The Force Research Unit and Loyalist Death Squads

The Force Research Unit (FRU) and Loyalist Death Squads

During the trial of Brian Nelson, the undercover British Army agent implicated in the murder of Pat Finucane, details emerged of the involvement of the same unit, the Force Research Unit, (FRU) in other loyalist murders. These included the murders of Belfast men Terence McDaid in May 1988 and Gerard Slane in September that same year. Nelson was charged in connection with the murders but the charges were subsequently dropped to avoid further damaging details emerging at the trial. Following the trial the widows of the two men sued the Ministry of Defence because of the involvement of the Force Research Unit in the killings and received a five figure sum in an out-of-court settlement. Information has since come to light that part of the settlement included a no-liability payment from the RUC raising questions as to why the force paid compensation in two cases which the RUC claimed to have no knowledge, involvement or liability in. Further details have emerged recently implicating FRU in other loyalist murders including the deaths of Patrick Hamill and Francisco Notorantonio.

Further controversy followed the publication in 1999 of a book on Nelson and the FRU. The book, Ten-Thirty Three, by English author Nick Davies (ISBN 1-84018-343-8 paperback, 1-84018-187-7 hardback) claims that the FRU secured 'restriction orders' in advance of a number of loyalist attacks in order to facilitate easy access to and escape from their 'target'. FRU, it is believed, had a representative at the weekly meetings of the Tasking and Co-ordination Group (TCG), the group responsible for liaison between all the different security forces/agencies including the RUC, MI5 and the British Army. According to the author of Ten-Thirty Three the FRU applied for 'restriction orders' at these weekly meetings which ensured that regular British Army/RUC patrols would avoid a particular area at a specified time. In theory this was to allow undercover operations to be carried out. In certain instances it is now claimed, the intention was to allow loyalist murder gangs to operate without interference. Both the Mc Daid and Slane families reported the presence and then sudden disappearance of patrols in their area leading up to both murders. The clear implication is that the Tasking and Co-ordination Group, composed of senior RUC and military personnel, were aware of the illegal activities of the Force Research Unit and loyalist paramilitaries from the Ulster Defence Association.

The author of Ten-Thirty Three also claims that Nelsons' reports and activities were of such value that they were regularly discussed at the London meetings of the Joint Intelligence Committee chaired by then PM Margaret Thatcher. In testimony given at the trial of Brian Nelson and available on the PFC website (access here) Colonel Kerr, FRU commander, also admitted in evidence that,

"Brian Nelson's product and his reporting was passed throughout the intelligence community and at a high level, and from that point of view he has to be considered a very important agent, certainly as far as we were concerned and certainly as far as I'm concerned he was a very important agent of some standing and his product was appreciated."

The (often illegal) activities of FRU during this period were discussed and authorised at the highest level in government ; Cabinet level. In a report published in February 2000 British Irish Rights Watch (BIRW), compares the information published in Ten-Thirty Three to its own research. Perhaps unsurprisingly the book differs with the available information in significant aspects while corroborating other controversial allegations concerning FRU. The BIRW report, Justice Delayed?Alleged State Collusion in the murder of Patrick Finucane and Others can be accessed here

As more allegations emerge regarding FRU the British Government has concentrated on prosecuting whistleblowers from within the ranks of the security forces/services and attempting to gag those sections of the media who report the allegations. Article 19 and Liberty have recently published a joint report looking at some of these issues. The report is titled Secrets, Spies and Whistleblowers : Freedom of Expression and National Security in the UK, ISBN 1 902598 30X.