Alfredo Scappatici aka STAKEKNIFE spirited out of belfast

by as far as i know Sun May 11, 2003 22:08

as far as i know, that is in fact his real name. like quite a few iramen, he's of italian/irish origin.

i know this because he's a distant, distant relation of mine. and i'm not a) proud b) a shinner.

i am rather surprised though.

by derbhla Sun May 11, 2003 22:17

Amongst those who were sacrificed to protect Alfredo Scappatici were New barnsley grandfather Frances Notorantonio. Brit army intelligence on learning of the loyalist UDA's plan to target leading IRA man Scappatici through their FRU agent Brian Nelson, got their FRU agent and UDA member Brian nelson to steer the UDA hit squad away from Scappatici and towards innocent grandfather Frances notorantio. Frances notorantio's movements, schedule, layout and map/route to his house were passed on to the UDA hit squad through FRU agent Brian Nelson.

by babs Sun May 11, 2003 22:22

I'm glad you find the triviality of Alfredo Scappatici's name amusing. Unfortunately the innocent civillians tortured and murdered at the hands of scum like stakeknife and his brit army handlers do not share your petty musings.

by told you so.... Sun May 11, 2003 22:28

I'm sure you share alot more in common with Scappatici besides the name, like yourself he too was never a real shinner, and I'm sure the innocent victims of his reign of terror were far from shinners. Bit of a sore loser aren't you 'as far as I know'. Still I told you so, its amazing what a bit of logical thinking can do.

by Josef Sun May 11, 2003 22:46

I was curious about the name and I found the info useful.

Funny how he got away with it for so long. Apparently he vetted every new recruit for the last dozen years or more so the Brits had the name of every single Provo.

Amusing in a way.

by as far as i know Sun May 11, 2003 23:02

as you don't know me, how can you be "sure" of anything?

"sore loser"? how exactly do i qualify as a loser seeing as i wasn't trying to 'win' anything in the first place.

i just pointed out that i'm related to the man. i don't share his name either. in fact i have an irish name, and live in the republic.

So please refrain from asserting your 'certainties' about things you have no idea about.

by as far as i know Sun May 11, 2003 23:04

this line was in the original article....

"Alfredo Scappatici probably not his real name, volunteered to join the brit army in his teens."

I was pointing out a possible error in your piece.

Don't take criticism too well do you?

by James McKenna Mon May 12, 2003 09:13

It is probably true that the Brits ran an informer inside the IRA but that he was as important as they say is doubtful.

If he was so well placed to "know everything" for fifteen years then why were the Brits unable to defeat the IRA? Why were the IRA able to operate around the world and even inside Stormont and Castlereagh barracks without being caught? How did they get four ship loads of guns in from Libya by this "know-all"? How did they manage to almost cpmpletely destroy the UK/UK war cabinet meeting in Downing St during Gulf War 1 ? Doesn't ad up like last weeks story about Peter Southerland selling nukes to North Korea or the story the week before about George Galloway being on Saddam Husseins payroll. Anyone found any Weapons of Mass Destruction? Taken control of Om Quassar? The Brits are the greatet liars after the Yanks!

Had the Brits such a "super agent" inside the IRA we would have seen entire IRA units cleaned out, arms stashes uncovered and their ability to gather information or carry out operations in at least Belfast eliminated. None of the above happened, so we should assume this man knew a lot less than they are giving him(themselves) credit for.

Sure, to fingered a few innocent people to the Brits. Sure, he told them he knew all sorts, isn't that par for the course with informers? If however there was any way this man could implicate the Brits in the systematic murder of hundreds of Irish people, he would be dead a long time ago like William Stobie, Brian Nelson and others.

by kokomero Mon May 12, 2003 10:29

From the verb scappare = to run away in Italian.

by kokomero Mon May 12, 2003 10:34

Hi James, perhaps you are forgetting the entire Monaghan/Tyrone ASU under Jim Lynagh (wiped out in Loughgall in 1987, or the Gibraltar 3?

BTW Scappatici Alfredo
Scappare al freddo = run away to the cold

by Sammy Mon May 12, 2003 11:05 sammy at ulster dot com

ON THE SHOPPING CHANNEL....FULL SET FOR 6.99......

by Sammy Carson Mon May 12, 2003 12:29

The IRA Army Council has issued an order to its members to convert to vegetarianism. Under no circumstances should any of them handle a steaknife.

by James McKenna Mon May 12, 2003 12:30

"run Away" or "Agent SteakKnife" was supposed to have been over "security" and not operational matters so he would not have know that an operation was planned in Loughgall. There might be some creedence to the claim he was behind that if it were the work of the Belfast Brigade.

The Belfast Brigade seem to have operated fairly free of major arrests or exposeures notwithstanding informers already discovered.

Maybe "agent tooth-pic" or "agent Barbies play-knife from her Malibu collection" would be a better name for this wretch.

by kokomero Mon May 12, 2003 13:00

MI5 and the Brit establishment obviously believe we are now in the endgame and Mr. Runaway is now more useful as a weapon to eviscerate the RA which is no longer perceived as a military threat.

It will be interesting to see if this move ends up stabbing the British establishment in the foot, as it is difficult to see how this revelation adds to the Brit/Unionist cause from any point-of-view.

It is arguable that the actions of these securocrats ended up prolonging the war considerably, through actions such as the assassination of the Gibralter 3, which served to polarise communities and increase tension.

by iosaf Mon May 12, 2003 15:11

I presumed it to be an editorial counterpoint to the release of ETA's last comminuque yesterday to the Government of the Spanish State.

ETA has supported in the main the platform of the lehandakari (taoiseach) and leader of the Basque Nationalist Party (BNV). His suggestions for external association as a solution for the Basque People's will for national self determination fall short of the thought aim of ETA and its supporters who have as of the weekend been banned from presenting themselves as candidates in the forthcoming elections, 23/5 [the day Matrix 2 the movie will be released on mainland Europe].

Some of the ex-HB members had thought to present themselves as "socialist Independence nationalist candidates" others as PNV. Indeed as the lehnadakari (taoiseach) has pointed out in the past ex-HB members have joined the PP (the reconstructed spanish fascist party)[led by Aznar].

The suggestion is that such an "external association" would follow a referendum open to the people's of the Spanish State's Basque country.

It must be remembered though that for the Independence tradition whence ETA/HB developed considers extensive areas of territory not presently deemed to be Basque in the Spanish and the French state to be Basque.

El Pais reports that the british spy, who was bought for 80,000 pounds a year is now in a southern English town it further speculates an army barracks.

Saddam Hussein is still missing of course, and his two sons are expected to address a TV production company dinner in Bylorussia on the 27th of this month. Mr Fisk has agreed with me that this is maybe oh maybe o as if where they are.

by brendan Mon May 12, 2003 21:39

If the scarperer doesn't make an appearance soon somebody should apply for a writ of habeas corpus.What if this is all a set up?

by end game?? Mon May 12, 2003 21:41

Alfredo Scappatici deserves to have his say, a fair trial etc, and I realise now not trial by media. He should call a press conference. Relatives of Francisco Notorantio have called for Scappatici to be treated equally and fairly. If Stakeknife was really the jewel in the crown of brit intelligence he was useful only in so far as he could supply intelligence on IRA operations not in northern Ireland, but in mainland britain. IRA operations in mainland britain is what brit intelligence really cared about, so they allowed stakeknife to get away with all manner of atrocities here in Ireland, as we the irish people don't count, so long as Stake knife informed on republican operations in england. This is why all other other FRU agents were despensable and disposable. For the UUP to turn around and say the existence of stake knife was vital to the security forces and protection of mainland britain at the expense of local security forces and northern irish people is highly insensitive in the extreme.

by so long as mainland britain is safe Mon May 12, 2003 21:50

We have Davy trimble and other unionists acknowledging and praising the work of FRU and stakeknife. Even though FRU operatives were involved in the murder of northern irish people and northern irish security force personnel. Why don't they just go the whole hog and praise republicans for killing security force personnel. The unionists are obviously operating double standards whereby its OK for HM FRU to kill policeman, soldiers etc, but heaven forbid republicans should fight back against brit security force personnel.

by kokomero Tue May 13, 2003 10:04

A journalist interviewed this morning on RTE said that he spoke to Freddy a full 24 hours after the British claimed to have spirited him out of the North. He also said he believes the said gent to still be in the North at his home address ... one wonders on this basis and on the basis of what Gerry Kelly said last night if he is about to spectacularly give himself up to Republicans as supergrasses have done in the past?

by Confused Tue May 13, 2003 11:33

A lawyer for Freddie Scappaticci, 45, from west Belfast, insisted he had never been an informer or had contact with the intelligence services.

Michael Flanigan said in a statement: ``He has never been taken into protective custody and has never received any money from the security services.``

Security sources have claimed Scappaticci, a builder alleged to have been part of the IRA`s internal security department and said to have been working for British intelligence since 1987, was no longer in Northern Ireland.

But this was challenged today by Mr Flanigan.

His statement added: ``Clearly, his life has been placed in danger as a result, and he is now in hiding.

``He has not been arrested and no attempt has been made by the police to speak to him about any of the matters referred to by the media.

``He has not been contacted by the Stevens investigation team.``

Mr Flanigan said his client had been the victim of misinformation, apparently emanating from the security forces and disseminated by the press.

He added: ``Mr Scappaticci is an ordinary working man living in west Belfast and as such has no means at his disposal to combat this onslaught of false allegations.``

Mr Flanigan said he had been instructed by Mr Scappaticci to make the statement.

He added: ``Mr Scappaticci has been compelled to issue this statement as a result of the intense media speculation about him. In the interest of protecting his privacy, no further statement will be issued at this time.``

Authoritative security sources in Belfast continued to insist that Scappaticci was definitely out of the city.

Police officers and soldiers were part of the operation to have him moved early on Sunday morning, after he initially resisted pressure to go.

He later agreed because of newspaper allegations and fears for his safety, sources said.

by Death Squad Democray Tue May 13, 2003 22:32

Here are the similarities:

*Irish=Maya
Unionists=Hispanics

*400 years ago an imperialist army conquered both regions and placed settlers there
* The settlers were given all the best land and the indigenous people were marginalised
*In the 1960s the indigenous people tried peacefully to improve their lives and human rights. These campaigns were met by violence by the Unionist/Hispanic governments and their militias
* The indigenous people started an armed rebellion against the state to win their rights
* The Unionist/Hispanic governments responded with more violence from the army and from death squads drawn from the settler population, often the death squad members were in the regular army or police force.

The differences are

*The Hispanic army in Guatemala killed 250,000 people while the British/Unionist forces killed about 1,500. (500 by the army and police and 1000 by the death squads/"Loyalists"

*The indigenous rebels in Northern Ireland managed to kill more people than the British/Unionist side

*Guatemala is thousands of miles away from Ireland so the indigenous rebellion is a romantic struggle and is not labelled by some on the left as "nationalistic", while Northern Ireland is only 100 miles from Dublin so the rebellion is called a nationalist "terrorist campaign"

by dirty tricks and double dealing Thu May 15, 2003 15:14

Assuming Fredico scappitici is the brit agent 'steaknife'. Steaknife is alleged to have run a network of FRU agents within the IRA. On this basis it would be beneficial to ensure the safety of steaknife to enable him to expose these other brit agents. It is in republican interests to get hold of Steaknife before the brits spirit him away. If these activities were carried out they were carried out many years ago and if Steaknife has had a change of heart and would like to expose how he and others were callously used by the brits, he deserves the chance to do this in order to make amends. Reports in the news recently reveal that brit intelligence security force personnel have been watching Sinn Fein party offices, who are they surveilling? Are they waiting for Steaknife? to snatch him into their protective custody, so that none of their other agents will be exposed? who knows. What we do know is that FRU agent kevin fulton has revealed that he warned his brit army handlers about the omagh bomb on several occasions. Kevin fulton made this claim public at great risk/no benefit to himself, is he lying now about Steaknife's identity? I think if the brits had got Steaknife into their custody they would be admiting he was an agent of theirs, but because Steaknife has decided to evade their grasp and remain at large, presumably to assist republicans expose other agents, there is suddenly speculation that he is not steaknife.

by Sean Thu May 15, 2003 15:20

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/may29nie/petition.html

To: The British, Irish and American Governments

Five years ago, the people of Ireland endorsed the Good Friday Agreement as a bridge to a new future, free from division, injustice, violence and inequality. At the core of the Agreement are political institutions representing all the people of Ireland. The British government has suspended these institutions on four separate occasions, against the wishes of the majority of Irish people.

The British government has now cancelled an Irish election, disenfranchising hundreds of thousands of people. This is in breach of the Agreement and
against the wishes of the Irish government and the Irish people. The process of change must not be subject to a unionist veto or British government manipulation.

We the undersigned demand that the British government establish a date specific for these cancelled elections and hold them.
On May 29th people across the Ireland and the United States will peacefully demonstrate their opposition to the anti-democratic actions of the British government.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/may29nie/petition.html

by Tom Luby Thu May 15, 2003 15:37

Thats what all the Volunteers died for.