An Irish Airman Foresees His Death
I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My country is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.
William Butler Yeats
"An Irish Airman Forsees His Death" was first published in the second edition of The Wild Swans at Coole 1919, "An Irish Airman Forsees His Death" is one of four poems written about Major Robert Gregory, the only son of Lady Gregory by Irish poet, dramatist, and folklorist WB Yeats. The other three poems include "The Sad Shepherd" or "Shepherd and Goatherd", "In Memory of Major Robert Gregory," and "Reprisals," which were later published after Yeats's death.
I remember on a cycling holiday, visiting that part of Europe where the First World war was concentrated and reading a brochure which stated, that every inch of that soil, was soaked in blood from incessant wars. When I saw a marker there for an unknown airman, who lost his life in the first World war, I thought of this poem and of Ireland and wept.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Britain's murderous army
Former British soldiers have admitted that they participated in a death squad which murdered unarmed civilians in Northern Ireland in the 1970's:
The BBC has identified ten murders that this death squad was responsible for, and there will likely be more. But after 40 years, the units records have all been destroyed, and it will be difficult to bring the murderers to justice. And Northern Ireland's Attorney-General doesn't exactly seem keen on doing his job.
Soldiers from an undercover unit used by the British army in Northern Ireland killed unarmed civilians, former members have told BBC One's Panorama.
Speaking publicly for the first time, the ex-members of the Military Reaction Force (MRF), which was disbanded in 1973, said they had been tasked with "hunting down" IRA members in Belfast.
The former soldiers said they believed the unit had saved many lives.
The Ministry of Defence said it had referred the disclosures to police.
The BBC has identified ten murders that this death squad was responsible for, and there will likely be more. But after 40 years, the units records have all been destroyed, and it will be difficult to bring the murderers to justice. And Northern Ireland's Attorney-General doesn't exactly seem keen on doing his job.
Ex-undercover soldiers say that British army sanctioned “shoot-to-kill” policy in Belfast
Several people who had no paramilitary connections killed and wounded by secret British army secret unit, according to Panorama
The British army ran an undercover unit that operated a sanctioned shoot-to-kill policy in Belfast during the Troubles, it has been claimed.
Former members of the Military Reaction Force (MRF) said that they killed an unspecified number of IRA members and shot them regardless of whether or not they were armed.
The force killed at least two men in drive-by shootings who had no paramilitary connections and injured more than 10 other civilians, it is further claimed in the BBCPanorama programme, Britain’s Secret Terror Force which is being broadcast tonight.
Seven former members of the force spoke to reporter John Ware about their involvement in the unit, which was commanded at brigadier level, while three of them appeared on camera, albeit disguised and with their voices slightly altered.
Drive-by shootingsPanorama reports that there were several drive-by shootings carried out by MRF soldiers in which people were killed and wounded – even though there is no independent evidence that any of them were armed or were members of the IRA.
“We were not there to act like an army unit, we were there to act like a terror group,” said one former soldier. “We were there in a position to go after the IRA and kill them when we found them.”
The force comprised about 40 men hand-picked from across the British army who operated in west Belfast for an 18-month period between 1971 and 1973, including all through 1972.
Some of the soldiers said they would shoot their “targets” even if they were unarmed. None would go into detail about specific incidents they or their colleagues were involved in. Nor is it known how many people they shot. The MRF’s records were destroyed.
The MRF was the forerunner to other similar plainclothes undercover British army units that operated in Northern Ireland. Panorama said the overall commander was an army brigadier. The programme does not make any specific allegation about what or any level of political control it was under.
It notes, however, a 1972 memo from the then British prime minister Ted Heath, at a time when the MRF was about to be disbanded, in which he stated that “special care should be taken” to ensure the British army’s replacement squad “operated within the law”.
They operated at a time when several barricades were erected in nationalist and loyalist areas of Belfast. Some of the soldiers said they would drive by barricades manned by nationalists in west Belfast and open fire. One said this would happen even if they did not see anyone brandishing a firearm.
Panorama details five cases in which more than a dozen people with no paramilitary involvement were shot by the MRF in 1972, including two men who were killed, Patrick McVeigh, a father of six children and a member of the Catholic Ex-Servicemen’s Club, and 18-year-old Daniel Rooney.
It also instances how two young west Belfast men who ran a fruit stall were shot by the MRF who had mistaken them for two IRA members.
Reporter John Ware also tracked to Australia one of the MRF members who was part of an undercover patrol that opened fire on two separate barricades, killing Mr McVeigh and wounding five men. It said that this former soldier, who favoured using a Thompson sub-machine gun, was also part of a drive-by shooting six weeks later on the Glen Roadin west Belfast in which four men were wounded.
Attempted murder This soldier stood trial on three counts of attempted murder but was acquitted. Key information was withheld from the trial, according to Panorama.
Relatives of the MRF’s victims told Panorama that 40 years on, they are still seeking answers. “We want the truth. We don’t want to stop until we get the truth,” said Mr McVeigh’s daughter Patricia.
The soldiers told Panorama they agreed to be interviewed because they believe their role in the fight against the IRA has gone unrecognised.
The British army ran an undercover unit that operated a sanctioned shoot-to-kill policy in Belfast during the Troubles, it has been claimed.
Former members of the Military Reaction Force (MRF) said that they killed an unspecified number of IRA members and shot them regardless of whether or not they were armed.
The force killed at least two men in drive-by shootings who had no paramilitary connections and injured more than 10 other civilians, it is further claimed in the BBCPanorama programme, Britain’s Secret Terror Force which is being broadcast tonight.
Seven former members of the force spoke to reporter John Ware about their involvement in the unit, which was commanded at brigadier level, while three of them appeared on camera, albeit disguised and with their voices slightly altered.
Drive-by shootingsPanorama reports that there were several drive-by shootings carried out by MRF soldiers in which people were killed and wounded – even though there is no independent evidence that any of them were armed or were members of the IRA.
“We were not there to act like an army unit, we were there to act like a terror group,” said one former soldier. “We were there in a position to go after the IRA and kill them when we found them.”
The force comprised about 40 men hand-picked from across the British army who operated in west Belfast for an 18-month period between 1971 and 1973, including all through 1972.
Some of the soldiers said they would shoot their “targets” even if they were unarmed. None would go into detail about specific incidents they or their colleagues were involved in. Nor is it known how many people they shot. The MRF’s records were destroyed.
The MRF was the forerunner to other similar plainclothes undercover British army units that operated in Northern Ireland. Panorama said the overall commander was an army brigadier. The programme does not make any specific allegation about what or any level of political control it was under.
It notes, however, a 1972 memo from the then British prime minister Ted Heath, at a time when the MRF was about to be disbanded, in which he stated that “special care should be taken” to ensure the British army’s replacement squad “operated within the law”.
They operated at a time when several barricades were erected in nationalist and loyalist areas of Belfast. Some of the soldiers said they would drive by barricades manned by nationalists in west Belfast and open fire. One said this would happen even if they did not see anyone brandishing a firearm.
Panorama details five cases in which more than a dozen people with no paramilitary involvement were shot by the MRF in 1972, including two men who were killed, Patrick McVeigh, a father of six children and a member of the Catholic Ex-Servicemen’s Club, and 18-year-old Daniel Rooney.
It also instances how two young west Belfast men who ran a fruit stall were shot by the MRF who had mistaken them for two IRA members.
Reporter John Ware also tracked to Australia one of the MRF members who was part of an undercover patrol that opened fire on two separate barricades, killing Mr McVeigh and wounding five men. It said that this former soldier, who favoured using a Thompson sub-machine gun, was also part of a drive-by shooting six weeks later on the Glen Roadin west Belfast in which four men were wounded.
Attempted murder This soldier stood trial on three counts of attempted murder but was acquitted. Key information was withheld from the trial, according to Panorama.
Relatives of the MRF’s victims told Panorama that 40 years on, they are still seeking answers. “We want the truth. We don’t want to stop until we get the truth,” said Mr McVeigh’s daughter Patricia.
The soldiers told Panorama they agreed to be interviewed because they believe their role in the fight against the IRA has gone unrecognised.
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