How counter insurgency campaign was born

Requesting a public inquiry into Desmond De Silva’s report, if granted, will open a can of worms that scares the British “Counter Insurgency elite”.

In the mid-1960s the then government of Harold Wilson was seen by the British establishment as too left-wing and attempts to subvert that government were made by leading figures like Cecil King, chairman of the International Publishing Corporation” and, other dark forces within the establishment.

Another prominent figure was General Walter Walker, who had been in charge of counter insurgency during the Borneo campaign 1964/5, an undeclared war in which I participated in with the Royal Ulster Rifles. In the late 1960’s Brigadier Frank Kitson wrote a book, Counter Insurgency and Low Intensity Operations where he outlined his ideas of dealing with subversives.

The Northern crisis was a God-send for those advocates of counter insurgency. Bloody Sunday in Derry the catalyst and the Provisional IRA were born. The dirty war had now begun.

Michael O’Donnell

Old Youghal Road

Cork