Mick Hall @ Organized Rage is not surprised that Mike Jackson should feature in both Bloody Sunday and Britain's war on Iraq.

Mike Jackson, the British Army officer at the heart of Bloody Sunday, when members of the 1st Battalion of the Parachute regiment opened fire shooting 26 civil rights marchers in Derry on January 30 1972, killing 14, is likely to be criticised by the long-awaited Chilcot inquiry into Britain’s decision to join the US in invading and occupying Iraq.*

Generals Michael Jackson and Nicholas Houghton in all their military finery.



According to the Guardian:

Senior military figures will be singled out for criticism alongside Tony Blair and other establishment figures in the long-awaited Chilcot report into the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which is due to be handed to Downing Street next week. At more than 2m words in length, it is a damning critique, with military commanders expected to be reprimanded for allowing themselves to be bulldozed by No 10 in the run-up to the war. Blair, former ministers, intelligence officers and top officials are also in focus, in a document that is not expected to be published until after the EU referendum because it needs to be vetted and formatted for publication. Those expected to be criticised include Gen Sir Nicholas Houghton, then head of military operations and now chief of defence staff – and the then head of the army, Gen Sir Mike Jackson, according to sources with knowledge of the report.
One of those who gave evidence to the inquiry said "the question is what proportion of blame is going to be on the politicians, on the military, and on the civil servants.” 

Ed Moloney writing on The Broken Elbow wrote:

At the time of Bloody Sunday Jackson was a captain in One Para and at the Saville Inquiry he was revealed to have been the author of an account of the shootings, a list of firing positions and targets – which had allegedly been invented to justify the killing of thirteen people. The so-called ‘shot list’ claimed that the Paras had shot at people carrying weapons, nail bombs and pistols, when in fact none were armed. He initially failed to mention his part in drawing up the diagram when giving testimony at Saville but when recalled to the witness box admitted he had a ‘vague’ memory of the event.
Nevertheless Saville incredulously went on to exonerate Jackson of the charge that he had lied, presumably believing when he failed to give a full and honest account of his action it was merely a slip of memory.

None of the 13 who died on Bloody Sunday, one other victim died later, were carrying nail bombs, none of the 13 were carrying pistols, none of the 13 were carrying rifles. Yet at the end of that bloody and brutal day Captain Michael Jackson returned to barracks and compiled his 'shot list' which claimed:

Gun battle report.

Following engagements took place during gun battle from approx 16.17 to 16.35 hours:

1 Nail bomber shot. Hit in thigh (back of Chamberlain St)

2 Petrol bomber shot. Apparently killed (car park)

3 Bomber (at top floor flats) shot. Apparently killed

4 Gunman with pistol behind barricade shot. Hit

5 Nail bomber (lighted fuse) (at car park) shot

6 Nail bomber at car park shot

7 Gunman with pistol fired 2 rounds at soldier armed only with baton gun at alleyway. Soldier fired one round and withdrew swiftly

8 Nail bomber (William St) shot. Hit

9 Three nail bombers (at Glenfada Park) shot. All hit

10 Gunmen, pistols, (at G Park) shot at. One hit, one unhurt

11 Sniper in toilet window. Fired upon. None hit

12 Gunman, rifle, (at 3rd floor Rossville flats) shot at. Poss hurt

13 Gunman with rifle at (ground floor R flats) shot. Hit

14 Gunman, rifle (at barricade), shot. Killed. Body recovered

15 Gunman, rifle (at barricade), shot. Killed. Body recovered

After reading Jackson's list, I'm sure most folk would conclude the former chief of staff of the British army was either a dangerous fantasist or a bloody liar.


Chilcot report expected to single out senior British military figures

The Road From Bloody Sunday Led To The Disastrous British Military Intervention In Iraq

Mick Hall @ Organized Rage is not surprised that Mike Jackson should feature in both Bloody Sunday and Britain's war on Iraq.

Mike Jackson, the British Army officer at the heart of Bloody Sunday, when members of the 1st Battalion of the Parachute regiment opened fire shooting 26 civil rights marchers in Derry on January 30 1972, killing 14, is likely to be criticised by the long-awaited Chilcot inquiry into Britain’s decision to join the US in invading and occupying Iraq.*

Generals Michael Jackson and Nicholas Houghton in all their military finery.



According to the Guardian:

Senior military figures will be singled out for criticism alongside Tony Blair and other establishment figures in the long-awaited Chilcot report into the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which is due to be handed to Downing Street next week. At more than 2m words in length, it is a damning critique, with military commanders expected to be reprimanded for allowing themselves to be bulldozed by No 10 in the run-up to the war. Blair, former ministers, intelligence officers and top officials are also in focus, in a document that is not expected to be published until after the EU referendum because it needs to be vetted and formatted for publication. Those expected to be criticised include Gen Sir Nicholas Houghton, then head of military operations and now chief of defence staff – and the then head of the army, Gen Sir Mike Jackson, according to sources with knowledge of the report.
One of those who gave evidence to the inquiry said "the question is what proportion of blame is going to be on the politicians, on the military, and on the civil servants.” 

Ed Moloney writing on The Broken Elbow wrote:

At the time of Bloody Sunday Jackson was a captain in One Para and at the Saville Inquiry he was revealed to have been the author of an account of the shootings, a list of firing positions and targets – which had allegedly been invented to justify the killing of thirteen people. The so-called ‘shot list’ claimed that the Paras had shot at people carrying weapons, nail bombs and pistols, when in fact none were armed. He initially failed to mention his part in drawing up the diagram when giving testimony at Saville but when recalled to the witness box admitted he had a ‘vague’ memory of the event.
Nevertheless Saville incredulously went on to exonerate Jackson of the charge that he had lied, presumably believing when he failed to give a full and honest account of his action it was merely a slip of memory.

None of the 13 who died on Bloody Sunday, one other victim died later, were carrying nail bombs, none of the 13 were carrying pistols, none of the 13 were carrying rifles. Yet at the end of that bloody and brutal day Captain Michael Jackson returned to barracks and compiled his 'shot list' which claimed:

Gun battle report.

Following engagements took place during gun battle from approx 16.17 to 16.35 hours:

1 Nail bomber shot. Hit in thigh (back of Chamberlain St)

2 Petrol bomber shot. Apparently killed (car park)

3 Bomber (at top floor flats) shot. Apparently killed

4 Gunman with pistol behind barricade shot. Hit

5 Nail bomber (lighted fuse) (at car park) shot

6 Nail bomber at car park shot

7 Gunman with pistol fired 2 rounds at soldier armed only with baton gun at alleyway. Soldier fired one round and withdrew swiftly

8 Nail bomber (William St) shot. Hit

9 Three nail bombers (at Glenfada Park) shot. All hit

10 Gunmen, pistols, (at G Park) shot at. One hit, one unhurt

11 Sniper in toilet window. Fired upon. None hit

12 Gunman, rifle, (at 3rd floor Rossville flats) shot at. Poss hurt

13 Gunman with rifle at (ground floor R flats) shot. Hit

14 Gunman, rifle (at barricade), shot. Killed. Body recovered

15 Gunman, rifle (at barricade), shot. Killed. Body recovered

After reading Jackson's list, I'm sure most folk would conclude the former chief of staff of the British army was either a dangerous fantasist or a bloody liar.


Chilcot report expected to single out senior British military figures

4 comments:

  1. It surprises me that with all the dirty tricks lies and agents being 'thrown under a bus' here by these vermin that so far into a 'piss-process' in recent times one or more of said agents hasn't decided to just say fuckit and spill the beans on just how evil and corrupt these handlers and directors of agents were. What have they to lose? Scap could start the ball rolling. Tell everyone how dozens of people were deliberately let go to their death down the years and all the while the RUC bleeted about the saving of lives. That's another reason I think Donaldson was whacked, he was accessible for anyone wanting to investigate the cesspool of cloak and daggar antics. Bit of house-cleaning before poor Denis had time to gather his thoughts. It was probably the SF leadership who had him taken out. I mean maybe that's also why King Rat was taken out, he was in a position to pull the curtain back on the RUC / security force involvement in the Mid Ulster murder triangle and let the cat rite out of the bag. The bigger picture of the Iraq war was just a criminal adventure engaged in by criminal the governments of Bush and Blair. WW2 was allegedly begun after the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany. How many nations has the UK/USA invaded since 1945 without good reason, indeed usually on the basis of outright lies? Who is standing up to their endless agression? This report is a joke whatever is in it. An exercise in giving the illusion that something has been done all these years later about Fascist evil perpetrated by those spouting about freedom and democrasy. Agh well, says the British public, that's OK then, national concience is cleared. Piffle - balderdash and hogwash old chap. The show must and shall go on! Who's next on our list of defenceless nations for regime change and devestation?

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  2. Larry

    I have always been puzzled about the killing of Donaldson, why would the Dissidents kill him when he was more valuable to them alive. What ever way you look at it from where they stood it was a very bad idea. As you wrote alive 'he was accessible for anyone wanting to investigate the cesspool of cloak and daggar antics.'

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  3. Larry, the British held their biggest ever mass demonstration in protest against Iraq. Whilst it doesnt exonerate them for not putting their leaders on trial after, they were not as blasé as you make out. Nearly 2m marched, but stats people will say 10x that would of agreed with the marchers principles even if they couldnt make the February march.
    That network might not of succeeded in preventing the Iraq war, but it shaped the climate before the Syria vote that meant it failed.
    Along with this report, id like a STWC one about how they managed to squander that goodwill,from my perspective it was very quickly lost with questionable alliances with very weird fascists who couldnt drop gender segregation or gay hate for this single issue.

    PS There was some pretty eye opening claims in the MMG bio, from guns to government. Stuff about nail bombs being carried by Fianna on MMG orders, but not the actual innocents shot.

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  4. DaithiD

    Bliar was going to war regardless. The public as always supported the troops once the invasion began, the government counted openly on this and factored it into the project. I spoke to British soldiers (young lads) in Borneo before the invasion and they were pumped up for it. Not sure how jungle warfare prepared them but there ya go. Nothing could dent their enthusiasm to get in there. I was surrounded in the boozer when I suggested there were no WMDs. Had a day on the piss with them and the only potential blip/trouble was when myself and a Scottish squaddie got talking briefly about the Old Firm. I do wonder if any of them are missing limbs these days and remember the wee Irish man in that pub in Borneo. I also ran into a Norn Irish woman in Fermanagh who was a surgeon in the British Army and once I realised her 'career' I asked if she thought invasion had been justified and she shook her head in absolute disgust. I wonder how many of those who paraded DaithiD were of little Englander 'white' ethnicity?

    Organised Rage

    I have come to the conclusion the Denis Donaldson Murder was done in the same way that Joe Fenton the Belfast estate agent was, quickly for a cover-up and very likely by the same gang.

    ReplyDelete