State Violence and Collusion Timeline 1985

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Events related to state violence and collusion in Northern Ireland in 1985.

February

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]

October

  • 25 - Nelson left Northern Ireland for another stint in Germany.[4] He remained an FRU agent, according to the Irish News.[5]

Notes

  1. Mark Urban, Big Boys' Rules, Faber and Faber, 1992, p.197
  2. 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. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 Sir Desmond de Silva, Volume 1 - Chapter 6: The recruitment of Brian Nelson, Pat Finucane Review, 12 December 2012.
  4. Peter Taylor, Brits: The War Against the IRA, Bloomsbury, 2002, p.288.
  5. 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.