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Product Description
Pat Finucane's murder in 1989 was the most infamous incident in the long story of British counter-insurgency in Northern Ireland. But it was in no way unique. In "Killing Finucane", Justin O'Brien tells the full story of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and agents of the state - especially the RUC Special Branch and sinister elements in the British Army. The result was the corruption of the state itself and the loss of its claim to moral precedence in the fight against republican terrorism. "Killing Finucane" tells the story of Northern Ireland's dirty war from the start of the Troubles and through the 1980s and 90s. It tells of how Special Branch corrupted the RUC, stymied the Finucane murder hunt while recruiting his killer as an agent, and perverted the course of justice by lying to the Stevens inquiry. These abuses were official government policy: O'Brien demonstrates that MI5 controlled the entire security environment, including Special Branch, and covered its tracks by a deliberate policy of scapegoating alleged 'rogue operators'. In exposing the reality behind the dirty war in Northern Ireland, "Killing Finucane" serves as a warning about the corrupting tendencies of an unaccountable security apparatus. It tells of how agents involved in the killing were protected rather than prosecuted, and reveals why this was allowed to happen. This is an explosive and important expose.
About the Author
Justin O'Brien is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Law, Queen's University, Belfast. A former editor, current affairs at UTV, he is the author of two previous books on Irish politics, The Arms Trial and The Modern Prince, a biography of Charles Haughey. A specialist in the politics of corruption, he has also written about capital markets malfeasance in Wall Street on Trial.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As a person very closely concerned with this particular brutal murder I found that Justins book threw a light onto a very dark subject. It brought to my attention how the whole security setup moulds together into a seamless state when it is necessary for the State to protect itself from attack or criticism of any kind.It is a great pity that these same agencies did not pull together at a time when they could have saved lives here in NI rather than being indifferent in some cases to the unecessary loss of life, and in other cases actively working with the Paramilitaries to take life as in the case of Pat Finucane. His death was not just an attack upon a husband and a father but it was intended to intimidate any other advocate that might have the audacity to defend republicans in a Court of law.
There is a risk that this book is ignored because of the subject heading. That would be a travesty. Elements of the intelligence system who believe that they are above the law must be sent a clear message that that they are not so protected. This book explores the heart of the intelligence network and shows how it can use its powers to corrupt and criminalise certain agents whilst outwardly professing to uphold the law. Justin O Brien is to be saluted for this work. It is not only for academics. It should be read by everyone who wishes to understand how such things can happen.
Investigative journalism has in recent years opened doors normally shut to exclude the general public and has shone a bright light of discovery into some of the murkiest corners of the state. This book does just that. Justin is to be congratulated and his courage admired. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would recommend it to everyone.
There is a risk that this book is ignored because of the subject heading. That would be a travesty. Elements of the intelligence system who believe that they are above the law must be sent a clear message that that they are not so protected. This book explores the heart of the intelligence network and shows how it can use its powers to corrupt and criminalise certain agents whilst outwardly professing to uphold the law. Justin O Brien is to be saluted for this work. It is not only for academics. It should be read by everyone who wishes to understand how such things can happen.
Investigative journalism has in recent years opened doors normally shut to exclude the general public and has shone a bright light of discovery into some of the murkiest corners of the state. This book does just that. Justin is to be congratulated and his courage admired. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would recommend it to everyone.
2 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
At first I thought "Oh great, this is just the book that will tie up all the loose ends, and give me insights which have so far been hidden" - despite having read a lot of stuff on the subject - and indeed it seemed extremely well researched, well written in an academic style (but pleasantly so, with lots of words used slightly out of context, like "a granulated account"). But then.... it seemd to loose it more and more and didn't come together. The murder of Rosemary Nelson which the author promises repeatedly to bring into the wider range of events is barely touched upon and indeed, the intention of looking into Finucane's killing "in context" seems to get forgotten as the narrative proceeds. I'm not knocking this book - quite the opposite, it is full of important detail, but seeing he had such ambitious aims, the author seems keen to finish his account somewhat prematurely.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Britain's state sponsored terrorism in northern Ireland exposed
5 Mar 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Justin O'Brien's work helps tear the lid off Britain's dirty war in northern Ireland. He exposes how the British government used Protestant death squads as proxies to assassinate those of it's citizenry, like attorney Pat Finucane, who were deemed too sympathetic to the IRA. This is also the story of how these powerful forces in the military and police perverted justice by protecting their proxies and themselves from prosecution. So sinister were these villains that O'Brien quotes a former police chief superintendent as saying he 'feared Special Branch more than the Provisional IRA'.
Fine account of British state's sponsorship of terrorism in Northern Ireland
6 Sep 2006
Format:Paperback
Justin O'Brien, a lecturer at Queen's University, Belfast, has written a most revealing book about the murder of the solicitor Pat Finucane in 1989.
Six weeks before the killing, Junior Northern Ireland Office Minister Douglas Hogg set solicitors up as terrorist targets when he said, "I have to state as a fact, but with great regret, that there are in Northern Ireland a number of solicitors who are unduly sympathetic to the cause of the IRA."
The RUC Special Branch knew of the loyalist threat to Finucane's life but did not warn or protect him. Finucane's killers were members of a loyalist gang which the RUC Special Branch had infiltrated and which Brian Nelson, an Army agent, had given information.
Sir John Stevens, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, concluded in his inquiry that the murder `could have been prevented' and that the collusion ranged from "the wilful failure to keep records, the absence of accountability, the withholding of intelligence and evidence, through to the extreme of agents being involved in murder. ... Informants and agents were allowed to operate without effective control and to participate in terrorist crimes. Nationalists were known to be targeted but were not properly warned or protected."
O'Brien shows how the state gave excessive power to the Special Branch which then corrupted the RUC, undermined the Finucane murder hunt, recruited his killer as an agent, and perverted the course of justice by lying to and sabotaging the Stevens inquiry. He details the collusion between loyalist paramilitaries, RUC Special Branch, MI5 and certain British Army personnel.
Within four days of the army's deployment in Northern Ireland in 1969, the General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland had taken control of the entire security apparatus. The state gave priority to gathering intelligence by any means. The state's agents gave potential informers immunity from prosecution for crimes up to and including murder, overriding the rule of law. The state then tried to cover its tracks by scapegoating alleged `rogue operators'.
O'Brien shows how the British state corrupted itself by using terrorists. As he concludes, "The derogation of fundamental rights on the grounds of emergency legislation too easily enacted and rarely seriously challenged has profound moral consequences, as the Northern Ireland experience has demonstrated."
The British state has used this dirty policy over and over again, employing loyalist paramilitaries in Belfast against republicans, running Islamic terrorists in London to Kosovo. Ministers seem to think that they can use terrorists with impunity, but they risk the British people's security.
Six weeks before the killing, Junior Northern Ireland Office Minister Douglas Hogg set solicitors up as terrorist targets when he said, "I have to state as a fact, but with great regret, that there are in Northern Ireland a number of solicitors who are unduly sympathetic to the cause of the IRA."
The RUC Special Branch knew of the loyalist threat to Finucane's life but did not warn or protect him. Finucane's killers were members of a loyalist gang which the RUC Special Branch had infiltrated and which Brian Nelson, an Army agent, had given information.
Sir John Stevens, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, concluded in his inquiry that the murder `could have been prevented' and that the collusion ranged from "the wilful failure to keep records, the absence of accountability, the withholding of intelligence and evidence, through to the extreme of agents being involved in murder. ... Informants and agents were allowed to operate without effective control and to participate in terrorist crimes. Nationalists were known to be targeted but were not properly warned or protected."
O'Brien shows how the state gave excessive power to the Special Branch which then corrupted the RUC, undermined the Finucane murder hunt, recruited his killer as an agent, and perverted the course of justice by lying to and sabotaging the Stevens inquiry. He details the collusion between loyalist paramilitaries, RUC Special Branch, MI5 and certain British Army personnel.
Within four days of the army's deployment in Northern Ireland in 1969, the General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland had taken control of the entire security apparatus. The state gave priority to gathering intelligence by any means. The state's agents gave potential informers immunity from prosecution for crimes up to and including murder, overriding the rule of law. The state then tried to cover its tracks by scapegoating alleged `rogue operators'.
O'Brien shows how the British state corrupted itself by using terrorists. As he concludes, "The derogation of fundamental rights on the grounds of emergency legislation too easily enacted and rarely seriously challenged has profound moral consequences, as the Northern Ireland experience has demonstrated."
The British state has used this dirty policy over and over again, employing loyalist paramilitaries in Belfast against republicans, running Islamic terrorists in London to Kosovo. Ministers seem to think that they can use terrorists with impunity, but they risk the British people's security.
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