17 October 2004. Patrick Mercer denies serving in the FRU, admits to co-operating with the murderers:

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1329375,00.html

http://www.sundaylife.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=573040

Cryptome:

It is not to be expected that anyone who served in the FRU will admit it, unless, as in a few cases, the person has a grievance with the FRU's murderous acitivites. These few cases have provided the only public light on the black unit. [See http://cryptome.org/fru-claimant3.htm]

Moreover, few persons who have served in any covert action unit engaged in murderous activities -- military, intelligence, insurgent, criminal -- will admit to it, whether for self-protection, to avoid prosecution, to escape retaliation, or because of oaths of silence.

Mercer's denials so far, in the Observer and the Telegraph, fit a well-established of those who have served in or authorized FRU-type operations: a pattern of obfuscation, equivocation, ridicule, evasion and lies. These are customarily used by persons with villainy to hide -- to bide time to see if further allegations are made which can then be answered with more of the same, including responses to official investigations, not to say pleas to a nutting squad.

Mercer has demonstrated in his public statements that he is well-versed in the FRU's barbaric activities, even argued they were justified. And it is reported that the FRU was staffed with a variety of military personnel, some short-term, some long, for a variety of purposes, some benign, for logistics, intelligence, and such specialties, some deadly, for executions, kidnappings and disappearances, singular and multiple. Special ops personnel would be brought in from other units to carry out a deniable operation, then returned to their units afterwards. Records for these quite black operations were sparse, if any.

Nothing unusual about Mercer's denials, for they mirror those of MoD and its supporters in intelligence, PM cabinet, NI officials, special courts, and not least special investigatory commissions whether governmental or insurgent.

Relevant comments:

http://www.sluggerotoole.com/archives/2004/10/mercers_interes.php

16 October 2004. Add Patrick Mercer photos and parlimentary comments.

14 October 2004. A. writes:

I just got it confirmed that Patrick Mercer, OBE, was a leading officer in the Force Research Unit (FRU). He served  in South Armagh and was at the front of things. If you go to the House of Commons web site, he has a pretty good CV. But he has omitted his contact with FRU. If you could make this public, I think people would like to ask for some answers.

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More on the murderous FRU:

http://cryptome.org/fru-portrait.htm

Patrick Mercer as MP and in FRU portrait.
Mercer denies the right photo is him.

http://www.patrickmercer.org.uk/about.html

About Patrick Mercer MP

Born in 1956, the son of a reverend Patrick John Mercer has a wife and son in his home town of Newark.

Gaining 3 A' levels Patrick went on to achieve a boxing blue at Oxford where he read history. He has published two books to date.

He has been defence correspondent for the BBC. He has been a professional soldier, serving as a colonel in Bosnia. He has also served in Canada, Northern Ireland and around the world. He has been a lecturer at Cranfield University and a member of the King's College London team for East Timor. He negotiated and established British presence in Uganda post 1985 civil war. He has played a vital role in establishing ceasefire terms in Ulster, and the NW sector of the Serb republic. This impressive record has earned him several decorations.

His interests include history, watercolour painting, country sports, writing but primarily politics. Member of Parliament for Newark and Retford, Patrick Mercer has been an MP since June 2001, having followed a political career since 1999.

He was a key member of King's College London team tasked with the design of government policy for East Timor (2000). He worked as a freelance journalist for the Daily Telegraph (1999-2001) and a radio journalist on the 'Today' programme, BBC Radio 4 (1999).

From 1974-1998 he was a Regular Army Officer (Colonel) covering a wide range of accomplishments. Patrick's father had served as a wartime officer in the Sherwood Foresters. Following in his father's footsteps, he commanded the regiment's 1st Battalion in Bosnia and Canada (1995-1997). On top of this he undertook nine tours in Northern Ireland; was Head of Strategy, Army Training and Recruiting Agency (1997-98); undertook nine tours in Northern Ireland and was Founder member of Cease-Fire Committee (1992); was Instructor at the Army Staff College, Camberley (1994-95). Notably he negotiated the British Presence in Uganda post Civil War (1986).

He has been given the following awards: OBE, Bosnia 1997; MBE, Northern Ireland 1992; Gallantry commendation, Northern Ireland 1990 and Mentioned in Despatches, Northern Ireland 1983.

16 October 2004

Source: Google images.

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Conservative MP and former soldier Patrick Mercer spoke after Trimble. He hailed the dirty war as a successful campaign of “killing people if necessary and deterring people because it has to be done.”

-- Steve James, Northern Ireland: “Dirty war” probe provokes conflicts, 13 June 2003

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Mr. McNamara : At the centre of Stevens's investigation and allegations of dirty tricks and unlawful activities carried out by the British Army are the members and officers of the force research unit - the FRU - previously known as the forward reconnaissance unit, and before that the 14th intelligence company. The unit is now known as the joint services group and, according to Brigadier Arundell David Leahy, its methods of operation have not changed to any significant extent.

Patrick Mercer (Newark): The hon. Gentleman should get his facts straight. He has confused a series of wholly discrete organisations and has misused their titles. It would be a service to the debate if he got his facts straight.

Mr. McNamara : It would have been of service to the debate if the hon. Gentleman had given me the correct names. I would be quite happy to use them. He obviously knows more about it than I do.

-- Westminster Hall, Wednesday 14 May 2003, [Mr. Edward O'hara in the Chair], Stevens Inquiry