@@ Basra "black op" echoes British SAS actions in the Northern Ireland @@
Arash
September 22, 2005
Basra attack echoes SAS actions in North
By Jarlath Kearney
j.kearney [AT] dailyireland.com
Sinister covert operations by British forces in Iraq are “reminscent of the
activities of the SAS" in the Northern Ireland, a leading human rights campaigner
said last night.
Paul O'Connor, of the Derry-based Pat Finucane Centre, PFC
(http://www.serve.com/pfc/misc/bogbasra.html), demanded that the British government
“break the cycle of abuse" imposed by its forces.
He also questioned the “sheepish" decision by large sections of the media to “report
the MOD line as established fact".
Paul O'Connor was speaking to Daily Ireland after further details emerged about an
incident in Basra on Monday afternoon involving undercover British operatives.
The incident drew parallels with the March 1988 attack on the funeral of IRA
volunteer Caoimhghin Mac Bradaigh.
http://archives.tcm.ie/breakingnews/2003/05/23/story100131.asp
During that incident, two armed and undercover army intelligence operatives drove
directly at the cortege in west Belfast. After firing a shot, both soldiers were
subsequently captured, beaten and shot dead by the IRA.
In Monday's incident, both undercover soldiers are reported to have opened fire after
being stopped and challenged by Iraqi police. An Iraqi policeman was shot dead, but
the undercover soldiers were overpowered and held in an Iraqi jail.
However, a major British Army operation then commenced to break the men out of
prison. The operation involved the perimeter wall of the jail being destroyed by a
British tank. During the assault, British forces came under sustained attacks from
local people using petrol bombs and rocks. Nevertheless, both British covert
operatives were successfully recovered.
Many commentators have noted the similarity between the activities of British forces
in Iraq in recent years with British actions in Ireland over the past three decades.
Speaking last September after the British government's controversial decision not to
establish a public inquiry into the 1989 murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Finucane), former secretary of state for Northern
Ireland Paul Murphy alluded to the similar activities.
During a BBC interview, Paul Murphy commented: “Many of the operational techniques
that would be discussed in the inquiry would be used currently in the war against
terror".
Paul Murphy subsequently left the Northern Ireland Office in May and became
chairperson of the British government's intelligence and security committee.
It has also been widely reported that Brigadier Gordon Kerr
(http://www.sundayherald.com/fru.shtml) is now stationed with British forces in Iraq.
Brigadier Kerr (http://www.serve.com/pfc/fru/fruindex.html) played a key role in the
activities of covert British activities in the Northern Ireland as the commanding
officer of the Force Research Unit/Joint Services Group.
Referring to the recent actions of British forces, Paul O'Connor said: “It is not at
all suprising and is in fact for many people reminscent of the activities of the
British SAS here when they engaged in shoot-to-kill missions”.
“Distressing as it is to see the human rights violations repeated in Iraq, it is
equally distressing to see the media follow sheepishly behind the MOD line, so you
have broadcasters like the BBC reporting a number of highly contested aspects of this
affair as established fact", Paul O'Connor said.
“We have the situation where all British soldiers in Iraq are keenly aware that in
their ranks were convicted murderers – Fisher and Wright – one of whom had since been
promoted," Paul O'Connor added.
A fortnight ago, the PFC organised a meeting in London addressed by lawyer Phil
Shiner (http://www.thewe.cc/contents/more/archive/circus_torture.html) who is
representing more than 50 families of Iraqi citizens killed by British forces.
Phil Shiner (http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/09/20/144204) outlined
systematic abuse – up to and including murder – practised by British soldiers in
Iraq, specifically mentioning the ordering of prisoners to cut off the fingers of
other prisoners.
Paul O'Connor said: “We have to break this cycle of abuse".