Exposed The true story of a lost documentary.
March 28, 2024 8:36 AM Subscribe
I heard about this on BBC World Service yesterday, and it's quite quite fascinating.
posted by hippybear at 9:07 AM on March 28
posted by hippybear at 9:07 AM on March 28
Well that's a hell of a story. I'm failing at reading comprehension though. The second half of the article talks about various reasons British Intelligence might have suppressed the film. One explanation as to why, attributed to the filmmaker, is
Related: I'm trying to puzzle out how a film showing IRA terrorists building bombs and exploding them was ever going to be something that helped the IRA. But that sounds like how the film was originally received when it screened. I don't have a handle of how many pro-IRA sympathizers there would have been in Ireland or the US in the 70s. A lot, I guess.
(The rest of the article talks about how valuable the film must have been to anti-terrorist intelligence in the US and the UK. That seems a much simpler reason to suppress the film.)
posted by Nelson at 9:10 AM on March 28
He said Bowyer Bell told him: "The British govemment was too afraid of the repercussions that the film could have with the Irish community in the US which was a very powerful, wealthy community.What repercussions are implied here? Would the British government have been worried that this film would incite pro-IRA passions in the US? Or that it would cause anti-IRA criticisms of the Irish in the US?
Related: I'm trying to puzzle out how a film showing IRA terrorists building bombs and exploding them was ever going to be something that helped the IRA. But that sounds like how the film was originally received when it screened. I don't have a handle of how many pro-IRA sympathizers there would have been in Ireland or the US in the 70s. A lot, I guess.
(The rest of the article talks about how valuable the film must have been to anti-terrorist intelligence in the US and the UK. That seems a much simpler reason to suppress the film.)
posted by Nelson at 9:10 AM on March 28
The IRA did it because they wanted to be in movies! Who doesn't want to be famous?
posted by kingdead at 9:21 AM on March 28
posted by kingdead at 9:21 AM on March 28
It appears the IRA did see this as a propaganda film for their cause. The same way that today, Islamic terrorists publicize their violence to recruit new members from UK, Europe, Canada, the US, etc.
The BBC reporting is focusing on the extraordinary behind the scenes footage of violence but it's implied there are many other parts of the video involving interviews with IRA members. Having them explain the purpose & the mission combined with visible proof of their actions & effects is what is attractive to other mostly young men and women who are looking for a cause to follow.
posted by muddgirl at 9:29 AM on March 28 [7 favorites]
The BBC reporting is focusing on the extraordinary behind the scenes footage of violence but it's implied there are many other parts of the video involving interviews with IRA members. Having them explain the purpose & the mission combined with visible proof of their actions & effects is what is attractive to other mostly young men and women who are looking for a cause to follow.
posted by muddgirl at 9:29 AM on March 28 [7 favorites]
I'm trying to puzzle out how a film showing IRA terrorists building bombs and exploding them was ever going to be something that helped the IRA
COPS is currently in its 35th season.
posted by mhoye at 9:30 AM on March 28 [13 favorites]
COPS is currently in its 35th season.
posted by mhoye at 9:30 AM on March 28 [13 favorites]
(Irish) Republicanism was really a thing in the 70s and 80s in the US.
There were a lot more pure-blood Irish-Americans and people living in mostly-Irish American enclaves and resentment of Irish protestants and the British was still strong.
Discrimination by American Protestants against Catholic Irish Americans were recent living memories and that created a further kinship with northern Irish Catholics.
There were small populations of Ulster political exiles living in Irish American enclaves and they stirred things up.
After the war in Vietnam ended, a lot of radicals adopted a broad-based liberationist ideology - while more about the PLO and various African, Asian and Latin American Marxist rebel groups, a decent chunk of them became IRA supporters. The hunger strikes of the early 80s were galvanizing in that regard.
Less charmingly, Irish American gangsters were still a real thing, and they gravitated to criminal activities with the IRA in the same way the Italian American mafia cooperated closely with Italian organized crime.
posted by MattD at 9:33 AM on March 28 [16 favorites]
There were a lot more pure-blood Irish-Americans and people living in mostly-Irish American enclaves and resentment of Irish protestants and the British was still strong.
Discrimination by American Protestants against Catholic Irish Americans were recent living memories and that created a further kinship with northern Irish Catholics.
There were small populations of Ulster political exiles living in Irish American enclaves and they stirred things up.
After the war in Vietnam ended, a lot of radicals adopted a broad-based liberationist ideology - while more about the PLO and various African, Asian and Latin American Marxist rebel groups, a decent chunk of them became IRA supporters. The hunger strikes of the early 80s were galvanizing in that regard.
Less charmingly, Irish American gangsters were still a real thing, and they gravitated to criminal activities with the IRA in the same way the Italian American mafia cooperated closely with Italian organized crime.
posted by MattD at 9:33 AM on March 28 [16 favorites]
To @mhoye's point, there's now a growing groundswell of support for Irish unity with the broader left's vocal embracing of anti-colonialism, as well as Sinn Fein's move to the left as Ireland's dominant progressive party, pushing for women's body autonomy, LGBTQ rights, affordable housing, addressing wage stagnation, etc.
They also have, for the first time ever, have the most seats in the Northern Irish assembly, with SF's Michelle O'Neil as first minister. Hell, in the Dail, they're tied with Fianna Fail for seats, and the largest segment of the opposition.
The sword got Irish decolonization to a certain point, the pen has now taken up the charge. I still remember a few years back when Sinn Fein got on Tiktok and immediately hit all the memes to talk the most shit about Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
posted by KrampusQuick at 9:47 AM on March 28 [9 favorites]
They also have, for the first time ever, have the most seats in the Northern Irish assembly, with SF's Michelle O'Neil as first minister. Hell, in the Dail, they're tied with Fianna Fail for seats, and the largest segment of the opposition.
The sword got Irish decolonization to a certain point, the pen has now taken up the charge. I still remember a few years back when Sinn Fein got on Tiktok and immediately hit all the memes to talk the most shit about Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
posted by KrampusQuick at 9:47 AM on March 28 [9 favorites]
I think muddgirl's analogy to current Islamic terrorist propaganda is really helpful.
I tried in my question to separate "Irish republicanism" in general from the IRA specifically. The IRA during The Troubles was a murderous terrorist group whereas Irish Republicanism now is a mainstream political movement. But I guess identities and sympathies are more complex than that, particularly in the 60s and 70s.
posted by Nelson at 9:51 AM on March 28 [1 favorite]
I tried in my question to separate "Irish republicanism" in general from the IRA specifically. The IRA during The Troubles was a murderous terrorist group whereas Irish Republicanism now is a mainstream political movement. But I guess identities and sympathies are more complex than that, particularly in the 60s and 70s.
posted by Nelson at 9:51 AM on March 28 [1 favorite]
What repercussions are implied here?
The British fear would have been that any US showing of the film became a major money-raising tool for the IRA. As it turned out, US support for the IRA already seemed to be fading by the time the film was complete, but why take the risk?
The article suggests that this shift in sentiment was already well-advanced in the US by the time American networks were presented with an opportunity to show the film. In that new climate, you can see why they'd be wary of airing anything that seemed to glorify terrorists.
I'm trying to puzzle out how a film showing IRA terrorists building bombs and exploding them was ever going to be something that helped the IRA.
Presumably, they were hoping they'd emerge as heroic freedom fighters, and so boost both their number of volunteers at home and their funding from abroad. Hence the focus on bomb making, but no glimpse of the civilian casualties those bombs caused.
posted by Paul Slade at 9:56 AM on March 28 [3 favorites]
The British fear would have been that any US showing of the film became a major money-raising tool for the IRA. As it turned out, US support for the IRA already seemed to be fading by the time the film was complete, but why take the risk?
The article suggests that this shift in sentiment was already well-advanced in the US by the time American networks were presented with an opportunity to show the film. In that new climate, you can see why they'd be wary of airing anything that seemed to glorify terrorists.
I'm trying to puzzle out how a film showing IRA terrorists building bombs and exploding them was ever going to be something that helped the IRA.
Presumably, they were hoping they'd emerge as heroic freedom fighters, and so boost both their number of volunteers at home and their funding from abroad. Hence the focus on bomb making, but no glimpse of the civilian casualties those bombs caused.
posted by Paul Slade at 9:56 AM on March 28 [3 favorites]
That was fascinating; surprised it wasn’t better known, but the article does offer some reasonable speculation about why. More surprising was that despite all of the operational security about editing the film and controlling what left for the US, they sent the original film to London to be developed. Seems like a pretty obvious flaw; and one that should have either stopped the project in its tracks or caused it to be revamped so that it was shot on media that didn’t have to leave Ireland until it was in its final form.
posted by TedW at 9:58 AM on March 28 [1 favorite]
posted by TedW at 9:58 AM on March 28 [1 favorite]
I'm wondering about Martin McGuinness, who was a big deal in not only the IRA but also in the Northern Ireland peace process. If British intelligence knew about some of the stuff documented on film--and, if the article writer's suspicions are correct, they actually saw the unedited footage because it was developed in Britain--then that has certain implications.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:19 PM on March 28 [1 favorite]
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:19 PM on March 28 [1 favorite]
In the 1990s the British assumed -- and in most cases, knew -- that every senior Sinn Fein official with whom they dealt was an active IRA commander. You can't have a peace deal if you won't negotiate with the enemy. They also turned many IRA members at all level of the hierarchy into collaborators and informants of varying degrees. War isn't pretty.
Today's Sinn Fein certainly seems quite different.
posted by MattD at 2:31 PM on March 28 [2 favorites]
Today's Sinn Fein certainly seems quite different.
posted by MattD at 2:31 PM on March 28 [2 favorites]
there's now a growing groundswell of support for Irish unity with the broader left's vocal embracing of anti-colonialism, as well as Sinn Fein's move to the left as Ireland's dominant progressive party, pushing for women's body autonomy, LGBTQ rights, affordable housing, addressing wage stagnation, etc.
Brexit may also contribute to a drive to reunification.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:51 PM on March 28 [1 favorite]
Brexit may also contribute to a drive to reunification.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:51 PM on March 28 [1 favorite]
The IRA during The Troubles was a murderous terrorist group whereas Irish Republicanism now is a mainstream political movement.
The original IRA fought against the British in the Irish War of Independence. When the Anglo-Irish Treaty ended the war and gave Northern Ireland the choice to stay with Great Britain, the IRA split into pro- and anti-treaty factions. In 1969 the IRA split into the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA (or "Provos"). The Official IRA eventually faded away and the Provos were primarily involved in the Troubles. So they were splitters from splitters. And that's just the simple version. There were lots more splits to come.
tl;dr: Splitters!
posted by kirkaracha at 5:00 PM on March 28 [5 favorites]
The original IRA fought against the British in the Irish War of Independence. When the Anglo-Irish Treaty ended the war and gave Northern Ireland the choice to stay with Great Britain, the IRA split into pro- and anti-treaty factions. In 1969 the IRA split into the Official IRA and the Provisional IRA (or "Provos"). The Official IRA eventually faded away and the Provos were primarily involved in the Troubles. So they were splitters from splitters. And that's just the simple version. There were lots more splits to come.
tl;dr: Splitters!
posted by kirkaracha at 5:00 PM on March 28 [5 favorites]
I feel like Halloween Jack - if MI6 had incontrovertible evidence of Martin McGuinness' guilt, but didn't nab him, are we to assume he was an MI6 asset all along? Or was the reason they didn't nab him because doing so would reveal the existence of the film and other active agents? Something tells me there's a lot more to this story, but whether we'll ever know the truth... who knows.
If not knowing all the specifics is the price of peace, then maybe there's some things that'll just have to be filed under "reconciliation" rather than "truth".
posted by Acey at 5:37 AM on March 29 [2 favorites]
If not knowing all the specifics is the price of peace, then maybe there's some things that'll just have to be filed under "reconciliation" rather than "truth".
posted by Acey at 5:37 AM on March 29 [2 favorites]
I suppose one possibility is that McGuinness was involved in the back-channel talks we know were already in progress between the IRA's leadership and the British government. If that's the case, the Brits may have concluded that arresting him risked derailing those talks and so would do more harm than good. Allowing the British public to see the film could only have increased pressure for McGuinness' arrest - perhaps to the point where it became inevitable. And then bang go the back- channel talks again.
posted by Paul Slade at 6:33 AM on March 29 [2 favorites]
posted by Paul Slade at 6:33 AM on March 29 [2 favorites]
For anyone with an interest in this topic, I can recommend Hawks and Doves
In this documentary Micheal Portillo goes into how the peace process came about (from a British perspective), and his personal journey from a hardline conservative hawk, to the realisation that this approach was counterproductive, which turned him into a supporter of the peace process.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 9:29 PM on March 29
In this documentary Micheal Portillo goes into how the peace process came about (from a British perspective), and his personal journey from a hardline conservative hawk, to the realisation that this approach was counterproductive, which turned him into a supporter of the peace process.
posted by HiroProtagonist at 9:29 PM on March 29
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posted by Aardvark Cheeselog at 9:04 AM on March 28