated in the planning or execution of the murders.
A glance at my blog will show the one or more State agency is telling lies.
The Director of Public Prosecutions declined to direct the police to investigate Martin McGuinness’ role in the murders of my parents, despite Ed Moloney naming him in his book; “A secret History of the IRA”. He was quick to direct investigations into the Army on similar information. The Attorney General, despite his close interest in major issues such as abortion and gay discrimination, has declined to direct a fresh inquest, which would be required to examine special branch files.
The questions for readers are these. Are all those, like me, who have published names and activities, deluded? Or are we just scraping the surface of the State’s involvement in the dirty war? Is the State terrified of what might become known? Are Adams McGuinness and others equally frightened?
I’m given hope by the Hillsborough families. One day the truth will be known.
My life in a banana Republic, April
Jambo, Jambo!
You know that I live in the Religious Quarter of Belfast?
I have just emerged after much tribulation. On the day of Saint Patrick , all the nation’s leaders go to America and leave the streets to young people, the next generation of leaders. They are drinking too much alcohol and eat fast food , then they vomit it all over my area. This is called a rite of passage. In my country a rite of passage is like hunting a lion or spending a weekend on top of a scary mountain. This may well be the reason your leaders are soft and the vomiters get jobs in call centres at minimum wage.
On Friday my friend, Dingle, took me to see the opening of a mural about the Battle of Jutland. In Belfast these things are known as “muriels” and sometimes have hidden meanings.
The Royal Navy got a fat lip from the Kreigsmarine at Jutland but it pretends that it won.
Anyway, I met the Great She Elephant, who was unveiling the plaque to the dead. She is a fine woman. Dingle says that he would. I don’t know what he means by this and I’m afraid to ask. He says that she will pretend that she is not in government with terrorists, “for political reasons”. This is puzzling. In my country , everyone has been a terrorist at some time and jolly good say the people. The next day , Dingle pointed out Danny Kinahan canvassing on the Ballygomartin Road. I asked if he was part of the Dublin gang , involved in many shootings. Dingle said that he outranked him , so he could not say.
I have been reading that the Small Prosecutor has failed to nail a man who was charged with endangering the safety of an aircraft. When I first read of this , I imagined a crazy man. Running up and down the aisle, hammering on the cockpit door, striking hostesses, shouting at passengers. Perhaps I watch too many DVDs. This chap was an American, who was hungry and asked for a snack.
DO NOT DO THIS!
The flight attendants, who come from humble backgrounds, are able to act out their fantasies while at work. Mavis , from Michigan can be placed to save the Free World by bringing down a terrorist. Declan, from Delaware [all male hosties are gay, in my country this is illegal] would like it if a passenger was handcuffed and bound. None of these things happened on this flight. Instead , the captain sprayed the country with tons of aviation fuel , then landed at Aldergrove. Somebody had to pay. The Diminutive Director decided it was this man. Your sensible countrymen and women saw through this ruse and acquitted him. Adding up the cost of fuel and the prosecution could have paid for many hip operations for your overweight people.
The moral of the story is that if you do not want to spend a year in a foreign country, do not upset the cabin crew. They have enough to do, worrying about their next stopover.
As what you call “Summer” approaches, my mind turns to finishing my dissertation and going outdoors.
Dingle suggested that we see one of the Great Wonders of the World. I thought he meant Martin McGuinness but he meant the Causeway for the Giants. This is a silly piece of rock , sticking out into the sea. Many otherwise intelligent people think that this was created just a few years ago, like the Orange Order. To keep them happy the National Trust has a bit about this. It’s like having a poster at Belsen saying that there is an argument that Hitler knew nothing about the Jews.
It was a nice day out. We dodged the excessive charge by walking through the right of way. I’m always impressed by your Common Law, it saves many pounds.
Now the students are back , so I’m minding my Ps and Qs. Elections are looming. Two good reasons for staying indoors. A woman called the other night. She was buxom and had big eyes. In my village she would have belonged to the Head Man. I was confused by her name. It was a selection of Little, Aardvark, Emma and Pengelly. Perhaps she has had many fathers. She said that she was the best candidate because other women were less effective. I wished to engage her in jovial banter but she was quickly gone to the next door, when she learned that I had no vote. Dingle says that my assessment of her “is not far off the mark”. Dingle often speaks in riddles.
Talking of handsome men, I watched the celebration of the Rising at Easter 1916. The Irish Government got a chap from central casting to read the Proclamation. He looked just like Liam Neeson, who looked just like Collins. Not Tim, the other one. I thought it was a fine display of the military. In my country we do this every year but usually before, not after the elections. Once all those tanks have trundled down the street, the election is a done deal, as they say in New York.
This is all for now. I must be polishing my dissertation. The Dingle is taking me to the Thompson Bridge in Victoria Park. It commemorates Belfast’s only socialist playwright.
Jambo Jambo!
The strange silence of Willie Frazer
Willie often says it’s not about the money.
Let’s examine one aspect of that.
The media reported that FAIR , an organisation which he says he represents got £350,000 of EU money and a further £1,000,000 from OFMDFM. It’s not clear what that was spent on but no doubt Willie has the accounts somewhere in Armagh.
FAIR is supposed to be a victims’ organisation. Mysteriously, a second similar organisation has set up shop in the tiny town of Markethill, [pop.1,652].
The new organisation is called the Family Research and Policy Unit. Its aim is to “provide an advocacy service for those affected by the Northern Ireland Troubles”.
This organisation has a Board, though it’s not possible to find it by an internet search.
It has an email address and when you click on it , the emails are addressed to Willie Frazer.
There is no record on the internet of its activity.
More interestingly , it is funded by you and me, through the Victims and Survivors Service.
So, Markethill, best known for George Lambert V.C. is the go-to town for victims’ services.
Last year the FRPU, not the FRU, advertised for an advocacy case manager. This person had to have, inter alia, “an in depth knowledge and geography[sic] of unsolved murders within the South Armagh area”. I wonder if that includes the murders committed by the Glenanne Gang? Or the murders of the Reavey brothers in 1976? I suppose ‘fenian looking people’ should not apply.
So what is the character of Willie Frazer, the man getting your money?
Well, apart from being a semi-illiterate bigot, he has consorted with Loyalist terrorists.
On 2 June 2003 the Secretary of State wrote to him in the following terms: “You are unfit to have firearms and ammunition as the police have intelligence from a reliable source to indicate that you have recently associated with loyalist terrorist organisations.”
The rest of his antics are in the public domain , Abu Hamsa impersonations, photographed holding a rifle, etc etc.
The shocking thing about him is that taxpayers money is going to him, from an organisation that was set up for the benefit of ALL victims and that he was appointed by McCue and Co. to represent victims of Libyan supplied Semtex.
FRPU got £50, 150 from VSS it would be interesting to know the terms. Does this organisation fund other groups with a particular interest?
But what of his silence? I hear you ask. Willie Frazer, the man who calls Republicans scum etc , was utterly silent when Martin McGuinness , astonishingly , addressed those whom he had made victims. Why? because Willie’s hosts were his funders. Stupid and all that he is, he’s not daft when “its about the money”.