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The
Steak Knife controversy rages on and is likely to
capture further media interest in the week ahead as
a result of today’s papers having relentlessly
pursued their case against Freddie Scappaticci. On
Thursday’s BBC Talk Back a promise of ‘irrefutable
evidence’ was presented by one of the journalists
being interviewed. It was a response to Sinn Fein
jibes, the purpose of which were to pour scorn on
a media that had managed to generate cynicism as a
result of some inconsistent reporting. While the bar
for what is irrefutable will be set at different heights
depending on who most needs to refute, today’s
papers have once again fanned the flame of public
interest. And increasingly, it seems, the deluge has
chipped away at the element of doubt and confusion
the curious alliance of Sinn Fein and Freddie Scappaticci
has managed to insert into the debate.
Sinn
Fein may have hoped that the appearance of Freddie
Scappaticci at a press conference held in the Falls
Road office of his solicitor on Wednesday would douse
the media’s passion for the story. The grapevine
was hardly silent on the possibility of such an appearance
- Gearoid O Caireallain predicted that Scappaticci
would appear at a press conference with Gerry Kelly.
And when he did arrive Martin McGuinness immediately
praised him for having the courage to appear and put
his case. But the press conference was attended by
a mere two journalists, only one of whom would ask
a difficult question. And he was cut short by the
solicitor after three.
As soon as the Riverdale man appeared on the Falls
Road the speculation began in West Belfast that the
more senior Sinn Fein leaders would put in a public
appearance having been uncharacteristically mute
for some days. It was suggested that maybe the leadership
was confident it had confused the grassroots long
enough to have drawn the worst of the sting out of
their restlessness and was now prepared to ‘lead’.
With Scappaticci’s appearance having caused problems
for those alleging that he was both Steak Knife and
was already safely ensconced in a military base in
England, Sinn Fein would be able to launch a counter
offensive with an appearance at the hunger strike
rally in the Ulster Hall.
The
party president seemed to have this in mind when he
took the podium. And there was no shortage of head
nodders to repeat the mantra in a media vox pop that
securocrats were behind the whole affair. Many journalists
were reduced to laughter at this display of unity,
feeling that the only people being conned were those
repeating the mantra. One suggested that ‘even
the DUP have more sense than this crowd.’ In
any event the party game plan was to come unstuck.
The broadside against the media from the Ulster Hall
by the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams followed by
his attempt to rile journalists at the opening of
the West Belfast Taxi Association premises the following
day, informing them that they were the real losers
in the matter, merely spurred the media on to even
greater efforts. Annoyed by the allegation from the
Sinn Fein autocrat that they were the mere hacks of
the spooks, the journalists have been fired up.
If
the appearance by Scappaticci was to be the cross
that would thwart the media vampire, it became the
flame that drew the moth. This is simply a story that
is unlikely to disappear. Republicans cannot expect
to call for transparency on British state collusion
and then put up a stop sign when that transparency
threatens to invade our own furtive world.
Freddie
Scappaticci back in Belfast and the IRA neither having
killed him nor displayed an overt interest in him
has created an image that the man is indeed the victim
of a British security plot. But is the republican
leadership covering up for an informer, hiding it
from the grassroots in the hope that a commonality
of interest with the British will lead to the thing
dying out?
In
a leadership-led movement the leadership are culpable
for the decisions and choices it makes. But within
republicanism the leadership wants to evade assuming
responsibility for its actions. Despite Sinn Fein
spinning on this matter growing numbers of republicans
are privately expressing the view that the identity
of Steak Knife has been at last disclosed. There is
now a suspicion that the leadership is covering up
the matter although why this should be so is far from
certain. But there is a parallel. In 1972 after the
post-Seamus Twomey leadership of the Belfast Brigade
had struck a prestigious blow against the British
military intelligence network in the city, a policy
of disappearing alleged informers was introduced.
The purpose seems to have been concealing the fact
that the IRA itself had been penetrated. Today’s
political climate doesn’t allow for a similar
approach. For that reason Freddie Scappaticci is in
Riverdale and not buried in the sands of some deserted
beach. Disappearing the truth is more important than
disappearing the person. Old habits die hard it seems.
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