Comments on The Pensive Quill: Giving CID A Snow Job

Anthony ordered that book in the libary yesterday,...

2011-02-16T12:54:42.352Z

Anthony ordered that book in the libary yesterday, apparently I,ll recieve a copy fairly quickly ,as there is a lot of them in the system, that is unusual initself mo cara,

her maj will be in oireland this year. maybe the c...

2011-02-14T15:43:45.360Z

her maj will be in oireland this year. maybe the crown will go on the Garda badge to reflect how big a balls-up that was made of independence and an apology to wee Lizzie for our stupidity and audacity??

michaelhenry, There are stiil 4500 former serving ...

2011-02-14T12:36:33.275Z

michaelhenry,
There are stiil 4500 former serving RUC in the ranks of the PSNI.
In 2008, ten years after the 'Got Fcuk All Agreement', they still made up 71% of the PSNI.
Did I read the GFA, michaelhenry? no I did not.
I think the only people who read it, where people in padded cells or maybe they go ended up there when they finished it.

Maybe Simpson was the 'nice' side of the c...

2011-02-14T12:03:04.755Z

Maybe Simpson was the 'nice' side of the coin which had Herman on the oposite side? Same agenda mildly different approach.

In hinsight away from the fray it's very scary what was going on.

Michaelhenry, every post has 'the crown' in it. The contributers here should consider a whip-round and buy you one, alleviate yer obsession. That's a friendly gesture, please dont read it as combative.

P.S- i dont hate you's Glad to read that robe...

2011-02-13T22:21:15.652Z

P.S- i dont hate you's

Glad to read that robert is back

he and his arguments were missed.

Fionnuala- I am sorry that you did not read the g...

2011-02-13T22:09:35.295Z

Fionnuala-

I am sorry that you did not read the good friday agreement- but dont
worry there was a few others who thought they were hardline also- we
had to use the hardliners [ jokes ]
for Ireland

The queen stoped the ruc because they could not stop the Provo's-
how many of your 71 per cent are with the crown free p.s.n.i today

No- its sad when you dont know

michaelhenry, The Queen did not close the door on ...

2011-02-13T18:43:27.700Z

michaelhenry,
The Queen did not close the door on the RUC, a survey conducted prior to their massive compensation payout revealed that 71% of PSNI officers were former RUC.
Oh dear a bit of a faux pas!
Great when you know things!

Dispatches on ch4 looks interesting tomorrow night...

2011-02-13T17:42:45.264Z

Dispatches on ch4 looks interesting tomorrow night ,lessons on hate and violence

Mickeyboy of course I dont rip the pages out of th...

2011-02-13T16:11:52.322Z

Mickeyboy of course I dont rip the pages out of the books ,how awful is that, no mo cara I just superglue them together!

Michaelhenry, not so sure about that. He was CID...

2011-02-13T16:07:17.453Z

Michaelhenry,

not so sure about that. He was CID and if I am right the RUC on the flight were Special Branch.

Marty,

it is the way I read! I always mark it with a red pen for future reference. I started marking the one on Afghanistan I got for my daughter before I reined myself in. She commented to me that she had noticed it.

Marty- Are you that fcuk who rips the last few pa...

2011-02-13T14:42:33.256Z

Marty-

Are you that fcuk who rips the last few page's of libary books-
I have swore vengeance lol

AM-

Maybe not Ghost written- but that book was wrote about a Ghost

alan simpson was luky to leave the
ruc in 1993 other-wise he could have been on that same chinook as
phoenix which ruined the beauty of the mull of kintyre

I read jigsaw Phoneix,s ghost written book to Mic...

2011-02-13T12:26:17.157Z

I read jigsaw Phoneix,s ghost written book to Mickeyboy, a bit that confused the f##k out of me was that he loved to sing Fields of Athenry,do you think the f##ker understood the words or meaning of it,if so why the f##k was he a member of the ruc and a devoted servant to?

Anthony marking books with a pen ,thats a terrible...

2011-02-13T12:16:47.359Z

Anthony marking books with a pen ,thats a terrible thing to do,Mickeyboy will be hopping all over his attic, its nearly as bad as me tearing out the last two pages mmm!

Michaelhenry, I read the Phoenix one - Jack Holla...

2011-02-12T20:46:27.492Z

Michaelhenry,

I read the Phoenix one - Jack Holland wrote it with the widow of Phoenix. Holland got some insights from the notes of Phoenix about the penetration of the IRA in in Belfast that he did not reveal in the book.

You don't need to rely on Simpson for evidence of those meetings. Just ask a few in the know in Belfast. As Nuala points out Jimmy Craig was an open secret. I guess at some point those who attended from both sides might be more forthcoming and allow us to get a feel for the extent of it.

Marty, indeed. I don't use them as I have t...

2011-02-12T20:38:00.587Z

Marty,

indeed.

I don't use them as I have this habit of reading a book with a red pen and that can't be done with library books.

Thats the beauty of libraries Anthony a cara,

2011-02-12T20:33:29.152Z

Thats the beauty of libraries Anthony a cara,

AM- The last ruc member's book that i read wa...

2011-02-12T19:53:44.563Z

AM-

The last ruc member's book that i
read was the ian phoenix autobiography[ Ghost written ]
policing the shadows- which i thought was an honest enough read

Like alan simpson- phoenix had a hatred for other ruc members,
usually his so called superior's
seems like there was a lot of bitching in the ruc

The ruc had their brit crown the
money the resource's the media but they had not got and could never get the republican people- this would be there down-fall

u.d.a meetings with Provisional IRA
volunteers in belfast- under ruc
surveillance- is that so- is anyone going to ask for these tapes
to be made public then or is this another jackanory story

The ruc were brit helpers who took the crowns pay-off and queenie paid
up- she give them a medal also before she closed their door.

Mackers, I don't doubt for a second there may ...

2011-02-12T19:24:03.755Z

Mackers,
I don't doubt for a second there may have been a 'Top Man's Agreement' I just heard on many occasions that Craig was active in setting up top men from his own organisations.
While it was never a all out strategy, people and military were 'Disappeared' in other IRA campaigns.
Peelers dropped down manholes as well as the odd IRA Chief of Staff.
I think what stinks this time round, was the main strategist behind the whole concept of disappearing people, actually covered up odious crimes within his own circle that he found intolerable and reprehensible in others.

Nuala, it may not be. Simpson does not seem to be...

2011-02-12T18:51:28.399Z

Nuala,

it may not be. Simpson does not seem to be entirely reliable as I suggested in the review. Against that there is knowledge of a 'top man's agreement' between the various sides which was broken when the Master was shot. After that it is said he was determined to get McMichael.

Disappearing was an odious act. It becomes more odious with hindsight. For me it is hard to see it in any light other than that of a war crime.

Marty if you get it second hand go for it but I wouldn't fork out the asking price. It is very readable but I always wondered about the reliability.

Mackers, (apologies) I don't think the part ab...

2011-02-12T14:17:27.691Z

Mackers, (apologies)
I don't think the part about Craig is entirely kosher.
There is no doubt he was a thug and a seedy character. Albert, said he was jailed in the 70s for robbing a card school on the Shankill and recruited by the UDA in the Crum because of his reputation.
Apparently, he enjoyed a very precarious relationship with both the UDA and UVF.
Although he had a fearful reputation, he also had a considerable amount of enemies.
He has been named on many occasions as being central in supplying information which led to the killings of Murphy and Mc Michael and other top loyalists.
The whole scenario of the 'Disappeared' is a very tricky one. Hindisght is absolutely invaluable, its downside is the fact it follows the event.
I don't anyone, even the architect could have forseen the horrendous consequences of such a plan.
Allegedly designed to stike fear and uncertainity into a community, people were ferried away for trial and burial.
All these years later however, as human remains were unearthed from the bogs and the sand the horror became all too apparent.
Sadly, some of these people died for very very little, some for nothing at all.
Even those reportedly guilty, how was their crimes measured and equally odious crimes covered up?
Ironically, the Master planner denied all and told others they should be proud to take the blame.
Madly, his understudy Mc Guinness has actively encouraged communities to inform, a crime that once was used as justification for being 'Disappeared.'

Anthony I,ll get that book for sure, but from your...

2011-02-12T11:00:58.913Z

Anthony I,ll get that book for sure, but from your account if I,m reading it right,Alan Simpson is being very economical with the truth,I get the feeling he is withholding more than he is telling, for eg,.the Glenanne gang and the Dublin and Monagahan bombings,Mc Gurks bar,the Shankill butchers and of course the torture in Castlerea ,Armagh,Gough barracks,and Derry,s Strand rd,where many of us spent a very interesting time,mostly on the floor looking at Alans mates size nines,he tells us that the organisations were highly inflitrated ,tell us something we didnt know or suspect! the truth is out there and it needs to be set free before we can ever think of some sort of closure ,but I dont think mr Simpson is the man to release it.