During the Second World War there were those in France who collaborated with the Nazis during their country’s occupation. Why would they do this? The same question I ask of those British citizens residing in the Channel Islands, the only part of Britain under German occupation, who collaborated with the Nazi and informed on their fellow islanders. Some of these creatures even gave away the names of Jewish people living on the islands knowing this information would lead to the victims of informing, certain deaths. The British Army and government when they were rampaging around the world stealing other people’s lands, calling it an ‘empire,’ used people as informers and even soldiers in their army, usually to do the dirty work of the British.
The British Government of all political shades, dating back to the Whigs and Torys long before a Labour party came on the parliamentary scene have used and abused natives to work for them. Promising the earth to these soulless aboriginal peoples who have worked for their colonial masters only to be dumped like a piece of rubbish when no longer needed.
The British Government of all political shades, dating back to the Whigs and Torys long before a Labour party came on the parliamentary scene have used and abused natives to work for them. Promising the earth to these soulless aboriginal peoples who have worked for their colonial masters only to be dumped like a piece of rubbish when no longer needed.
During the Mao Mao uprising in Kenya (1952-60) British forces used and abused native people to help crush the rebellion. When they had outlived their usefulness, they were left to their grizzly fate, normally death in a violent fashion. When many of them wished to leave Kenya and come to Britain they were often told, ‘go home’ if they were not required to do some shitty job the locals would not do.
During the ‘War of Independence’ in Ireland the British used informers, many of whom were loyalist by nature and took no persuading, while others were not loyalist by nature and wanted to earn a few shillings, by giving information for cash. What they did not expect was the British would, after using them, just dump them for the insurgent republican forces to collect, interrogate and usually kill. The British would then call the IRA murders while washing their hands on any involvement in the informer’s death. Twenty years later when the French Resistance carried out exactly the same punishments as those by the IRA the French were credited as ‘brave freedom fighter’s’. There is no doubt the French Resistance were ‘brave freedom fighters’ but so too were the IRA.
In more recent times the occupying British forces in the six counties have continued this tradition of using and abusing local people to gather information. They even allowed ‘murder’ to take place in order to protect an informer or agent. The Force Research Unit (FRU) were particularly guilty of these acts of hanging people out to dry which, nine times out of ten, resulted in the person being killed. Back in 2005 when the ‘Stormont Assembly’ was getting off the ground as part of the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ it was suddenly revealed that Denis Donaldson, MLA, had been working for the British for many years. The British threatened to reveal his identity which forced him to publicly admit his crimes against the republican cause. Why did the British suggest his cover had been blown? Did they blow it? Was the threat to ‘reveal his identity’ an attempt by the Crown to cover their own tracks? One thing is for sure, Donaldson knew too much not only about the Republican Movement but also the British Army and their agents. He was found dead in 2006 in County Donegal in the twenty-six-counties. The Real IRA, a post GFA splinter group, later claimed they were responsible for Donaldson's assassination but the British also had good reason for wanting him dead. Could the SAS have been responsible? Either way Donaldsons collusion with the British Crown cost him his life.
Coming a little more up to date and Afghanistan the British were at it again. Many Afghans who were anti-Taliban fought with or for the British. Now, there is no harm in being anti-Taliban, no harm at all, but would it not have been better for these people to join a local Afghan anti-Taliban group as opposed to the British occupiers, albeit junior occupiers after the USA? Some of these Afghans went on to train as ‘special forces’ trained by the British and also used by them, forming special forces units in the new Afghan Army. That army turned out to be not very good and when the US and British left they crumbled before the Taliban onslaught. So much for British training!
Many of these former Afghan Army soldiers were given sanctuary in neighbouring Pakistan. Remember these men had put their lives on the line against the Taliban choosing instead to fight for or alongside the British, not a good move at the best of times. In return these cannon fodder received what passed for training which turned out to be inadequate against the Taliban. Feeling safe in Pakistan these one-time stooges of the Crown felt safe until, recently, all this feeling of security collapsed. The Pakistani Government has decided, in their wisdom, that these men will be returned to Afghanistan and the now governing Taliban! Their former users, the British, appear to have washed their hands of these men who now face, if returned, certain death. British armed forces minister, James Heappey himself a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, has expressed his “sickness” at the thought of these “former comrades in arms” being returned to Afghanistan. He also indicated that not all “qualify” for British citizenship even if they have “been special forces” personnel serving with or alongside the British Army. These men have been used, abused, by the British to do their dirty work probably against their own countrymen, possibly torturing people for the British and USA, only now to be now told tough luck you’re on your own! They were used to fight a war the British and the Yanks eventually lost, both running like fuck from the maniacal Taliban, and now the Pakistani Government are going to hand them back to these same nutters calling themselves a government in Afghanistan!
No doubt the British Foreign Office will keep quiet about what is happening, hoping it will go away. So far only brief reports have been heard on the news and, no doubt, if these reports lead to protest, a D notice will be put out. A D notice is “advising” the press and media in general not to put out certain information which might be a threat to “national security.” Such notices are voluntary, but editors always comply. It perhaps does not take a great leap in the imagination to work out what may happen to any editor or news channel who does not heed this “advice”!
There is a simple moral to this tale and that is beware strange men bearing gifts because it usually means the only gift you will receive involves waste ground, a sawn-off shotgun and a burial. Be it in Ireland, 1919-21 and more recently, France, during World War Two, or more recent times in Afghanistan the results are always the same. It may be true that some governments are better at looking after their agents and informers than are others. Unfortunately for so many the British Government are not among their numbers. No informers, touts, agents call them what you wish can claim they did not know the outcome once their evil deeds are unearthed. Those who say they will protect their pet grasses often are the cause of these creatures being unearthed. Don’t do it, as it is bad for your health!!
In more recent times the occupying British forces in the six counties have continued this tradition of using and abusing local people to gather information. They even allowed ‘murder’ to take place in order to protect an informer or agent. The Force Research Unit (FRU) were particularly guilty of these acts of hanging people out to dry which, nine times out of ten, resulted in the person being killed. Back in 2005 when the ‘Stormont Assembly’ was getting off the ground as part of the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ it was suddenly revealed that Denis Donaldson, MLA, had been working for the British for many years. The British threatened to reveal his identity which forced him to publicly admit his crimes against the republican cause. Why did the British suggest his cover had been blown? Did they blow it? Was the threat to ‘reveal his identity’ an attempt by the Crown to cover their own tracks? One thing is for sure, Donaldson knew too much not only about the Republican Movement but also the British Army and their agents. He was found dead in 2006 in County Donegal in the twenty-six-counties. The Real IRA, a post GFA splinter group, later claimed they were responsible for Donaldson's assassination but the British also had good reason for wanting him dead. Could the SAS have been responsible? Either way Donaldsons collusion with the British Crown cost him his life.
Coming a little more up to date and Afghanistan the British were at it again. Many Afghans who were anti-Taliban fought with or for the British. Now, there is no harm in being anti-Taliban, no harm at all, but would it not have been better for these people to join a local Afghan anti-Taliban group as opposed to the British occupiers, albeit junior occupiers after the USA? Some of these Afghans went on to train as ‘special forces’ trained by the British and also used by them, forming special forces units in the new Afghan Army. That army turned out to be not very good and when the US and British left they crumbled before the Taliban onslaught. So much for British training!
Many of these former Afghan Army soldiers were given sanctuary in neighbouring Pakistan. Remember these men had put their lives on the line against the Taliban choosing instead to fight for or alongside the British, not a good move at the best of times. In return these cannon fodder received what passed for training which turned out to be inadequate against the Taliban. Feeling safe in Pakistan these one-time stooges of the Crown felt safe until, recently, all this feeling of security collapsed. The Pakistani Government has decided, in their wisdom, that these men will be returned to Afghanistan and the now governing Taliban! Their former users, the British, appear to have washed their hands of these men who now face, if returned, certain death. British armed forces minister, James Heappey himself a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, has expressed his “sickness” at the thought of these “former comrades in arms” being returned to Afghanistan. He also indicated that not all “qualify” for British citizenship even if they have “been special forces” personnel serving with or alongside the British Army. These men have been used, abused, by the British to do their dirty work probably against their own countrymen, possibly torturing people for the British and USA, only now to be now told tough luck you’re on your own! They were used to fight a war the British and the Yanks eventually lost, both running like fuck from the maniacal Taliban, and now the Pakistani Government are going to hand them back to these same nutters calling themselves a government in Afghanistan!
No doubt the British Foreign Office will keep quiet about what is happening, hoping it will go away. So far only brief reports have been heard on the news and, no doubt, if these reports lead to protest, a D notice will be put out. A D notice is “advising” the press and media in general not to put out certain information which might be a threat to “national security.” Such notices are voluntary, but editors always comply. It perhaps does not take a great leap in the imagination to work out what may happen to any editor or news channel who does not heed this “advice”!
There is a simple moral to this tale and that is beware strange men bearing gifts because it usually means the only gift you will receive involves waste ground, a sawn-off shotgun and a burial. Be it in Ireland, 1919-21 and more recently, France, during World War Two, or more recent times in Afghanistan the results are always the same. It may be true that some governments are better at looking after their agents and informers than are others. Unfortunately for so many the British Government are not among their numbers. No informers, touts, agents call them what you wish can claim they did not know the outcome once their evil deeds are unearthed. Those who say they will protect their pet grasses often are the cause of these creatures being unearthed. Don’t do it, as it is bad for your health!!
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
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