Spies, CAAT, Catholic Worker, BAe & East Timor
In 2003, BAE Systems - Europe's largest arms company - was accused of spying on a small group of peace campaigners - Campaign Against the Arms Trade. Mark Thomas refused to believe that his trusted friend and fellow activist Martin Hogbin could possibly have any involvement in the story. But then the doubts began to set in. Ciaron O'Reilly reflects on
how the related infiltration of the Liverpool Catholic Worker played itself out.
Related: Mark Thomas article in the Guardian | The Threat Response Spy
Files (2004)
"Mark Thomas article in today's "Guardian" speaks to infiltration of the
activist community and its consequences" said Ciaron O'Reilly.
Infiltration of Liverpool Catholic Worker
by Ciaron O'Reilly - Catholic Worker/Ploughshares
The Mark Thomas article in today's Guardian (4/12/07) brings back a rush of memories and emotions. It also does much to heal the divisiveness and bad feeling sown by the infiltration of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade.
The memories begin for me in mid- '96, when I arrived in England for the first time in 17 years. I came primarily from East Timor solidarity activism in Australia to support a friend, who I had met at the Washingon DC Catholic Worker and who had been active in solidarity with me while I spent 13 months in prison for disarming a B52 on the eve of the first Gulf War. She and 3 other women (using one of the hammers we had used on the B52 and New York and would later use at Shannon in 03) were in Risley Prison (England) following a £1.5 million disarmament action on a BAe Hawk fighter at BAe, Warton, Lancashire. The Hawk figther was already painted in Indonesian Air Force markings and was due for immediate export to the genocidal Suharto regime to be used on the people of East Timor. "Seeds of Hope Ploughshares".... http://www.plowsharesactions.org/webpages/weba.htm
Following the unprecedented acquittal of the "Seeds of Hope" plowshares women at Liverpool Crown courts July '96, the BAe empire stuck back. Instead of following up the conclusion implicit in the jury's decision that BAe may be involved in war crimes in East Timor, the Lancashire Special Branch did not turn their attention to BAe but approached a former policewoman to infiltrate the fledging Liverpool Catholic Worker community. The Catholic Worker community had emerged out of the organising and solidarity work around the "Seeds of Hope" trial. Instead of coming to infiltrate us, Janet Lovelace, mother of three, had the integrity to go to "The Guardian".
"Ms Lovelace peviously a constable in Hampshire for 5 years said: "The detectives told me 'Once a copper alays a copper', but I'd left the force because of that type of attitude"
When they met me for the second time, at a public house near the BAe site in Warton, the two men tried to persuade that if BAe's exports were disrupted local people would lose their jobs. "I replied that if BAe continued, lives would be lost in East Timor".
"They offered me £200 a month plus any expenses and a bonus, if I came up with good information. They wanted names and anyone who is doing the organising." The list of inducements grew longer and longer. "They said any domestic worries you have, any bills you have, don't worry we will sort them out for you. If I got arrested they would sort that out for me."
"The £200 was for the first 3 months, then it might be upgraded. They also offered a mobile telephone, petrol and child-minding fees. All of it was to be paid in cash and the taxman need never know about it. They said noone need ever know about it."
(The Guardian Sept 1996)
When BAe couldn't get infiltration from the state they turned to the private sector for back up. The covert events of 1996-99 would be revealed by a 2003 front page expose in The Sunday Times. Check link for story Sunday Times story http://www.evel.nl/spinwatch/sourcessundaytimes1.htm
Although I had only been in England briefly I was included amongst 13 activists injuncted by BAe in the high court in August '96. By the end of the year these injunctions were made lifelong. For the 4 of us who defended ourselves in the HIgh Court we were left with a £100,000 legal bill each. 2 of us then went on to break the injunctions on the "Feast of Innocents" (28/12/07). Chris Cole had already been sentenced to 6 months for merely writing a leaflet encouraging nonviolent direct action againsst BAe's arms sales to Indonesia. By the time of the July acquittal, BAe had moved a major agent to Liverpool from Hull to infiltrate the community that was forming around the trial and responding to BAe's role in the genocide in East Timor. The Sunday Times refers to him as "Brough", we knew him as "Alan Fossey". He was most likely used to target people fo rhigh court injunction at this early stage.
By the end of 1996, the Liverpool Catholic Worker were joined by courageous young men from Los Palos, East Timor. they had all occupied embassies in Djakarta, Indoneisa, and received sanctuary in the Portugal. They came to England to join us in nonviolent resistance to the arms trade that was targeting their families back in East Timor. Some had survived prison and torture, some had had their parents killed by the Indonesian military.
Fossey played a significant role to bringing an end to the Catholic Worker in Liverpool. These are some relflections I wrote soon after the expose in 2003
http://www.evel.nl/spinwatch/sourcesciaron.htm
Perusing some of the leaked documents that were the basis
of the expose is instructive. By 1997, the fledging Liverpool Catholic Worker had become the major problem for BAe in terms of sustained nonviolent resistance. The Liverpool Catholic Worker was a wonderful combination of local working class scousers, imported Catholic Worker veterans, young East Timorese straight out of a war zone and unfortunately Alan Fossey the intelligence agent. A rhtym of reflection, community building and nonviolent direct action was built on a 3 monthly weekend retreats that would conclude with NVDA at the BAe, Warton site. This was quite a new approach for the church and general movement in England, borrowing heavilly from the U.S. Catholic Worker and Plowshare movements. At one "nonviolence resistance retreat" of 35 participants, there were three other agents present as well as Fossey. BAe ran 6 agents in Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT). Fossey was run in the extended (not live-in) Liverpool Catholic Worker for over three years.
The aftermath of emotions expressed by Mark Thomas in his recent Guardian article mirrors the confusion and discord that saw the eviction and closure of the Liverpool Catholic Worker. Confusion and discord in the movement, I guess that's one of the major ambitions of intelligence agents.
The organisation that ran Fossey and the other agents prredates the East Timor/ Anti-Arms Trade campaigns. The Threat Response Files website has been set up that analyses their operation. See link for Threat Response Files website.....
Well done Ciaron
Keep up the great work.
I hope all this talk of Catholic Workers doesn't ruin anyone's day.
It's a cracking article, half read ...
I must admit I first got paranoid (which doesn't mean they aren't out to get ya!) when I saw an SBS movie in Spanish set somewhere in Mexico possibly. If someone could write the script, presumably someone had seen or heard of same. It just rang true as a work of fiction.
The radical lecturer was an ideological mentor to the idealistic students. But the cops had their hooks into him with some kind of blackmail leverage. He gave the young folks up.
Indeed a Catholic priest was known in Argentina to have put in over 70 victims oof the Argentinian Dirty War with fatal consequences and torture to the confessors. Talk about broken rites.
The reference is here October 2007:
BBC NEWS | Americas | 'Dirty War' priest gets life term
You have to ask yourself, with a multi billion dollar budget what would you in their shoes get the spooks, public or private to do? Pretty much the same thing. Even if just for training runs.
So my operating motto which is a bit depressing I admit is trust pretty much no one in a vocation of peaceful protest and environmental critique of rich powerful corporations , and secondly be reasonably transparent because you don't want your head shot off by fearful or over zealous agents by mistake like that poor Brazilian in London wrong place, wrong time. Extremely unlucky and no glory on anyone. What a tragedy. May he RIP.
Christians
Do not go around smashing things up as far as I know from my Gospel of Peace.
Thus Endeth the Lesson for the Day!
Well your obviously not a regular Catholic churchgoer as last week's Advent reading was "beat your sword into ploughshares". Check out the christians and friends who disarm nuclear and interventionary weapon systems on this site....
www.plowsharesactions.org
Reworking and some more info and analysis
Spooky world of multinational espionage keeps idealistic
activists nervous
LINK - Photo of BAe Spy Paul Mercer
This link is from "Undercurrents", it is photo of Paul Mercer outed as BAe spy and mentioned in the Mark Thomas "Guardian" article. The thread that follows displays the discord sewn in the movement.
http://undercurrentsvideo.blogspot.com/2007/04/photogra....html
Christian
Yes - You are right.
I am not a 'Catholic' , I am a Christian and as far as I know, using OldTestament sayings as support for your actions is not appropriate for Christians of the New Testament.
If I was to quote then enact some Old Testament laws, would I not be killing those who do not obey the Sabbath as Moses commanded or maybe Witches ?I agree that evil devices like miltary machines do immense harm as do the men and women using them but I think protest must be gentle in spirit not anger filled so as to set the perfect example that Christ set.
Response to John
Thanks for your concern but I can't recall any sense of "angered" filled emotions during any of the 3 plowshares actions I have been involved in at Griffis AFB, New York - Jabiluka or Shannon.
At my recent trials in Ireland my arresting officer testified that "I had comforted him" www.peaceontrial.com during the action,
The Catholic Worker has been a pacifist movement since its inception in the 1930's. Our nonviolent acts of repentence comes from a sense of deep complicity in the high crimes of the war machine.
Re: Response to John
Our nonviolent acts of repentence comes from a sense of deep complicity in the high crimes of the war machine.
This is what erks me about you christian types. This guilt trip, this inbuilt sin.
I in no way feel guilty about the crimes of the government of the land I live in. I am not the government, I am not the people who committed atrocities. I do not do activism out of guilt for some irrational sense of complicity, I do it because I can see shit is wrong, and I want to change it.
Penance or Repent
Did you repent before or after you trashed the military stuff ?? just kidding !
I know when I see and hear about the evils of war I get pretty angry, sure I would love to smash the things into dust but it's the hearts of the people who build and use them that needs changing. That's the work of the Holy Spirit that comes by hearing the word of God then repentence for being the sinner we once were that He, the Comforter does abide in us and shows us all things - the Spirit of Truth, The Holy Ghost, God the Spirit.
In communion with Him our prayers are answered , He is the Judge not us.
With reference to the plowshares prophecy I do believe that if read correctly you can see that is those who made the swords are the ones who turn them into plows, not anyone else but them.
The Nations must see the evil of their ways and when they do they will 'disarm'. This is a call to the heart that has been hardened to accept the heart that is the Lords.
Throwing out the money changers from the 'old' temple was to be considered by the jews. For Christians now we have a new Temple, ourselves, where God should dwell and be worshipped, fornication the sin against the temple.
Or in Paul's words "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,but against pricipalities,against powers,against the rulers of the darkness of this world,against spiritual wickedness in high places."
taking unto ourselves the spiritual armour of God, our Sword being - the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God - Ephesians 6:12
Response to Cam
"This is what erks me about you christian types. This guilt trip, this inbuilt sin. "
Chill out Cam, "repentance" has Greek roots literally for "turning around".
Since we also seem to be on a fast track to a nuclear bang or an environmental whimper that mightn't be a bad manouevere!
A sense of complicity should lead to such pro-activity in terms of nonviolent resistance or as the Wobblies would say "buiding the new in the shell of the old".
Guilt sounds like stalling in relation to a sense of complicity. If you're a first world white boy and don't feel complicit well I dunno...maybe you're heavilly sedated by the privileged culture provided by the armed robbery of the Third World. Then again some folks would prefer to do guilt than do the right thang. Good luck with the chuggers!
Re: Response to Cam
If you're a first world white boy and don't feel complicit well I
dunno...maybe you're heavilly sedated by the privileged culture
provided by the armed robbery of the Third World.
No, I don't feel complicit. I have no say in the matters of military and government. I put in my vote for progressives when voting time is on, the rest of the time I do what I can with grass roots activism.
I in no way feel guilty or complicit. I am not responsible. I committed no crime. I was born into the culture I am in. I rebel against what is wrong with it.
So spare me the guilt trip politics. I do things cause I see them as the right thing to do.
Reply to John
"Did you repent before or after you trashed the military stuff ?? just kidding"
John, "Trashing" or disabling the war plane was the act of repentance. I kid you not.
To repeat to you, I had no sense of anger during the 3 plowshares actions I have particpated in. And to reassure Cam I had no sense of guilt. We plead NOT GUILTY and in the last one www.peaceontrial.com the 12 jurors randomly chosen agreed with us and found us NOT GUILTY for this specific act.
Addressing Cam again, I have a sense of complicty, I then repent "turn around" my behavior if I don't (eg. buy Coke to mix with the rum knowing Coke has killed trade unionists without apology), I then may have a sense of guilt (unless as mentioned before I'm heavilly sedated by all those Coke adds!).
John, as a disciple we are called to act in witness to the presence of the Kingdom of justice and peace in the world. The Holy Spirit then takes that witness and moves with it very chaotically and unpredictablility. Some cops, soldiers and screws are deeply touched by the witness. Some right on PC activists respond with the cynicism of Cam here. Who would have thunk?
That you don't grasp the plowshares prophecy in a world where low intensity conflict grinds out the deaths of the poor on a daily basis, when OZ soliders are deployed with your taxes to kill and be kiled in Iraq and Afghanistan is kind of strange for a christian.
Do yourself a favour and check out this crew www.jonahhouse.org They had a lot to do with breaking open the radical message of the gospels to a first world white boy like me growing up in Briz Vegas
BrizVegas
Don't tell me you are from Brissie ? Brisbane that is.
I grew up there tooo , I sur as hell don't want to go back though.
I have been involved with union strikes as a 'trade' person ? and I do understand your feelings but I use the sword of the Lord, that is the word of God as my weapon including all other appropriate armour .
In that which is spiritual warfare again I would say no to confrontation.
The Apostles nor disciples as we have on record in the christian scriptures did not take up a sword against the romans or those of the jews who crucified Christ Jesus.
Christ as the perfect example we should imitate, if struck then we should turn the other cheek, to overcome evil we use love.
We are all sinners, even Cam ! but repentance is defined here ...
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Sorry about the text size !
Now having repented and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost we then by faith are moved to good works.
Again I must add that the Word of God is our sword not a physical one as the foe is also spiritual. There are Principalities and powers that rule the darkness that fills the hearts of men who then see it as being righteous to harm another.
Yes, they build instruments of terror, some obvious as missiles, planes etc and some not so obvious of which all are designed to do harm. That is against the Gospel message. Some will say it is in defence, some say they do it for God, some say it is for judgement or punishment but God says - Judge not ,for He will and of course His judgement is Righteous . But Judge Righteous judgement.
When the Apostles asked the Lord if Fire from Heaven should be brought down apon the heathens in judgement, the Lord rebuked them saying -"You do not know what manner of Spirit you are of "
I hope you understand where I am coming from. I seek not to justify myself for I am a man of many past sins. There is nothing I can do to recompense for them yet by repentance and the sacrifice of the Lord I am forgiven. We should be wary of wolves in sheeps clothing who appear as ministers of righteousness, who preach a false Gospel, one that is different to that given by God to Paul and written down in the epistles for our sake.
For those Epistles are the Word of God, I know of no others.
Final Response to John - over and out!
John,
You're from Brisbane!
You might to check out this link for recent ABC radio broadcast on this year's "Pig City" concert of bands that sprung up under Joh...The Saints, Go Betweens, Kev Carmody, Ups and Downs etc
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/hindsight/default.htm
Why should the devil have all the good music uh?
John you use very poetic language, the language of scripture. I want to clarify that
Catholic Workers and Plowshares are pacifists, we disarm swords, B 52's Tridents, small guns, big guns, we don't wield them.
The ethical difference between the Empires of this World and the Kingdom of God is that under empire all are expendable - from JFK down to the children who have died today marked as "collateral damage" in the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. In the Kingdom of God no one is expendable from the unborn to the undead on death row. They all demand defending with nonviolent resistance by the discipleship community and their friends.
You say you are against confrontation. Why did Jesus go to Jerusalem if not to confront the religious and political powers. Why didn't he set up shop in the wilderness like the Essenes if he wasn't into nonviolent confrontation of violent power. Why in the Acts of the Apostles are they forever in and out of court and jail. Why were 11 of the 12 arrested and executed if they were not perceived as a threat by the powers oftheir day? Why because the empire of violence and exploitation and violence cannot co-exist with the kingdom of nonviolence, peace and justice. They will co-opt or crush us. Co-opt in the First World with a privatised theology and prosperity gospel reading or crush our brothers and sisters in the third world who find liberation a constant theme in the gospels.
John, I think this interaction has run its course from the primary subject of this thread. The internet is to vulgar a medium for the nuances of discernment for this discourse to continue. This will be last response on the subject. I am going back to the thread of this post. Comment postings that stray from the subject of the original post should be deleted by the overworked editors.
John, I wish you all the best in your journey.
Happy Christmas Ciaron!
I hope you have a good one.
U.S. Intel. Spying Involved in Kidnapping of West Papuan Activis
Omega
This will be my last post also Ciaron.
Yes, I used to go to the beehive as a young lad and saw that horrible excuse for musical entertainment called the 'saints'
Saints they definetely were not. As I said in my 1st post, I am not what some call themselves 'Catholic' as in English (Anglican) or Roman.
I do not listen to men from their pulpits or popes from thrones but the 'living' word of God that 'is' God, the Lamp unto my feet. Your interpretation or understanding of the Word is not correct.
Jesus is the Divine Son of God not some radical revolutionary as depicted in the above post. Do you comprehend how many people have been murdered by those claiming they were Christians ?
The Spiritual warfare we fight is against this very false Gospel that leads men astray, now one of us correct in the matter of 'daisabling' military hardware, I will let those who read these posts to determine that.
LINK- Photo of "Alan Fossey" BAe Spy
On the link below is a photo of Alan Fossey attending a "Faith & Resistance" gathering at the Liverpool Catholic Worker in 1997. The Liverpool Catholic Worker was home to several refugees from Los Palos, East Timor, and nonviolent activists resisting Brtish Aerospace arms sales to the genocidal Suharto dictatorship in Indonesia. Fossey was paid t infiltrate this group and undemine its activisties....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85347&comment_limit=0&condense_comments=false#comment216467