|
Thank
you for the opportunity to contribute to the debate
surrounding the many issues, which form the nucleus
of the 'Collusion' debate, indeed I am a regular reader
of this product.
Let
me state clearly that I am a person who is pro-Agreement
but I also welcome the fact that your site is one
which champions free speech.
With
that in mind could I make the following points in
reply to an article published in 'The Blanket'
dated 19
Feb 04.
You
make some very good points regarding the normal practice
of arresting an individual who may have information,
which may be of some evidential value.
Indeed
no better example of that practice is the arrest and
subsequent questioning of myself by the British Special
Branch when inquiries into alleged breaches of the
Official Secrets Act (OSA) were made by the British
Ministry of Defence (MOD) against myself.
Cast
your mind back only a few years ago when a book, which
I hasten to add was in no way connected to myself,
was published which sensationally claimed many bodies
had been deposited by Special Forces in a wooded area
of Northern Ireland.
Quite
rightly the author was arrested and flown directly
to Northern Ireland by the Police, inquiries on the
ground quickly established that this allegation was,
to use a phrase 'bollocks' and bore no substance.
Whether
or not the story had any foundation or not was immaterial
in my opinion; the bottom line was a serious allegation
involving an act of murder had been made. This allegation
was quite rightly treated by the police seriously,
although some would argue, that the only reason they
went to such lengths was because they knew the story
was bollocks in the first place.
Contrast
this case and others with the situation in which the
agent Freddie Scappaticci now finds himself.
In
his own chilling words in the first part of an interview
he gave willingly to journalists over ten years ago
and which has been available to download
over the internet, he admits to being involved
in serious criminal acts, yet what has happened? Absolutely
nothing.
That
said, the book 'Stakeknife: Britain's Secret Agents
in Ireland' is not about Mr Scappaticci himself,
it is rather about the British state participation
in terrorism and its willingness to engage all protagonists
by proxy.
I
believe Mr Scappaticci was himself a victim of the
circumstances we found ourselves in and while he may
be able to justify what he did, it is up to others
in the British establishment to account for his actions.
He was an agent for the state and the state cannot
wash its hands of those actions.
Mr
Scappaticci is a powerful witness to the activities
of the British side and it is outrageous that nearly
four years after I discussed Mr Scappaticci's role
with the PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde (he was head
of the Stevens Inquiry at the time), the establishment
has still done nothing to protect this witness for
any future inquiry.
Perhaps
there are those in the establishment who would like
to see Mr Scappaticci murdered, preferably by PIRA
and thereby wrecking what is left of the Agreement.
Only
a fool would believe however that Mr Scappaticci is
safe for while PIRA remains on ceasefire there will
be many many republicans who would have gone through
Internal Security Unit procedures who will hold grudges,
not least innocent volunteers who may have come within
an inch of losing their lives.
I
don't believe I need to go into detail about the volunteers
killed as 'informers' who were not, I believe the
book deals with that; families who had funerals at
which there were a handful of mourners will be asking
new questions; relatives will also bear grudges.
Whilst
I have the pen to hand I would like to make a number
of points made in the article published by Kathleen
O Halloran on the 19 Feb 04. I would like it to
be made very clear that I did not flee to the Irish
Free State, as I was already resident here well before
the conception of 'Martin Ingram' and have been for
more than eight years.
To
date I have never knowingly run from any fight, indeed
I returned to the UK knowing that I was likely to
be arrested and it would have been much the easier
option to travel using false documentation rather
than travel under my correct identity.
That
would have been to dodge the issue, I wanted to look
these people in the eye and let them call me a liar.
Not one MOD person was present, nor was the question
of accuracy raised at any time during my detention.
I
don't blame Kathleen for getting this wrong because
there has been a great deal of nonsense in some sections
of the media but she incorrectly asserts that I must
be disgruntled and that this must by implication form
part of my motivation in releasing any information,
which would embarrass my previous employers. How anybody
could not be touched or indeed brought to tears by
the vivid account relayed by Eamon Collins in his
excellent book, Killing Rage is beyond me (see
page 237).
The
account of Scap laughing as he despatched someone
from this earth was the reason I began to speak out.
As
for leaving the Army on good or indeed bad terms,
luckily I saved my last confidential report prepared
by the now infamous Lt Col Gordon Kerr, which was
a recommendation for promotion, and further more I
have the documentation that proves that I left the
services with an exemplary record. Journalists have
seen and confirmed these aspects of my service record.
You
are absolutely correct to state that history will
record the truth of what I and my co-author Greg Harkin
have revealed, indeed Harkin has had an exemplary
record in investigating collusion, particularly collusion
between loyalists and the British State.
It
was the collusion between republican agents and the
British which I detail in 'Stakeknife' which
now go to the heart of what happened during the Troubles.
I
for one am more than content to have any information
that I have revealed judged by a fair minded legal
system and of course a jury of fair minded persons.
It
is now time for the public, not me, to challenge the
system, to investigate much of what has been written
in the Stakeknife book and test it in a court of law.
I
believe my decision to become a whistleblower was
the right one, but I am astonished that community
and political leaders in Ireland have done absolutely
nothing to contribute to this debate.
The
onus is on them now, not me.
Perhaps
though it is time for Martin Ingram to retire.
Index: Current Articles + Latest News and Views + Book Reviews +
Letters + Archives
|
