Scap

From Brocaire Books, an April piece by Matt Treacy written just after the Panorama documentary on Freddie Scappaticci/Stakeknife.

Stakeknife

 There was an old griffito on Derry walls back in the 80s:

“I knew Raymond Gilmore. Thank fuck he didn’t know me.”

Gilmore being a supergrass who was responsible for locking up most of leading members of Derry Brigade. Most of them.

I would imagine there are quite a lot of people saying the same thing about Freddie.

It is hard to know the truth about all these things but if even part of what Panorama and others have alleged about him is true, then it changes the entire picture of what happened during the northern conflict.

I knew informers. Denis stayed in my house. I liked the chap.  I knew others who most likely got me caught. I bear them no malice. God only knows what made them betray their friends.

Scappaticci is in different league.  It is one thing to break under interrogation and give up names. To coldly murder other people to ensure you have enough money for the bookies and the pub. Well…

Nor does it say much for those who protected him.

Noticeable absence of kitten loving equality warriors tonight.

May God have mercy on us all that we were part of this.

1 comment:

  1. Ideologues for the largest part tend to be narrow-focused. Yes, a narrow focus can generate some spectacular results but it also tends to be a double-edged sword. A narrow focus restricts capacity for taking the wider picture. It diminishes one's ability to set evolving events in a broader context and setting them out on a longer timeline. This leaves the ideologue more susceptible to misdirection and manipulation. Set in such a frame, its not that difficult to comprehend how intelligence agencies so frequently gain influence over and take control of popular movements ... or that agents like Donaldson and Scap were allowed to operate for so long in such elevated positions whilst remaining hidden in full view.

    Rather than appeal for mercy to some mythical entity Matt, I suggest you reflect further and even celebrate having survived, transcended and escaped the cult you had for so long become enmeshed in!

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