On
the Internet, 'Martin Ingram,' the pseudonym used
by the co-author (with Greg Harkin) of the book
Stakeknife and a former member of the British Army
Intelligence Corp, has taken to posting on an Irish
Republican website, Danny
Morrison.com. Amongst some members of the Danny
Morrison list, his presence there has been regarded
with some confusion and a fair amount of anger.
Some of them believe that it cannot be the real
'Ingram' as he would have far more important things
to do than waste his time debating with the likes
of them, which some may think displays a certain
low self esteem. Another group are willing to accept
that the poster is 'Ingram,' but either believe
he is up to his old tricks never having left his
former profession, or they see him as a 'Judas'
who is betraying his old employers, the British
military and presumably his country too. The fact
that 'Ingram' these days holds an Irish passport
seems to cut no ice with this group. 'Ingram' himself
arrogantly wrote, after being asked why he was posting
on this particular Republican list, that he was
"motivated by [his] desire to educate,"
which in itself is pure 'Martin Ingram' — the
sort of guy why cannot pass a butterfly without
pulling its wings off.
Leaving 'Ingram' aside, there are issues here of
some importance that could reflect on how in the
long term the Peace Process pans out. If, as seems
likely, PIRA is eventually stood down by the Republican
Movement's leadership and the situation in the North
'normalises' in that democratic politics become
primary, then hopefully in the future if some variation
of a Truth Commission is established in the North
of Ireland, or even a further series of the admittedly
inadequate Public Enquiries which are already on
the agenda, then more ex-members of the British
Security Forces may come forward to bear witness
to some of the more unsavoury events they have witnessed
or participated in. Now for them to do this will
take courage as they will be going against the group
mentality encouraged in the military and the culture
they have grown up with, which for most people basically
boils down to one does not speak ill of one's country
to foreigners or go against the herd.
Those who come forward will do so for a host of
often-complicated reasons, not all of which will
be entirely honourable. But whatever their reasoning,
if they testify truthfully, we and the society we
live in will benefit from hearing what they have
to say. I'm pretty sure whistle-blowing must be
one of the loneliest public things a human can do.
Whether it is spilling the beans on the abuse of
power made by a government, multi-national corporation,
the EU or the military/police, powerful forces are
stacked up against the individual making the accusations.
The type of pressures that can be placed upon any
former soldier thinking about coming forward was
amply demonstrated during the Saville Enquiry into
the events in Derry on Bloody Sunday. Whistle-blowers
really do plough a lonely furrow and to call them
a Judas as some do is in my opinion outrageous and
more to the point will hardly help entice ex-security
force members to come forward and testify.
Anyone who has ever stood up to an injustice will
understand that it is not an easy thing to do, but
it is often made much easier by having loved ones,
friends and comrades alongside. To be alone in this
position, if only for a short time, can be a crushing
experience. For me anyone who consciously treads
this path deserves respect. That is not to say they
should not be challenged and argued with; far from
it, as in my experience many whistle-blowers despite
their actions still hold all the prejudices of their
past professions, and why indeed would they not?
On this Judas business, I feel those who publicly
express such taunts are often displaying more about
their own mindset on the world than those they are
abusing. For example, if those from within the Republican/Nationalist
communities or their supporters from overseas consider
'Ingram' a Judas, plus it seems also those like
him who may well follow in his footsteps, do they
also consider those English people who joined the
PIRA as traitors, say the two lads who spent a long
period in jail for the Harrods bombing? Going farther
back in time what about Erskine Childers, who was
shamefully abused in a similar manner although in
a different context, by those Republicans who followed
Michael Collins into supporting the Treaty? Or indeed
the Republican demi-god Padráiq Pearse, whose
father was a Yorkshireman and thus Pearse could
be described as an Englishman if we were to use
today's criteria for picking the Republic of Ireland
soccer team. As far as the latter two Republicans
are concerned I doubt they would, why not? Because
as far as these illustrious gentlemen are concerned
people realise that Irish-English history is complicated,
often over-lapping.
But
they seem unable to show the same generosity to
former British Service personnel who live in their
own time and are attempting in their own way to
make amends, or at the very least shed some light
on those dark corners that have been beyond our
gaze over the last thirty odd years. Perhaps much
of the hostility displayed to people like 'Ingram'
from Republican quarters, springs from the fact
that whilst they welcome the exposure of any wrong
doing done by the British State and its agencies,
they are wary that ex-British Army whistle-blowers,
having no allegiance to Republicanism, if genuine
may also expose unsavoury activities carried out
by members of the Republican movement; some of who
in all probability hold current leadership positions
within SF. If so and the s---- hits the fan, as
far as I'm concerned then so be it. These leading
Republicans will simply have to recognise their
political position has become untenable and move
aside, making way for a generation of younger Republicans/nationalists
whose hands are not tainted. Unfair in many ways
perhaps, but surely necessary for the greater good.
In any case if the IRA is stood down a fair number
of men and women who have given the Republican Movement
equal service, although away from the public's and
media's gaze will also be facing redundancy. Surely
some Volunteers are not more equal than others?
