Force Research Unit
Encyclopedia
Force Research Unit is alleged to be a name used by a covert military intelligence
unit established by the United Kingdom
Ministry of Defence
in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army
based at Templer Barracks, Ashford
in Kent
. The FRU is alleged to have been formed between 1980 and 1981 replacing an existing unit as an agent handling
capability. The FRU is claimed to have been based at the Intelligence Corps centre at Thiepval Barracks
, Northern Ireland
from where its members recruited and handled agents.
The FRU and its members are alleged to been engaged in a policy of collusion
with loyalist
paramilitaries
during the 1980s and 1990s, and to have contributed to the assassinations of at least 14 Roman Catholics
in Northern Ireland between 1987-1991 along with the deaths of two senior members of the Ulster Defence Association
(UDA).
, Security Service
and the British Army
. It is claimed the FRU asked for restriction orders to be placed on areas where they knew loyalist paramilitaries were going to strike.
paramilitary groups. A number of agents are suspected to have been handled by the FRU including IRA units who planted bombs and assassinated. Attacks are said to have taken place involving FRU controlled agents highly placed within the IRA. The main agent to have been uncovered so far was codenamed "Stakeknife
". There is a debate as to whether this agent is IRA member Freddie Scappaticci
or another, as yet unidentified, IRA member.
"Stakeknife" is thought to have been a member of the IRA's Internal Security Unit
- a unit responsible for counter-intelligence
, interrogation and court martial of informers within the IRA. It is believed that "Stakeknife" was used by the FRU to influence the outcome of investigations conducted by the IRA's Internal Security Unit into the activities of IRA volunteers.
It is alleged that in 1997 the UDA came into possession of details relating to the identity of the FRU controlled IRA volunteer codenamed "Stakeknife". It is further alleged that the UDA, unaware of this IRA volunteers value to the FRU, planned to assassinate him. It is alleged that after the FRU discovered
"Stakeknife" was in danger from UDA assassination they used Brian Nelson to persuade the UDA to assassinate Francisco Notarantonio instead, a Belfast pensioner who had been interned as an Irish republican in the 1940s. The killing of Notarantonio was claimed by the UFF at the time. Following the killing of Notarantonio, unaware of the involvement of the FRU, the IRA assassinated two UDA leaders in reprisal attacks. It has been alleged that the FRU secretly passed details of the two UDA leaders to the IRA via "Stakeknife" in an effort to distract attention from "Stakeknife" as a possible informer.
asserted that the arson attack which destroyed the offices of the Stevens Inquiry
was in order to destroy evidence on operational activities collected by Stevens' team.
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
unit established by the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
based at Templer Barracks, Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. The FRU is alleged to have been formed between 1980 and 1981 replacing an existing unit as an agent handling
Agent handling
In intelligence organizations, agent handling is the management of agents, principal agents, and agent networks by intelligence officers typically known as case officers.-Human intelligence:...
capability. The FRU is claimed to have been based at the Intelligence Corps centre at Thiepval Barracks
Thiepval Barracks
Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn, County Antrim, is the headquarters of the British Army in Northern Ireland and its 38th Brigade. In August 2008, 19th Light Brigade moved into Thiepval Barracks from Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
from where its members recruited and handled agents.
The FRU and its members are alleged to been engaged in a policy of collusion
Collusion
Collusion is an agreement between two or more persons, sometimes illegal and therefore secretive, to limit open competition by deceiving, misleading, or defrauding others of their legal rights, or to obtain an objective forbidden by law typically by defrauding or gaining an unfair advantage...
with loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...
paramilitaries
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
during the 1980s and 1990s, and to have contributed to the assassinations of at least 14 Roman Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Northern Ireland between 1987-1991 along with the deaths of two senior members of the Ulster Defence Association
Ulster Defence Association
The Ulster Defence Association is the largest although not the deadliest loyalist paramilitary and vigilante group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 and undertook a campaign of almost twenty-four years during "The Troubles"...
(UDA).
FRU activity on Tasking and Co-ordination Group
Allegations exist that the FRU sought restriction orders in advance of a number of loyalist paramilitary attacks in order to facilitate easy access to and escape from their target. A restriction order is a de-confliction agreement to restrict patrolling or surveillance in an area over a specified period. This de-confliction activity was carried out at a weekly Tasking and Co-ordination Group which included representatives of the RUCRUC
RUC may refer to: or Coimbra University Radio, a Portuguese university station* Rapid Update Cycle, an atmospheric prediction system* Renmin University of China* Roskilde University or Roskilde Universitetscenter...
, Security Service
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
and the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. It is claimed the FRU asked for restriction orders to be placed on areas where they knew loyalist paramilitaries were going to strike.
"Stakeknife"
FRU are also alleged to have handled agents within RepublicanIrish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
paramilitary groups. A number of agents are suspected to have been handled by the FRU including IRA units who planted bombs and assassinated. Attacks are said to have taken place involving FRU controlled agents highly placed within the IRA. The main agent to have been uncovered so far was codenamed "Stakeknife
Stakeknife
Stakeknife is the code name of an alleged spy who infiltrated the Provisional Irish Republican Army at a high level, while working for the top secret Force Research Unit of the British Army...
". There is a debate as to whether this agent is IRA member Freddie Scappaticci
Freddie Scappaticci
Freddie Scappaticci was accused in the Irish and British media on 11 May 2003 of being a high-level double agent in the Provisional Irish Republican Army , known by the codename Stakeknife.-Early life:...
or another, as yet unidentified, IRA member.
"Stakeknife" is thought to have been a member of the IRA's Internal Security Unit
Internal Security Unit
The Internal Security Unit was the name given to the counter-intelligence and interrogation unit of the Provisional Irish Republican Army...
- a unit responsible for counter-intelligence
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
, interrogation and court martial of informers within the IRA. It is believed that "Stakeknife" was used by the FRU to influence the outcome of investigations conducted by the IRA's Internal Security Unit into the activities of IRA volunteers.
It is alleged that in 1997 the UDA came into possession of details relating to the identity of the FRU controlled IRA volunteer codenamed "Stakeknife". It is further alleged that the UDA, unaware of this IRA volunteers value to the FRU, planned to assassinate him. It is alleged that after the FRU discovered
"Stakeknife" was in danger from UDA assassination they used Brian Nelson to persuade the UDA to assassinate Francisco Notarantonio instead, a Belfast pensioner who had been interned as an Irish republican in the 1940s. The killing of Notarantonio was claimed by the UFF at the time. Following the killing of Notarantonio, unaware of the involvement of the FRU, the IRA assassinated two UDA leaders in reprisal attacks. It has been alleged that the FRU secretly passed details of the two UDA leaders to the IRA via "Stakeknife" in an effort to distract attention from "Stakeknife" as a possible informer.
FRU and the Stevens Inquiry
Self professed former FRU operative Martin IngramMartin Ingram
Martin Ingram is the pseudonym of an ex-British Army soldier who served in the Intelligence Corps and Force Research Unit . He has made a number of allegations about the conduct of the British Army, its operations in Northern Ireland via the FRU, and against figures in the Provisional Irish...
asserted that the arson attack which destroyed the offices of the Stevens Inquiry
Stevens Report
The Stevens Inquiries were three official British government inquiries led by Sir John Stevens concerning collusion in Northern Ireland between loyalist paramilitaries and the state security forces...
was in order to destroy evidence on operational activities collected by Stevens' team.
External links
- Pat Finucane Centre
- Activities in Northern Ireland
- Relatives For Justice
- Madden & Finucane
- Brian Nelson
- Sunday Herald FRU investigation
- Kerr, Moyles and Walshaw portrait
- Transcript of BBC Panorama programme titled 'Collusion', 23 June 2002
- Series of articles appearing in the Sunday Herald about the activities of the FRU.
- Lengthy Interview given by Martin Ingram on Radio Free Eireann describing his FRU activities NOTE: Interview with Ingram starts around 25 minutes into the mp3.
- Transcript of Insight TV documentary : Licensed to Kill - Inside the Force Research Unit