Last week was the 20th. anniversary of the opening shot of this ongoing war on the people of Iraq. I put out a press release, hoping their would be some bites that would promote the events we were organisng to mark the occasion.

Later that day I got word that a journalist from the Irish Times was trying to contact me. A pleasant surprise, I thought, as the same newspaper did their best to get us sent down for the '03 "Pitstop Ploughshares" action at Shannon Airport - reporting the lie (pre-trial) on their front page that we cost the Irish tax payer $2.5 million (see the WikiLeaks cables exposing that the U.S. picked up the bill) AND the Gardia in the hangar had been assauted by us on the night (see testimony in 3 trials under oath by said Gardai that I "had comforted him not assaulted hjim"), the Irish Times had not responded to my previous press releases in relation to the mention of the Pitstop Ploughsraes/ Shannon 5" in secret Dublin U.S. Embassy cables exposed by WikiLeaks a month earlier. So I have safely assumed I, Pitstops, the militarisation of Shannon airport have been censored by the Irish media (one of the most centralise and housebroken in the world!) So this interest (I assumed in response to my press release) was a pleasant surprise.

Not so.....
after playing telephone tag with the Irish Times, the reporter got through on the phone to me.
She asked, "Did you now Mark Kennedy or Mark Stones
I felt like replying "Well not in the biblical sense!", but thought better of it. No time for flippancy!

I had met the dude twice once had at a Glusitaicht (sp?) thang in County Clare, we both presented at and once at a punk gig at Bohemnians FC - a fundraiser for actions at the G20 in Scotland. He was in the comapny of an english woman I had met back in my Liverpool daze...at a joint Dockers/ Reclaim the Streets effort in summer of '96!. So I was chatting to her rather than him. I can't recall giving him a lot of time. I definitely did not buy him a pint!

The reporter asked me "Were you suspicious of Stones/ Kennedy?"
I replied "I'm generally suspicious of English people, that's how I was raised!"
I assume that aboriginal people are suspicious of me, fair enough! Not proud of my attitudes but they are what they are....I'm working on 'em!

She wanted more information. I wanted her to broaden out her investigation. I tried to tell her that the Catholic Worker were heavilly infiltarted by Alan Fossey/ "Alaister?" working for BAE in Liverpool '96-'99.
Photo of "Alan Fossey"/ Alaister/??? here........
 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85347?search_text=mark+...16467

That following my role in trial support and the August 1996 acquital of the "Seeds of Hope Ploughshares", I (among others) had been hit with a high court injunction by BAE (even though I had only been in Europe for 7 weeks, after a 17 year absence!), that a former policewoman was approached by Lancashire Special Branch and offered £200 for every meeting of the emerging Liverpool Catholic Worker/ Ploughshares network she attended (along with car, creche facilities for her kidz, bonuses for information on organisers), this woman of integrity responded to the Special Branch offer by going into a second meeting with Special Branch wired up and taping it.

Special Branch attempted infiltration became a page 2 article in The Guardian in September of 1996 (Our mistake was to assume this failed attempt would be the only attempt). The acquital (first one in the history of the then 16 year old Plowshares movement...two of our folks in the U.S. werre serving 18 year sentences for doing a lot less damage than these four acquitted women). The Liverpool acquittal was obviously
"....shakin their windows
And rattlin their walls...."
...and resources were bening mobilised against us.

BAE spy Alan Fossey was then moved from his base in Hull to Liverpool vicinity . We now have information that Fossey was former British Amry attached to 14 Intelligence Company in Northern Ireland
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/14_Intelligence_Company

"author by Declanpublication date Sat Nov 27, 2010 14:19
Sorry to join this debate half way through but I may be able to help.

When the Fossey affair broke CO’R circulated the picture of him, someone said that they might recognise him. I have spoken to them and they believe that his real name was Alastair (note spelling) but couldn’t recall his surname. CO’R is right that he’s ex-army and he was attached to 14 Intelligence Company in Northern Ireland but left the army after he returned to his original unit. He was apparently a sergeant. "

More on the Liverpool Catholic Worker/Plowshares infiltration and the infiltration of the larger more moderate "Campaign Aganists the Arms Trade" here......
 http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85347?search_text=mark+...homas

I also informed the Irish Times journalist of the recent FBI raids and infiltration of the anti-war movement in the U.S. and the pending grand jury to deal with them
see this youtube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ikSP-79PJU

She did not seem to be interested in putting her story in a broader context.
She wanted more leads. I suggested she could try WSM as they were more involved in G20 Scotland and the big May Day Dublin organsing than I was...at that time I was on bail for 3 1/2 years in Ireland awating trial/s for the Pitstops and had to be careful not to be lifted if I wanted to stay on the streets doing pre-trial/s organsing...one of the reasons I didn't go to the G20 in Scotland and kept away from the cops during that Dublin May Day. On request Dublin Catholic Worker did offer hosiptality to the parents of the Womble woman who was busted at the squat Kennedy has set upand did what we could to support the daughter Womble as she awaited court.

I then emailed the WSM contacts, I had, informing them that the Irish Times journalist maybe making inquiries. At no time did I give any names of any persons to the Irish Times in relation to this story. Did I do the right thing? Dunno!

I remain focused on the ongoing wars on Iraq and Afghnistan and solidarity with Bradley Manning ...this Stones/ Kennedy thang is not a big part of my day. I'm more interested in Fossey and deconstructing the mistakes I made (not trusting my intuitiuiton, thinking the Spoecial Branch woman would be the only attempt to infiltrates us in Libverpool etc)......I wish CAAT would co-operate in this but they have their own agenda...maybe it is finiancial I dunno...they have never approached me?Liverpool Catholic Worker to pool knowledge of their and our infiltration in the late '90's. Go figure?
 http://www.londoncatholicworker.org