Nexus - 0402 - New Times Magazine-pages

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The slaying caused uproar and hit the headlines around the world. Condemned in the world's media and British Parliament, all Libyan diplomats were expelled by a furious Home Secretary. The only problem with the Home Secretary's understandable indignation was that the Libyan gunman didn't shoot Yvonne Fletcher. The Fletcher killing occurred out of the blue, and singularly changed British political and public opinion overnight. Open sea- son was declared on Qadhafi and Libya by the US and, most importantly, was supported by Britain. The rest of Europe kept silent and sulked, having been out-manoeuvred. With the aid of a single bullet, the Reagan administration's ‘destabilisation’ plan against Qadhafi was back on track. The slaying caused uproar and hit the headlines around the statement that hopefully, one day, will boomerang back on him. world. Condemned in the world's media and British Parliament, Fulcrum learned that British and US intelligence had estab- all Libyan diplomats were expelled by a furious Home Secretary. lished a major surveillance post adjacent to the Libyan People's The only problem with the Home Secretary's understandable Bureau, at No. 8 St James's Square. This post had been ‘active’ indignation was that the Libyan gunman didn't shoot Yvonne for at least six weeks prior to the shooting, with up to 40 individ- Fletcher. ual intelligence officers present—but on the morning of the shoot- The Fletcher killing occurred out of the blue, and singularly ing, the post was abandoned. Moreover, Fulcrum also learned changed British political and public opinion overnight. Open sea- that the demonstration outside the Libyan Bureau was phoney: son was declared on Qadhafi and Libya by the US and, most the demonstrators belonged to a CIA front organisation. importantly, was supported by Britain. The rest of Europe kept Two additional facts were discovered. Firstly, British and silent and sulked, having been out-manoeuvred. With the aid ofa | American intelligence believed that Colonel Qadhafi had sanc- single bullet, the Reagan administration's ‘destabilisation’ plan tioned his London Bureau to shoot at the demonstrators, as they against Qadhafi was back on track. had intercepted a 'secret' message granting authorisation. Secondly, the CIA and MI5 knew precisely the calibre of weapon DISCO INFERNO PROVOKES TROUBLE IN TRIPOLI to be used. Both intelligence agencies had ‘penetrated’ the Bureau Eighteen months after Fletcher's assassination, 40 US war- and had Libyan 'sources' supplying information to them. lanes screamed across the night sky above Tripoli and Benghazi. Crucially, Fulcrum Productions learned beyond doubt that the Of those, eight F-111 bombers had been launched from bases in _ bullet that killed Fletcher had been fired from the upper floor of East Anglia, England, with the blessing of Prime Minister No. 8 St James's Square—the location of the surveillance post. Margaret Thatcher and a still-enraged British population. Each Ballistics experts consulted by the documentary team confirmed omber carried four 2,000-pound laser-guided ‘smart’ bombs. In the bullet's entry track to have come from No. 8. all, 32,000-pounds of high-explosive ordnance were explicitly tar- The team also learned that the bullet was adapted to fire with geted to kill Qadhafi. Miraculously, he escaped unhurt, but his "terminal velocity". This technique—a speciality of SAS 'shoot- fifteen-month-old daughter was killed and two adopted sons badly ers'—is achieved by removing some of the explosive propellant injured. from the cartridge. The result is a The Reagan administration loosed quieter shot, similar to using a the warplanes on Libya following the A statnl silencer. A side-effect of a bullet ombing of La Belle Discothéque in In April 1 996, Britain's Channel Four fired in this manner is that it flies West Berlin nine days earlier. One US flagship documentary programme more slowly and 'tumbles' as it serviceman and a young Turkish je i i strikes the target, wreaking havoc woman had been killed outright and Dispatches, He massively as it rips through soft tissue. In 230 people injured. The disco was a researched broadcast, revealed that every respect it is a ‘killer’ shot, nown hangout for off-duty US ser- | WPC Fletcher had been murdered by where chances of survival are so ic . age . slim as to bi ligible. The infor- resi elements of British and American eee eee toner President Reagan claimed he had mation on the bullet's terminal- irrefutable proof of Libyan sponsorship intelligence. velocity characteristics was also of the atrocity. Despite this claim, no confirmed by independent experts. evidence was ever submitted by the Reagan administration to support its A CYNICAL SECRET CABAL allegations. A host of well-informed individuals and ‘sources’ A well-placed and reliable ‘source’, interviewed by this writer, doubts any proof ever existed—except in the fevered imagination explained why WPC Fletcher was targeted. Intelligence opera- of CIA boss, Bill Casey. Conservative MP Sir Teddy Taylor tives believed Qadhafi had authorised a ‘hitman' to let loose with a regards the American allegations as "total rubbish". Sterling automatic weapon against CIA-funded demonstrators gathering outside Libya's London Bureau. This information was MEDIA REVELATIONS gleaned with the aid of signals intelligence (SIGINT) intercepts In April 1996, Britain's Channel Four 'flagship' documentary and human intelligence (HUMINT) sources inside the Bureau programme Dispatches, in a massively researched broadcast, itself. revealed that WPC Fletcher had been murdered by elements of The great worry amongst the secret cabal who planned the British and American intelligence. The purpose of the slaying, as assassination was that the random killing of Arab protesters outlined earlier, was to 'shape' public opinion and, importantly, would not be sufficient to force the British Home Secretary to pre-empt parliamentary indignation for the later bombing of expel all Libyan diplomats. It was argued that targeting a British Tripoli by British-based US warplanes. Disgracefully, these "Bobby", especially a policewoman, would do the trick. Such astonishing revelations went unreported by the media. appalling cynicism is the handmaiden to the intelligence commu- The film, made by the highly regarded Fulcrum Productions, nity as well as heartless politicians who believe the end justifies was the subject of a debate in the House of Commons on 8 May the means. 1996. MPs Sir Teddy Taylor and Tam Dalyell demanded the gov- The 'source' also explained that it was an "off the books" hit, ernment initiate a full inquiry. Responding for the government, and that "elements" inside the British and American intelligence Home Office Minister of State David Maclean described the communities were “out of control". But the suspicion remains Dispatches programme as "preposterous trash". In doing so, he that someone with power and influence gave 'a nod and a wink' to called into question the reputations of leading ballistics experts the operation. It is just not credible to suppose otherwise. and gunshot specialists—and carefully avoided reference to infor- The key to this convoluted reasoning was the cabal's fear that mation provided to the documentary team by well-placed, and the Home Secretary, Leon Brittan, would not act as required with- knowledgeable, intelligence sources. It was a white-knuckle out immense public and political pressure to jog him along. This elements of British and American — intelligence. MEDIA REVELATIONS In April 1996, Britain's Channel Four 'flagship' documentary programme Dispatches, in a massively researched broadcast, revealed that WPC Fletcher had been murdered by elements of British and American intelligence. The purpose of the slaying, as outlined earlier, was to 'shape' public opinion and, importantly, pre-empt parliamentary indignation for the later bombing of Tripoli by British-based US warplanes. Disgracefully, these astonishing revelations went unreported by the media. The film, made by the highly regarded Fulcrum Productions, was the subject of a debate in the House of Commons on 8 May 1996. MPs Sir Teddy Taylor and Tam Dalyell demanded the gov- ernment initiate a full inquiry. Responding for the government, Home Office Minister of State David Maclean described the Dispatches programme as "preposterous trash". In doing so, he called into question the reputations of leading ballistics experts and gunshot specialists—and carefully avoided reference to infor- mation provided to the documentary team by well-placed, and knowledgeable, intelligence sources. It was a white-knuckle NEXUS - 35 FEBRUARY - MARCH 1997