Freddie Scappaticci, the former secret agent also known by his code name Stakeknife, was Britain's most valuable spy inside the IRA during 'The Troubles' it has been confirmed this week.
In a recorded telephone conversation the former commander of UK Land Forces General Sir John Wilsey, who was Army commander in Northern Ireland from 1990 to 1993, confirmed that Scappaticci — a member of the IRA's feared internal security team - was the British army's 'most important secret.'
According to the Belfast Telegraph, Wilsey said: 'He was a golden egg, something that was very important to the Army. We were terribly cagey about Fred.'
Wilsey made the admission during a telephone conversation with Ian Hurst, a military intelligence whistleblower, which was posted on the internet this week.
Hurst reportedly called Wisley's home twice last weekend claiming to be a British television researcher. In the course of their conversation, Wilsey reportedly describes two contacts he made with the agent, whom he refers to both as Stakeknife and Mister Scappaticci.
Their first meeting came during an inquiry into collusion between the security forces and loyalist paramilitaries carried out by Sir John Stevens (now Lord Stevens) the former head of the Metropolitan Police.
“The head of intelligence in Northern Ireland came to see me and said Stevens was burrowing around and that Fred Scappaticci was unsettled and would I go and see him and reassure him of the value of his work,' said Wilsey. 'That’s what I did.'
At the time Wilsey was communicating with him Scappaticci was a senior member of the IRA’s internal security section, which was tasked with uncovering police and Army informants.
At one of their meetings in south Belfast, Wilsey said he told Scappaticci that if he ever had any problems he could contact him personally. When Scappaticci had left Northern Ireland he wanted legal assistance and contacted Wilsey, who said he passed the request on to 'the proper quarters' and he believes Scappaticci was helped.
In the conversation Wilsey also revealed that Scappaticci was recruited as an agent in 1976 and that his first handler was a soldier named Peter Jones. In 1984, according to the Belfast Telegraph, a specialist agent-handling unit called the Force Research Unit (FRU) was set up and both Jones and Scappaticci were attached to it. Hurst, who released the tapes this week, also served in the FRU.
Wilsey claimed that Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) Special Branch 'was trying to get Scappaticci off us. They wanted him themselves. But Fred didn’t want to go with the police, because he thought they were sectarian.'
Hurst is currently preparing to give evidence at the Smithwick Tribunal in Dublin, which is examining the IRA murders of RUC Chief Superintendent Harry Breen and Superintendent Bob Buchanan at Jonesborough, Armagh in 1989. The Smithwick Inquiry was set up under Judge Peter Smithwick to investigate the murders of the two most senior policemen murdered during the Troubles. After a year of negotiations with the Ministry of Defence, Judge Smithwick secured the appearance of former Army intelligence handler Ian Hurst.
In his evidence, Hurst suggested that up to four members of the IRA gang that murdered the two senior officers could have been agents of one of other of the intelligence services active in Northern Ireland. Hurst also suggested Freddie Scappaticci was one of these agents.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.DanOLoingsigh | Apr 25, 2012, 11:49 AM EDT
pathfinder - of course at the 'time of the famine' you freedom-loving, non-class Yanks had millions of slaves...shall we take it that pro-slavery views expressed in 'The South' (and by many in the North) in those days are still relevant? Many European (and other) democracies have constitutional monarchs...and MOST are a lot more tolerant and democratic that the U.S., so what's your point again?
pathfinder | Apr 25, 2012, 09:42 AM EDT
First time here . . . I think the British government will lie like Lucifer. Believe nothing they tell you. The United States threw them over in the 18th Century, and it was the best thing we ever did. They have kings and queens. They believe in a class system, and if you're not British, you're nothing but a monkey. You can see it in their renditions of the Irish in the British periodicals during the Famine. They will say and do anything to stir the pot.
ancavker | Apr 24, 2012, 03:12 PM EDT
Tay: Possibly, but the Viet Cong could not be defeated. I would assume that if the British military had informers up and down the provo organization, they could have wiped it out. If they chose not to, than they are responsible for prolonging the bloodshed.
warrenpoint00 | Apr 23, 2012, 09:41 PM EDT
Huge impulsive rush to judgment here by the Irish media....again. Only facts that we have here is a conversation between two british agents overseeing the occupation of a small part of Ireland.I am some what surprised by our Irish posters buying into british dirty rotten tricks.....again.
DanOLoingsigh | Apr 23, 2012, 06:14 PM EDT
IrelandNorth - I think it was one to change the lightbulb, two to tell the Brits when it was getting changed, one to demand that a much older bulb be reused, another two to claim they had the only worthwhile replacement - and fight each other about that, and six to talk about how good the old lightbulb had been...
odubslaine | Apr 23, 2012, 02:11 PM EDT
With apologies to Saint Patrick, there are still snakes in Ireland...
TayandCake | Apr 23, 2012, 11:57 AM EDT
ancavker, its a known fact that they kept it going because it was a game to them, the thrill of the chase and all that. Much like vietnam and the unwinnable war in the desert at the mo.
ancavker | Apr 23, 2012, 11:00 AM EDT
One has to ask that with all the informers that the British had, why were they not able to destroy the Provos years ago?
IrelandNorth | Apr 23, 2012, 08:39 AM EDT
How many IRA's does it take to change a light bulb? Only one! As long as the lightbulb is British.
maireadinmelb | Apr 23, 2012, 04:34 AM EDT
By the bay look at teh figures, IRA killed a thousand or two. British forces and loyalists death toll is not much less!
barneyjo | Apr 22, 2012, 05:46 PM EDT
@sirpeter - First the vikings, then the Normans, and then the English; we are a put-upon people for sure. We'd better start learning the lessons of history quick, and perhaps for the first time :)
TayandCake | Apr 22, 2012, 04:25 PM EDT
FOREIGNERS IN
FallsRNat | Apr 22, 2012, 02:10 PM EDT
i doubt whether Scap was the brits most important mole in PIRA, he didn't have access to day to day operations & the Loughall unit was certainly set up by a mole, there was a mole in the Derry brigade, the Gardai had Sean Callghan, the RUC had a mole in the Short Strand area that was near the PIRA high command for 15 years, so when they say Scap was their most important informant, i doubt it.
sirpeter | Apr 22, 2012, 01:57 PM EDT
barneyjo. Sing "Irish ways and Irish laws" for me? Consider the truths in that one.Or are those lyrics made-to-measure history?lol
citizen69 | Apr 22, 2012, 01:40 PM EDT
@GeorgeDillon: No worries, thanks.
seamus60 | Apr 22, 2012, 01:39 PM EDT
Iron mountain, it appears the Generals account is accepted by people like Danny Morrisson.
barneyjo | Apr 22, 2012, 12:33 PM EDT
For the Romantics among you - "FAITHFUL DEPARTED" This graveyard hides a million secrets And the trees know more than they can tell The ghosts of the saints and scholars will haunt you In heaven and in hell Rattled by the glimmer man, the boogieman, holy man Livin' in the shadows and the shadows of a gunman Rattle like the coppers in your greasy till Rattle til the time stood still Look over your shoulder; hear the school bell ring Another day of made-to-measure history I don't care if your heroes have wings Your terrible beauty's torn" Consider the truths in the above all !!!
GeorgeDillon | Apr 22, 2012, 12:01 PM EDT
OK, citizen69, I hadn't read that one--I usually avoid that particular poster's flatulations. Sorry I called your remark nonsense, you were in the right.
citizen69 | Apr 22, 2012, 10:15 AM EDT
@GeorgeDillon: the likes of Cillowen about two posts below still going on about " Eight hundred years of Saxon terror", the plantations and everything in-between being posted ad-nauseam on almost every article however irrelevant from the price of petrol to how to make Irish soda bread! So predictable.
GeorgeDillon | Apr 22, 2012, 09:23 AM EDT
"It's depressing when people are still harking back to 800 years ago!" Citizen89, what nonsense are you peddling here? Pray tell which poster referred to the 13th century?
citizen69 | Apr 22, 2012, 09:19 AM EDT
It's depressing when people are still harking back to 800 years ago!
IronMountainMovies | Apr 22, 2012, 09:00 AM EDT
Given that the General would be subject to the official secrets act, how could he make such a revelation inadvertently or otherwise? And to a whistle-blower pretending to be a journalist? Seems to me this smacks of misinformation and of course is helped along by the blind acceptance of such things by so called journalists who seem to think if the Government or the authorities say it, it must be true. Did you take any time to further investigate this Antoinette, or do you just repeat what the authorities tell you? Being a reporter means a hell of a lot more than just reporting or cutting and pasting what you are told without question. Give Bob Fisk or Peter Taylor a call and see how asking questions works for them.
maireadinmelb | Apr 21, 2012, 07:47 PM EDT
Well said Mamginnty, They all forget there was british violence in ireland long before the ira came along!
mamaginnty | Apr 21, 2012, 07:02 PM EDT
Would know where this crowd grew up, and not a word about all the killings by the british..em loyalists, ruc, army. Such is the hatred here that started it all.
Curitiba | Apr 21, 2012, 05:11 PM EDT
I have a reply for you RedBranch, on the Gerry Adams unveils seven point plan article.
maryanna | Apr 21, 2012, 02:48 PM EDT
The Norwegian mass murderer revealed yesterday that he was inspired by Sinn Fein/IRA and their bloddy atrocities. The IRA still exists and runs Sinn Fein, not the other way around. People keep referring to this organisation as "left wing"; in fact, it is Fascist. We may be approaching the type of political situation, which emerged in Germany in the early 1930s. The Germans gave Hitler a democratic mandate, because of continuing and worsening austerity. The irony is that the present day German Government is imposing this type of austerity on Ireland and other Euro nations. Frau Merkel appears to be ignorant of Germany's 20th century history.
citizen69 | Apr 21, 2012, 02:44 PM EDT
The Provisional IRA and all the other paramilitary groups were infiltrated to the neck by intelligence agencies. The man in charge of IRA internal security, the very person responsible for routing out and dealing with informers and British agents within the IRA, was himself a British agent!
RedBranch | Apr 21, 2012, 02:32 PM EDT
If the State Forces 'colluded' with Loyalist Death Squads, then what word would you use to describe the State Forces relationship with Republican moles?
mamaginnty | Apr 21, 2012, 01:24 PM EDT
This talk sickens me,especially comments from people who never lived through the troubles, on why the nationalists asked for help from the british forces, which in fact was the worst thing we ever did, the forces armed the loyalists. The forces came into almost every catholic area, into peoples homes, turned on water taps and flooded the homes out, being called papish bastards every time you passed them, pushing a baby in a buggy and the forces and loyalists calling your child the pope's little bastard, a hell of a lot more went on way before the IRA were formed. The south of Ireland would not tell the people what we were going through, britain was the same, propaganda and hatred was rife against the catholic. Who fired the first shot ? So please unless you have lived it, don't be a know all like GoergefrigginDillon, a very sick man full of hatred. Some people seem to thrive on what everyone suffered in those days on both sides.
jimmybb | Apr 21, 2012, 01:19 PM EDT
theres a suprise aguinea that couldnt keep his mouth shut as on the usa side of the atlantic the keep ratting on eachother to save their own skins ' la cosa nostra ' is now code for what a joke big mouth drama queens all of them
Silling | Apr 21, 2012, 01:02 PM EDT
where west, each wind is born. Mischievous Gaels, with pots of vapoured broth, disperse its brew and laced with ancient potions, concoct a drape to cloak the saxon horde. Good on you Adam's McGuines, without your sacrifice, Ireland would be eternally in bondage. Free state Irish looked on at the hunger strike. I am ashamed of my republic.
Curitiba | Apr 21, 2012, 01:00 PM EDT
Why would you join the UVF if you were RC? How could you join in the conversations about "taigs" and "fenians" and not think that they were referring to you?
cynicus | Apr 21, 2012, 12:38 PM EDT
Not surprised!! The IRA and previous similar Irish 'secret' organisations all met their doom at the hands of their own inside informers. THis should be a lesson to all persons sympathising with terrorist groups; they are full of spies and informers- usually at a high level - and the current dissidents are riddled with informers. The foot-soldiers are always the victims of their own comrades' treachery. Stakeknife is not the only high-level informer that the British had! Time will disclose the identities of the others! Freddie was well protected by the IRA after he was 'outed.' I wonder why?
FallsRNat | Apr 21, 2012, 11:45 AM EDT
There was at least 2 members of the UVF's mid ulster brigade that were Roman Catholics, foreign sounding names etc are an irrelevance, it is all about the area that you were brought up in & that families allegience. The Shoukri brothers who were active gunmen in the UFF were products of a protestant/egyptian christian marriage, that didn't stop them from fighting for the loyalist cause, Skelly admitted on TV that if he had been born in the Falls he probably have been in PIRA, so it's more about where you were born, yes, religion does play a big role, but loyalist paramilitaries have had RC gunmen in their ranks.
Larry777 | Apr 21, 2012, 11:42 AM EDT
Shalom, One down two to go: Adams & McGuiness. They allowed Scappaticci to go back to Italy so that he wouldn't expose them.
FallsRNat | Apr 21, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT
youse don't win the war by fighting clean Scap would have been party to all of PIRAs operations, were soldiers sacrificed, of course. The Stevens enquiry basically removed an old tired UDA with brigadiers more worried about their lifestyle then being an effective fighting force, once the old guard was removed, much younger militaristic figures took over, men such as Adair, McKeag, McCrory, Knight etc, the UFF 'C' company would never have come to power without Steven's.
mactire | Apr 21, 2012, 11:01 AM EDT
In addition to my point below regarding the Stevens Inquiry - let me get this straight right? The British are claiming that they had a spy right at the heart of the IRA. They say he was recruited in 1976 and remained in place until the 2000s. Yet, in that same period the IRA blew up almost every police and army barracks in Northern Ireland, murdered over a thousand miltary personnel and then went on to destroy the heart of London's banking quarter - twice. Conclusion - Scappaticci was obviously a very effective spy for the "Brits" ...
maryosullivan | Apr 21, 2012, 10:21 AM EDT
Just to ensure my message isn't misrepresented My previous posting should have read.. The Brits will get around to acknowledging the assistance of you and Martin to their efforts
DaithiSuibhne | Apr 21, 2012, 10:18 AM EDT
@GerogeDillon-Of course everyone knows where Gerry and Martin get their money, from the British Exchequer of course!
maryosullivan | Apr 21, 2012, 10:11 AM EDT
like2tweet..Dealing with the Mafia would be quite a decent thing to do compared to the M16/CIA/FBI. Have you ever heard of Angelo Fusco? Names do not prove who are honorable and who are not
Curitiba | Apr 21, 2012, 10:10 AM EDT
Are there any Sicilian-born Irish people in La Cosa Nostra? Any Luigi O'Reilly's?
mactire | Apr 21, 2012, 10:10 AM EDT
With all due respect to the reporter, the headline story from Hurst's "interview" with General Wilsey is not Scappaticci but the fact that he confirms that the commanders of the then RUC and as well as the FRU actively opposed an inquiry into collusion (Stevens 3), which had been set up by their own sovereign government. It has been known that Scappaticci was a spy for years. How convenient that all the focus is on him and not RUC collusion with loyalist killers.
maryosullivan | Apr 21, 2012, 10:05 AM EDT
Don't worry, Gerry, they will get around to you and Martin
GeorgeDillon | Apr 21, 2012, 09:13 AM EDT
The Adams/McGuinness leadership, the same people who turned a nationalist movement into a Mass Immigrationist pressure group, have a lot of questions to answer about the above and many other mysterious matters. By the time of the ceasefire--a decision which I thought was correct, but a decade or two late--all of Belfast and Derry and large parts of the rest of the province had been betrayed by people who remain in positions of influence in that outfit. How many people did this particular traitor Steaknife have murdered? I truly don't understand how anyone could support the millionaires Adams and McGuinness (where did they get their money?--they never worked a day in their lives) at this stage.
like2tweet | Apr 21, 2012, 08:17 AM EDT
With a name like that maybe he was a Mafia plant