A member of the Ulster Defense regiment then the largest regiment in the british army. He was later involved in the massacre of the Miami Showband in july 975 when 3 band members were killed by members of the clan and gang as they attempted to plant a bomb on the musicians boss. Loyalist paramilitaries harris boyle and Wesley Somerville were killed instantly as the bomb exploded premise surely. Well the Ulster Defense regiment was the largest regiment in the british army it was geographically recruited here and the north of ireland and it only served here in the north of ireland it was essentially a counterinsurgency unit that was set up the beginning of the troubles. That itself took over from the discredit the specials which was a special place charlotte thought it existed since the 1920 s. And it was clear from the outset that the u. D. R. Was set up to recruit from within the loyalist on the unionist community. They were almost entirely drawn from within not 20. Declassified documents from british sources from the Prime Ministers Office from the ministry of defense secretary of States Office make it quite shockingly clear that from the perspective of the British Government it was acceptable to recruit so into the regiment who was an octave loyalist paramilitary who was a member of a loyalist paramilitary group. Theres no doubt that the creation of the also defense regiment was influence for the british show me boy the experience in the empire these kinds of locally right regimens the controls and commanded by british offices and as any intrinsic pauls of the chain of command rich homie were common through all of the counterinsurgency campaigns there was a real and genuine high at the instigation of the regiments that it would be truly crossed me to see would be known 6 hereon in character but it became apparent very quickly that that was not going to be the case and the british army was willing to live with the consequences which was that this would be in many ways a sectarian. Many people for a little of this community joined the regiment to get weapons training and to stick to weapons and according to the official documents that we funded the u. D. R. It was the largest Single Source of modern weapons flowing to the loyalist paramilitary groups it was a recipe for disaster. And one of the things we noticed whenever we started to do the research was the large numbers of gongs that were disappearing from both are you see a new d. R. Armories and places like. This is like the Territorial Army that was our volunteer force in. The can are to name but a few. Now we have a pictorial of just the devastating effect to one of these columns get out. This is 9 millimeter starting submachine gong stolen from. On the 20th 24th a man 971 and subsequently used to kill a lot of people and seriously injure numerous other people and the attacks were these are the people that i. Was with the card also shows us is who was using these columns and here we can see that some of the people who were involved in using these columns were also members of the r. T. C. On the u. D. R. And we also see as i say who all was killed on one of those people who was killed and one of the force that acts with us was used was with my own father who was killed and on the farms over a bridge. Behind. We do not as a matter of course as a matter of. Looking for process and terrorists that is the demand of the i. O. C. The r. U. C. The police was created in the early 1920 s. At the same time as the state of Northern Ireland was created and it reflected the contested nature of the state it was almost 93 percent drawn from one community and as a both part time element on a full time element there was a militarized force from the outset it was framed on the colonial model of British Police and thats how the very fraught and fractious relationship with the. Nationalist community. As a Nonviolent Civil Rights Movement korean force in the late 1960 s. It was the reaction of the r. U. C. To the absolutely and the attacks on the 1st civil rights marches by the police that actually energies the movement. Of people unless the fuse for the conflict at the time. Then in the 1960 s. And 1969 in particular we had a situation where there was coordinated loyalist attacks protectee on the catholic population of belfast tens of thought. Forced to flee their homes the irish army set up refugee camps along the border which put up the refugees in the north was striking about these attacks was that the are you see the Police Actually took part in the attacks. And belfast at the time. So instead of preventing them they were active participants in the burning of whole streets in belfast at the time. June 1906 the gang attacked a small rural pope called the rock bar near kiddie. Approaching the pope they shot a local man called make me grow as he left the building. They then detonated a nail bomb which failed to explode. What was striking about this particular attack was that all those involved were members of the local police force the are you see with some on duty as the attack took place. And so many up and sentencing these Police Officers the lord chief justice went so far as to claim and i quote that they were trying to rid the land of pestilence but thats the kind of language that nazi shoes but use. A very important landmark for the campaign and 999 was the fact that we acquired they. Was a former sergeant and they are you say he had been convicted of the marge are off a man called william strathairn and he had served 7 years in prison. It became available to us in the spring of 9099. 00. For the 1st time a way realized that the job of monaghan bombings was linked to so many other attacks north of the border. Into the miami show bound. And the cast of play in a bombings as well and the margin of john francis korean all of which took place in the republic. In february 2000 and more on judge baron who was conducting a inquiries into the dopamine and bombings mash with john we are in paris. All mesh with said john we are in paris at the same time it was a separate nation and i know. We arranged for the pappano concentric to mate with them at that time and. I think that the significance of the meeting with were also we were able to test his offer to be able to test the evidence that we put out there and put detailed questions to him we spent several days with them to put different parts of the jigsaw together. Thanks to him and thanks to all the evidence that was becoming available of course he was central to the killing. Of. The special patrol special patrol. Section of the or you see. The. Terrorists the death. Of disturbed. We did not deal with audrey Police Shootings to the truck to men. Who liked the type of auction so it would have attracted officers who would tended to to be more militant than the ordinary policeman. Was approached by the Army Armstrong in that so they explained to me. We should take the war to the are your instead of setting dark it was i think a lot of peoples belief that the all your ear was being allowed to operate without much opposition much endurance the experience to me they are already started this by gone gone the bomb attack on the rock bar outside t. J. Be asked me if i would be interested in joining what they were doing. I told them i would need to know more about the ts of course i would be interested but they did explain to me that the was quite a number of people involved. After the odd her meeting was arranged bang Lawrence Mccleary was there. Lawrence explained to me it was on the right he should tell me about a lot of jobs had been gone up until that. Such as Douglas Monaghan bombings. Really fees. For bridge. Bar bombing and shooting. Them in. I actually filed i 5 i passed our futures. Out of 5. As are some of my actual future. Because. A lot. Of indians later still must. Have. Had to manually. Theres a number you know not. Can if you had all of them ok if there. Was not a master plan a it will be like a battle they have way lastly about a garage. That is going to be. The one that having. People. Give their name not. What the how do we are sold our dia so when i last are sure you know they need the whole corn to go before. Demand now but i will not asia was. Just. Another dollar for it do 50. 00 musical number to the police when you have no kids of the few moments and dont get. Good at the person out of office in the boardroom supposable. Also sounds in the back of the truck are you gonna give them up simo. It was that i woke up early on that we were all there and then that is what happened all 5 occupied is a. Sudden demo to the interior of the office in europe so some of it to the other kiosk also push each other go to show some. Of the work for the biblical. Literalists up theres of course the issue of. The new. The point across to the secretary. Some of the are you see man where names were involved over many years and a number of fatal bombings and shootings alongside paramilitaries in the Ulster Volunteer force they include r. U. C. Man William Mcarthur a selfconfessed killer. Also r. U. C. Reserve constable Lawrence Mcclure police to be one of the gangs most experienced bomb makers who was convicted of causing an explosion and possession of firearms at the rock bar for which our ever the only received a suspended sentence or you see constable in mitchell was also convicted of causing an explosion at the rock bar and possession of firearms but similarly only received a suspended sentence Gary Armstrong who were also names escaped any conviction in the rock bar attack a lower the Historical Enquiries Team a police unit set up to investigate historical murders says he was clearly a principal fandor in a later book penned by armstrong after his release from prison he clearly details his role in the rock bar attack in a chapter called on fulfilled potential. Between the middle of night in 72 when the gang really started its work and. The end of 975. 00 thats less than 3 the gang had killed 89. 00 people. In one month alone in april 9075 fast person they killed was dorothy trainer a protestant woman walking home with a catholic husband through portadown. Within 3 days theyd killed Martin Mcveigh who was murdered as he cycled home from work in the same town. A couple of weeks later they blew up a Little Cottage that was being renovated killing 2 brothers and a sister and the sisters unborn baby girl. And by the end of the month theyd also killed a man called boyle who had been sitting at his Kitchen Table looking at photographs of his newborn baby girl so there in just one month in one small geographical area you had 4 separate attacks in which 7 people were killed these attacks were remorseless and they ratcheted up the pressure until the end of 975 when a completely new development took place. As with previous attacks the modus operandi of the gang was to strike 2 targets almost simultaneously. In a white Cross Country the revie family sat down to watch a popular t. V. Show when gunmen entered the family home 24 year old john martin was hit as he sat in his chair while 22 year old brian was shot in the back trying to escape into a nearby bedroom. Anthony the youngest brother dived underneath the bed for cover before the gunmen sprayed the bed with bullets. A little while later on they heard them through the door and. From on the bed. Brian who was in the bible says. Are you he was dead. Adding them all up into the kits and then on john martin he would land in a pearl of blood on a filed his paws on it on a knee it was all the dead. At around the same time gunmen burst into the home of the old guard found only 17 miles away and barely dog and country done. Again the intention was to wipe out an entire family. As they rushed their way into the house they opened fire in barney wood who was hits a number of times his brother joe who attempted to charge the gunman was killed instantly while i was shot 1st. And may are. Not as fun mayor and. Day by the time i knew. The body was dead. Because a. He was in the ring at every were in. But i crawled out into the hallway. Back to body was layin there to get a well as they then tend to care of course and was there for a week. The doctor here marar not mourning it. Has years should be real hey if things are banned according to logic if you shouldnt be here. Because of a ball of go one step for your heart. For noble perjury and the words. There was no theyre both are grossly nor muscle to stop what but a target 90 percent sure and took a kidney with it. As the smoke settled 3 members of the old guard family into revie brothers lay dead 17 year old anthony revie died later in hospital. From the mens killings was swift brutal. The following evening a minibus of textile workers was stopped. By members of the ira in kings mills not far from the review home where the killings had taken place the night before. These pictures tell the story of the horror that followed. Up to 20 gunman surrounded the minibus its catholic driver taken to safety the buses on board moaned on mercilessly. Policemen who arrived shortly afterwards told of bodies piled on top of one another. The gore and the personal effects give a hint of a conic. When we met joan weir and powerless one of the burning questions we had is why he and the others in the gang and not retaliated for the kings will massacre. As for was chilling he told us there was a plan and the plan mostly attack a Primary School to kill all the children in the school to kill the teachers we asked him why it didnt go ahead and he told us because the e. V. F. Leadership in belfast believed that the plan came from Army Headquarters came from military intelligence not a been planted the milage intelligence wanted the whole situation to spiral out of control and this was too much for the fia and they refused to go ahead even for them it was a step too far. The plot. That was decided on. Was to shoot top were a school. In beliefs. Just on the outskirts of leaks. So we say sure dont screw during the procedure the suit children teachers yes. Yes. I usually go to school as theyre into. d yes i do indeed yes i do indeed. Move. If thats hard hop and. I think there is nearly died. There would have been a shocking retaliation. From the republican side were. Retaliation from the republican side. It would have eventually. In a fairly short time i should say they told us quite the contrary into. Prop. Civil war situation i think the contrie was almost already in a civil war situation but if that happened. Even the moderates. On both sides were going to have to take sides and the was going to be. There and then there was going to be a serious serious civil war. We had a meeting with the chief constable the most Senior Police officer and the p. S. And i accompanied by an assistant chief constable at their headquarters and we asked them. What they intended to you but the fact that a former Police SergeantWilliam Mcarthur out about it publicly that he was also part of the plan to kill 30 children out of school and their teachers. There was a pause they looked at each other and they told us that Nothing Happened on no intention of doing anything. He wasnt to be arrested important to be reinvestigated nothing would happen. And i think at that moment after we left. We talked about it and we realized that where else in europe would a former Police Officer plan to kill a large number of children and a school this former employer would say that he had no plans to reinterview him as a result. Of dunning street in london the british Prime MinisterHarold Wilson was faced with what he called himself an apocalyptic crisis Northern Ireland was spinning out of control and civil war could not be. Amongst the options he considered were a dried withdraw and Self Government if the people of the north were on governable he could not cover them. In an atmosphere of near panic wilson called a council of war at his official country retreat checkers. In the peaceful buckinghamshire countryside. Also present was the secretary of state for defense. And the secretary of state for Northern Ireland and greece on the Security Side was headed by so david house the general officer commanding northern army. Well wilson attempted to control the worsening situation the hawks within British Military intelligence hoped for a different outcome. Where all out war could be waged on the ira. In the meantime. Were slaughtering anyone but republican targets. So we asked ourselves why why these people and we drew up 2 lists one was a people who were unlucky enough to be caught up in indiscriminate car bombs and the other this was a people who were targeted or watched chased hunted at their work or at their home and we discovered to our surprise that every single one of those bar one. Self starters people were making something of their lives they were ordinary people and then we asked ourselves why why these people. And the theory we came to was that frank kitson in his classic manual of counterinsurgency operations rhodes that if you cant catch the fish either by rod or net then poison the water and author areas that these ordinary people were targeted to persuade other ordinary people to repudiate the ira a to withdraw support from the ira course didnt work had the opposite effect violence begets violence if people cant trust the law they would take the law into their own hands it was completely counterproductive as well as illegal and immoral i think the stage weve reached as. What it meant. Illegal cooperation. Cooperation between. Members of the Security Forces loyalist paramilitary groups sometimes this happened on of a chill level and sometimes on a more structural level in the 1980 s. And ninetys. There was no crime of collusion in this jurisdiction materially it revolved a number of criminal acts by Police Officers and or soldiers and its been a phenomenon throughout the troubles. Collusion of many. Things hes deniable 3rd forces in order to carry a kind or insurgency but not to deniable way. I think the rule of euless parnell trees here. They did what the Security Forces felt that they couldnt do because and theory they were point by the rule of law and so they could use deniable 3rd forces to do it for them. Join me every thursday on the alex simon show and ill be speaking to us from the world of politics or business im show business ill see you then. Should we have had a much better 17 years could we could have had a much more prosperous iraq a stable iraq yes as their. Mistakes happen absolutely. Things about by far they could have done they should have made it better but that does not take away from the flag. A tiranny dictator who was bloodthirsty in participated in the mud and coming off hundreds of thousands of iraqis are millions of more of them iran than the invasion of kuwait on soft. Thousands of american men and women choose to serve in the countrys military and the decision. Every thing came to a complete. The day that i was raped. You know told a shot to kill me and i see how it destroyed my life any screamed at me and he made me come in and he grabbed my arm and he write me with his birth thinking if you take into account that women dont report because of the extreme retaliation its probably somewhere near about half a 1000000 women have now been sexually assaulted in the us military rape is a very very traumatizing tat happen but ive never seen trauma like ive seen from women who are veterans who have suffered military sexual trauma reporting rape is more likely to get the victim punished and the offender and almost 10 year career or chose very invested in and i gave that up to report a sex offender who was not even put to justice or put on the registry this is simply an hour in violence male sexual predators for the large part of target whoever is there to prey upon whether thats a man or woman. Or employees from Russia Sputnik news agency to have been released they were detained earlier in the day and taken in for questioning. Also has come the weekly Greece Police clash with migrants at the Turkish Border after i encourage the green light for saddam so you can see hoping to reach the view in the pound to pressure nato into backing its offensive in series it live and as we know long way from this own jet his supporters for the 1st phase of his extradition to the u. S. To complete during the hearings that wiki leaks found was kept in a glass cage and denied the opportunity to interact with his lawyer we heard from one of them. Couldnt take part in the Court Process this is inconceivable mean