GROUP 13
By David Guyatt
It is the number that carries the most occult significance. Throughout
Europe it has historically been regarded as an ill omen. In Norse mythology,
the number 13 often signifies death. Today, in the United Kingdom, there
exists a paramilitary unit called Group 13. The sole purpose of this ultra
secretive unit is deniable assassination and it operates in the world of
shadows. So little is known about them, that it is exceptionally hard to
document its activities with any certainty.
One individual - a former civilian undercover agent for the security services
- contacted by The X Factor, recounted his story of a encounter with Group
13. Gary Murray, author of “Enemies of the State” had decided to research
Group 13 to write a book on them. He soon changed his mind. One day during
his research phase he was forcibly dragged in to the back of a Transit van
and had a gun stuck to his head. A voice told him it would be unwise to
continue his project. Sensibly, he decided to abandon the project and
instead write a book on an altogether different subject.
Group 13 is generally believed to have evolved from former SAS soldiers and
Security and Intelligence operatives who were once active in Northern Ireland
during the mid to late nineteen seventies when a Labour Government was still
in power. Fred Holroyd, a Captain in British Army Intelligence, served in
Northern Ireland during this period. Holroyd was tasked with developing
informers and other human intelligence sources connected to the IRA. It was
inherently dangerous work, made a lot worse by a viscous turf battle between
MI5 and MI6 for control of the Northern Ireland “patch.”
Matters grew increasingly nasty as “assets” for each of the two contending
groups were tossed to the wolves. Holroyd, when interviewed by The X Factor,
outlined some details of this dirty war, recalled incidents where bombs were
placed by one of these factions and then roundly blamed on the IRA.
Holroyd’s story and later disgraceful treatment at the hands of the British
Army are recounted in his book War without Dishonour.” Holroyd’s account
sheds light on the so called “Shoot to Kill” policy in Northern Ireland that
resulted in the dysfunctional investigation of former senior police officer,
John Stalker. This investigation ultimately resulted in the gripping feature
film: Hidden Agenda.
The Special Air Service was formed during WW11 by David Stirling with the
intention to operate behind enemy lines and to perform acts of sabotage and
assassination. By 1969, the SAS had been sent to Northern Ireland to perform
covert operations against the IRA - which included assassination. To cover
their deployment to this politically sensitive area they chose the guise of
“training teams.” A succession of cover names was used over the next few
years; these included the Military Reconnaissance Force (MRF), the 14th
Intelligence unit, and the Four Field Survey Troop, Royal Engineers. Fred
Holroyd states that the latter was very definitely a SAS undercover unit
stationed at the Royal Engineers base at Castiledillon, Armagh.
1974 was a critical year in British politics. It saw the election victory of
the Labour Party in February and was soon followed by rumours of an impending
coup d’etat. Right wing groups operating in the shadows of power began to
form themselves. These groups saw Premier Harold Wilson and certain members
of his Cabinet, as no holds barred communists taking orders from Moscow. The
idea that Wilson was a communist mole is, even by today’s paranoid delusions,
a farcical belief. At that time, however, planning for a right wing coup was
seen by these extremists as the only alternative to keeping Britain from the
wily grasp of Moscow. One of these groups was named GB75, and was organised
by David Sterling, founder of the SAS. Significantly, GB75 and the other
groups had close contacts to the British security and intelligence community,
from which they probably received some form of unofficial succour.
Founded in 1970 was another mysterious group which called itself Resistance
and Psychological Operations Committee (RPOC). RPOC was established in line
with the Reserve Forces Association and was said to be a reflection of the
Special Operations Executive (SOE) - a WW11 dirty tricks operation.
According to one former member, RPOC had a clandestine section which formed
an underground resistance movement in the event Russia invaded the United
Kingdom. With a nod and a wink of the Conservative government of the day, it
forged close links to the British security and intelligence apparatus, and
“…formed close links with the SAS…own secret intelligence network.”
Little is known of the SAS’s secret intelligence network, apart from one
enlightening publication. Ranulf Fiennes, the Artic trekker was a one time
member of the SAS. In his book, The Feather Men, he reveals the existence of
an unofficial group of former SAS officers and soldiers who, amongst other
activities, are tasked with protecting members of the SAS who’s lives are
under threat as a result of their activities. According to his book, Fiennes
learned a contract had been put out on him, only after this SAS secretive
group had more or less mopped up a freelance assassination team sent to kill
Fiennes. In this case, “mopping up” meant killing members of the
assassination team. Fiennes further alleged that this group had been founded
by David Sterling.
It is not possible to say with any certainty that this group - or elements
within it - evolved to become Group 13. However, the associations are
clearly similar. Both are highly unofficial but desirable to certain
factions within government. Both are said to be responsible for political
assassinations both in Northern Ireland and elsewhere. Both appear to lean
towards right wing agenda’s.
Perhaps the best known incident that involved the SAS in a “wet operation”
was the assassination of an IRA unit in Gibraltar in 198… which subsequently
led to the explosive TV documentary Death on the Rock. The controversy
surrounding this event raged for years, with the Sunday Times Insight Team
leading the attack on the credibility of eye-witnesses who claimed the three
members of the IRA unit were gunned down in cold blood. Placed in context
against the numerous SAS assassinations which took place in Ireland during
this same period, it is hard to lend much credence to the official story of
cock-up.
Of some interest is the statement of former CIA operative and former member
of an American based, international assassination team, Gene “Chip” Tatum.
The team, Tatum says, is called Pegasus and operates around the world.
Targets are normally influential politicians and financiers. Over a period
of several months, Tatum has revealed to The X Factor a number of the
operations he claims he was involved in, as well as revealing names of those
at senior level he alleges are behind Pegasus activities. In recent
correspondence, he alleges that the British end of Pegasus was operated
during the mid-eighties by a high ranking British government official.
Another operation that carries SAS hallmarks was the murder of WPC Yvonne
Fletcher outside the Libyan Peoples Bureau in London in 1984. This killing
caused immense public outrage and quickly led to the ousting of the Libyan
diplomatic Corp. In a courageous piece of television, Channel Four broadcast
a Dispatches programme in 1996 that suggested WPC Fletcher was murdered by
elements inside British and American intelligence. Amongst other startling
facts, the programme makers stated that the shot that killed the police
officer may have been a “terminal velocity” round. This technique both
reduces the sound of the gunshot as a result of its sub-sonic speed, and
creates the impression that the shot was fired from considerable distance.
It is a known technique of SAS snipers.
There may also be other connections between Group Thirteen and the United
States intelligence community. J. Orlin Grabbe, an American Professor who
runs his own financial advisory service, has in recent years earned a
reputation within internet “conspiracy” circles as being well informed about
a number of illegal intelligence operations. One of these focus on the
alleged assassination of Vincent Foster, a close associate and legal adviser
to President Clinton.
Grabbe, a former professor at Wharton Business School, in one of his internet
posts alluded to the existence of a highly secret US assassination team that
operates out of the National Security Agency (NSA). The unit, Grabbe claims,
is called “I-3.” In a recent communication he added that the information on
this unit was provided by a “former CIA agent with the CIA’s highest
security clearance.” It may just be a coincidence that this NSA unit shares
a common name with “Group 13” and just happens to also be in the same line
of business. However, in the closed world of the intelligence community such
“coincidences” should be viewed carefully.
Despite the stiff secrecy and widespread smoke and mirrors that surround the
activities of Group 13, some significant additional information came to light
following the Scott Enquiry into the arms to Iraq affair. Gerald James, the
former Chairman of Astra Holdings Plc - a leading British munitions
manufacturer - has written of his knowledge surrounding group 13 in his
explosive book In the Public Interest, which blows the lid on British
government involvement in arming Iraq’s Saddam Hussein.
During a lengthy interview, James outlined how he had been ousted from the
Board of Astra. He believes his removal was orchestrated by non-executive
director Stephan Kock, a self acknowledged former Security and Intelligence
officer in the employ of Midland Bank Plc. James, thereafter, undertook to
learn more about the mysterious Kock In written evidence presented to the
House of Commons Trade and Industry Committee looking into exports to Iraq,
on 5 February 1992, James stated that he was told, in an unguarded moment,
that Kock was “… a former head of ‘Group 13.’ This curious organisation is
apparently a hit or contract squad for the Foreign Office and Security
Services.” James adds “The Foreign Office is said to draw Group 13
operatives from the SAS as well as from private security firms,” and that
“It’s duties involve ‘service to the nation.’” James also makes clear that
Kock had exceptional high level contacts inside the intelligence community,
and that boasted of his ready access to the highest levels of the British
government, including 10 Downing Street.
The Foreign Office reference, clearly indicates an MI6 connection. Known
also as the Secret Intelligence Service - a name well known by lovers of
Bond movies - MI6 activities come under the control of the Foreign Office.
Perhaps the now infamous “007” License to Kill pedigree has moved from those
fictional men in black bow ties and Tuxedo’s, to those all too secretive men
in camouflage smocks and shoulder patches inscribed “Death from Above.”
History of British Assassination
State sanctioned murder is as old as the hills. British exposure to many
assassination techniques would have been gained during the Crusade’s, when
British Knights came into contact with Middle Eastern religious sects
specialising in these techniques. The word Assassin derives from the Arabic
“hassas” meaning “hashhish eater” signifying those who were sent to murder
Christian leaders were under the influence of the drug Hashhish. Other
contacts would have come from Britain’s prolonged rule over India. An Indian
religious sect known as “thugees” specialised in strangulation, and gave
rise to the still common term “thug.” Still other associations arose during
British contacts with killer sects during the Chinese “Boxer Rebellion.”
Number 13 - unlucky for some
Intelligence insiders allege that Russia, during the height of the cold war,
operated its own assassination squad under cover of the KGB’s “Department
13.” This has led some observers to muse that British and US adoption of
number “13” for “Wet Operations” may be an insider’s joke. Those
assassinated might fail to see the humour. One such individual, Dr. Gerald
Bull - designer of the ill-fated Supergun - was shot from behind, outside his
apartment in Brussels, in early 1990. Rumoured to be an Israeli hit, sources
close to Israeli’s “Mossad” deny this. A few months before his
assassination, Bull, writing to a colleague, stated he was “advised in a
letter of an imminent accident.” Bull identified the threat as having come
from Foreign Office - who responded by saying the “action was by ‘a few
irresponsible juniors.’”
ENDS
