State Violence and Collusion Timeline 1985
Events related to state violence and collusion in Northern Ireland in 1985.
Contents
February
- 23 - Strabane Shootings: TCG North commands operation which led to the fatal shooting of IRA members Charles Breslin, Michael Devine and David Devine on 23 February 1985.[1]
June
- Undated June - Brian Nelson travelled to South Africa on an arms procurement mission.[2]
August
- 1 - A contact form records a meeting between Brian Nelson and his two FRU handlers during which Nelson informed them that Thomas 'Tucker' Lyttle - a high-ranking UDA member - had asked him to provide names, addresses and photographs of Sinn Féin Councillors.[3]
- 8 - An FRU contact form of this date records that Tommy Lyttle had specified to Brian Nelson that T/27 (Pat Finucane Review cipher) was the Sinn Féin member to be targeted.[3] Following this meeting with Nelson, the FRU send a Military Intelligence Source Report (MISR) to the RUC noting the the threat to T/27..[3]
- 16 - Following another meeting with Nelson, the FRU send another MISR to the RUC reiterating the threat to T/27.[3]
September
- 3 - Loyalist L/28 (Finucane Review cipher) tasked Nelson with obtaining an updated photograph of T/27.[3]
- 10 The FRU passed on intelligence about L/28's photo request to the RUC Special Branch in a MISR.[3]
- 11 - L/28 told Nelson that T/27 left his house "between the hours of 0715-0730 every day except weekends". T/27 had been followed and L/28 stated that Nelson's camera had been used to take photographs of him as he left his home. Nelson was asked to confirm that the photographs were of T/27.[3]
- 13 - L/28 told Nelson that he thought it would be feasible to shoot T/27 with a rifle from a range of 300 metres but that he felt the chance of missing at that distance was greater. A Force Research Unit contact form dated that day recorded that Nelson:"… believes the rifle shot will be dismissed and the old favourite method of knocking on [T/27's] front door by a UDA member with a pistol would achieve more certain results."[3]
- 16 - An FRU MISR outlines the key details of the UDA's targeting of T/27, but omits the role of L/28.[3]
- 17 - Nelson carries out surveillance of T/27.[3]
- 19 - The FRU debrief Nelson, creating a contact form that records the finalising of the targeting process on T/27. In addition to the name, address, photograph and routine of T/27, the UDA now has visual confirmation of his identity and Nelson has correctly forecast the method of attack to be used. The FRU are also aware that L/28 is the central figure behind the plot.[3]
- 23 - An FRU MISR recordd only that "the UDA continue to target [T/27]"[3]
October
- 25 - Nelson left Northern Ireland for another stint in Germany.[4] He remained an FRU agent, according to the Irish News.[5]
Notes
- ↑ Mark Urban, Big Boys' Rules, Faber and Faber, 1992, p.197
- ↑ Barry McCaffrey, At least 29 killings blamed on actions of double agent;The secrets that died with Brian Nelson THE DEATH OF BRITISH ARMY AGENT 6137, Irish News, 14 April 2003.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Sir Desmond de Silva, Volume 1 - Chapter 6: The recruitment of Brian Nelson, Pat Finucane Review, 12 December 2012.
- ↑ Peter Taylor, Brits: The War Against the IRA, Bloomsbury, 2002, p.288.
- ↑ Barry McCaffrey, At least 29 killings blamed on actions of double agent;The secrets that died with Brian Nelson THE DEATH OF BRITISH ARMY AGENT 6137, Irish News, 14 April 2003.
