1
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,120
Is there anything unusual about
the IRA and its terrorist movement,
2
00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:07,080
compared to the others
you've covered?
3
00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,360
The IRA is different in that
it's the dream of all intellectuals.
4
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,680
It's a working-class movement,
5
00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,320
which has advantages in that
the people of no property
6
00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:23,440
are very difficult to corrupt...
7
00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:30,760
..since they tend to find in the
dream, the ideal, great rewards.
8
00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,200
The Army are up here in the middle
of Lenadoon Avenue.
9
00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:40,880
They'd come here...
10
00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:42,320
SHOOTING
11
00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,760
..after an earlier confrontation
down the end.
12
00:00:48,160 --> 00:00:52,560
One of the world's most
feared guerrilla armies.
13
00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:57,480
In 1972, the IRA made
an extraordinary decision...
14
00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,960
..to make a documentary.
15
00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:07,160
Connect one end to
the battery terminal.
16
00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,480
And the other wire
to the terminal on your timer.
17
00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:17,560
Proclaiming this would be
their year of victory,
18
00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,000
forcing the British
out of Northern Ireland,
19
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,960
they allowed the filming of
IRA missions from start to finish.
20
00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:34,080
He's just put a bomb in
the Queen's University Sports Club.
21
00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:36,760
It's set to go off in 20 minutes.
22
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:42,240
They even put on show the men
secretly running the organisation...
23
00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:48,680
And the cordtex in turn
will detonate the gelignite.
24
00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,560
..right up to their
supreme commander.
25
00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:58,640
The men are mainly idealists
because they agree with the aims
26
00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,200
and objects and methods of the IRA.
27
00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:09,280
They trusted American academic
J Bowyer Bell to make the film.
28
00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,840
What do you think
of what the IRA does?
29
00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:16,000
You try to be as little
judgmental as possible.
30
00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,080
I would prefer that
no-one got killed.
31
00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:19,520
If you're going to kill people,
32
00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,720
I would have prefer
that you be efficient.
33
00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,320
The whole endeavour
made very little sense...
34
00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,920
..when they knew intelligence
agencies were trying to spy
35
00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:35,600
on everything they were doing.
36
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,360
The girl in this car will take
the bag containing the bomb
37
00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,240
into the building.
38
00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,680
These seasoned guerrillas,
who relied so much on secrecy,
39
00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,160
went before the cameras
40
00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,200
and, you know,
41
00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,200
in effect, put their heads
on the block.
42
00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,200
Did they really know the
film-makers they'd invited
43
00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,880
into their secret world?
44
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,000
My antenna told me he was a wrong
'un the moment I laid eyes on him.
45
00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:16,680
This is the story of how the IRA
were risking their inner secrets...
46
00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:22,920
..for a film, which then strangely
vanished for almost 50 years.
47
00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,320
I've spent years investigating
stories about the IRA.
48
00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,960
But the making of this film,
The Secret Army, is a mystery.
49
00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,880
Its disappearance
is even more peculiar.
50
00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,840
My inquiries began five years ago.
51
00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:17,000
It's taken since then to locate
the original film reels.
52
00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:38,880
Now, this says Secret Army,
reel two of the cutting copy.
53
00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:41,520
So this would have been
the next-to-last stage
54
00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:43,640
in the production process.
55
00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:45,440
Look at the rust on that.
56
00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:48,480
But inside...
57
00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,240
..this looks OK.
58
00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,080
And this is...
59
00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:04,440
..what should be the best
guaranteed quality copy.
60
00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,000
This is the entire film.
61
00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,160
Look at that, it looks really clean.
62
00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,920
The man in the film is Des Long,
63
00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,280
but he was more than
an arms instructor.
64
00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:33,520
In one of the most significant
events in modern Irish history,
65
00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,680
in these sheds in 1969,
66
00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,480
the Provisional Irish
Republican Army was formed.
67
00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,160
Des long was there that night.
68
00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,720
There were maybe 29 or 30 of us,
we had a long discussion
69
00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:16,240
from about 8.00 till 1.00.
70
00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:21,520
Those present elected an Army
Executive and an Army Council
71
00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:23,840
of seven members.
72
00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,040
There was a great cheer went up.
73
00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,480
The fighting IRA was established
here,
74
00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:46,560
an IRA that was prepared to
carry on a military struggle.
75
00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:55,440
I was proud that I,
in some small way, contributed
76
00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,960
to the Irish Republican Army
back as a fighting unit.
77
00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:18,880
Operating from the Irish Republic,
Des Long helped drive the IRA's war
78
00:08:18,880 --> 00:08:21,520
to end British rule
in Northern Ireland.
79
00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:24,600
Hello. How are you?
80
00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:29,080
How are you?
81
00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:35,960
Ah, ref!
82
00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:45,240
After giving away - they'll score
three points out of this.
83
00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,800
I was running training camps
for the IRA and then I went on
84
00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,280
to headquarters and I became,
first of all, director of publicity,
85
00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,880
and then eventually became
director of finance from then on.
86
00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:04,520
That's the stuff!
87
00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:06,040
Well done, lads!
88
00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,160
WHISTLE BLOWS
89
00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:10,520
Ah!
90
00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:14,960
Jesus!
91
00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,840
Can you just tell us about
the job you had in the IRA?
92
00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,360
As finance director, what would
the IRA need the money for?
93
00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,480
The purchasing of weapons.
94
00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:32,440
They make sure that training camps
and make sure that volunteers
95
00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:37,160
had some finance
for transfers and all that.
96
00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,200
Where did most of the money
come from?
97
00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:40,920
We got a lot of it from America.
98
00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:42,600
How much money are you
talking about?
99
00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,240
I'm not prepared to comment
on figures.
100
00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,000
But you're talking thousands?
Thousands?
101
00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:47,600
Hundreds of thousands.
102
00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:10,760
Lights, cameras, action!
103
00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,720
Weapons used by active service units
in the northern conflict
104
00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:21,440
have been secured by IRA organisers
with great ingenuity and daring.
105
00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:23,960
Some were brought into the country
from the United States
106
00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,560
and Western Europe, but most
have been acquired in raids
107
00:10:26,560 --> 00:10:29,280
on British military barracks
or clashes with troops
108
00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,040
in Belfast and Derry.
109
00:10:43,680 --> 00:10:47,400
I was giving them basics
on weapons, you know?
110
00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:01,240
When they were making it, he
told me to do that and I said,
111
00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,160
"I want a mask."
"Oh", he said, "I'll tell you",
112
00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,040
he says, "You're going to be shown
from the chest down."
113
00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:13,680
That was a verbal promise from him
and it meant nothing.
114
00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,280
Annette, what did you think of Des'
decision to take part in it?
115
00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,800
Well, I think he got a promise,
didn't he,
116
00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,680
that he wouldn't be shown,
his face wouldn't be shown.
117
00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:31,200
I mean, if you make a promise,
normally you keep it, you know?
118
00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,520
I'm pretty sure that Des
was on the run at that time
119
00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:37,040
when that was filmed.
120
00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:38,880
I was, yeah. Were you?
Yeah, yeah.
121
00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:40,760
Yeah.
I was.
122
00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:44,320
What do you think would have
123
00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:46,360
happened if the Irish authorities
had...
124
00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:48,680
I'd say he would have been
locked up for a very long time.
125
00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,000
Wouldn't you?
Yeah. Yeah.
126
00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:55,880
Five, six, seven years.
127
00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:02,080
And the fact that you were
in possession of weapons...
128
00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:08,400
The whole thing was just...
129
00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:11,320
Well, it should never
have been made.
130
00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:13,920
I'm sorry to this day
that I ever took part in it.
131
00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:38,160
Londonderry, or Derry,
as most in the city call it.
132
00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,880
It's where Bowyer Bell's team
first filmed the IRA in action.
133
00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:56,120
They ran much of this city,
Free Derry.
134
00:12:56,120 --> 00:13:00,160
Here, Catholics who suffered
discrimination by Northern Ireland's
135
00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:04,040
Protestant-controlled government,
barricaded state forces out.
136
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,280
Now, that is Martin McGuinness.
137
00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:12,760
Look.
138
00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:16,960
Though only 21 years old,
Martin McGuinness was the dominant
139
00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:18,960
IRA leader in the city.
140
00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,320
Later, he would become one
of the most significant figures
141
00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:26,040
of the entire conflict.
142
00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:33,360
But here, it's his front-seat
passenger doing the talking.
143
00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:08,240
Martin McGuinness died in 2017,
144
00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,880
but could his passenger
still be alive?
145
00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:23,960
I discovered he is still in Derry.
146
00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,560
No, I don't believe it,
I don't believe that.
147
00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,280
Tony Devine was one of the
first recruits to the IRA
148
00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,680
when the conflict
got under way.
149
00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,240
So what time are you thinking,
are yous going up the town?
150
00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,720
No, we're not going to bother.
Right.
151
00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,400
John was saying there was
a great crowd up yesterday.
152
00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,720
Oh, Daddy, I was so glad.
It was mental, though.
153
00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:01,560
Aye, but everybody was having a
great time.
154
00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:03,560
They were all enjoying themselves.
155
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,080
I was 17 or 18.
156
00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:11,640
Only just starting
to discover girls.
157
00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,040
And then along comes this war.
158
00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,200
Go and ask Damon and Ciaran if
they've set up the fireworks thing.
159
00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:19,960
I was forced into it, by the way
160
00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,760
we were being treated
as second-class citizens.
161
00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:26,320
We had no work.
162
00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,840
And we had the British Army
kicking our doors in.
163
00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,880
They took our country
and we wanted it back.
164
00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,800
I mean, if you beat somebody
often enough and long enough,
165
00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:39,840
of course, they're going
to bite back.
166
00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:41,920
And that's exactly what we did.
167
00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:43,160
We bit back.
168
00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:46,320
British Fireworks Association.
169
00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:48,560
That's the only time you can
blow something British up
170
00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:50,560
and nobody will complain about it.
171
00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:52,640
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!
172
00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:54,400
Heavy-duty stuff there.
173
00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:55,800
There we go.
174
00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,200
Here's one I prepared earlier.
175
00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:05,880
Ho-ho!
176
00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:18,160
Ho-ho-ho!
177
00:16:18,160 --> 00:16:19,920
That was scary there.
178
00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:21,360
Bloody hell!
179
00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:22,960
They're a danger to work with.
180
00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:26,960
The danger of working with
fireworks, that's the end of that.
181
00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:29,720
Go and get me the rescue cream,
in the drawer. You burn yourself?
182
00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:32,240
It scared me more than anything,
to be honest with you.
183
00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:33,320
Put that on.
184
00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:34,680
There we go.
185
00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:36,320
Matches.
186
00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:37,800
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.
187
00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:39,440
Thank you.
188
00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,440
By reputation, Tony Devine
was a committed IRA man.
189
00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,560
Rising up the ranks as they fought
the British Army.
190
00:17:04,360 --> 00:17:06,160
Do you remember that day, Tony?
191
00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:07,960
I do surely, aye.
192
00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:12,560
What actually happened was,
10 or 12 of the Creggan volunteers
193
00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:16,920
had set up an ambush
behind these houses.
194
00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:33,720
They were shooting away
at the helicopter.
195
00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:43,040
Somebody says, "You're wasting
your time firing at helicopters.
196
00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:45,440
"The bullets don't do no good."
197
00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,480
And it was then one of the boys
turned round and says,
198
00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:51,560
"Aye, but we're firing
armour-piercing shells."
199
00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:59,680
How did the camera crew behave?
200
00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:01,200
They were up our ass.
201
00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:03,600
No matter where we went,
they were there.
202
00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,720
IRA operations launched
from inside Free Derry
203
00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:17,680
were controlled by
Martin McGuinness.
204
00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:22,480
Now as the officer commanding the
Derry part of the IRA Provisional
205
00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,000
operation, can you say whether
the bombing is likely to stop
206
00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,560
in the near future in response
to any public demand?
207
00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:33,280
Well, we will always take
into consideration, the feelings
208
00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,160
of the people of Derry and
these feelings will be passed on
209
00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:38,280
to our GHQ in Dublin, you know?
210
00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:46,840
Me and Martin hit it off.
211
00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,200
We were just like two brothers.
212
00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,480
That's Martin in the middle there.
213
00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:55,960
I'm at the end.
214
00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,920
I suppose at that stage, he was
probably the most sensible one
215
00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:02,480
amongst us, he had
a good head on him.
216
00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,040
Were you close to him back then?
Oh, definitely, aye.
217
00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,760
My hero, actually,
to be honest with you.
218
00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:31,120
And I says, "All right."
219
00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:33,560
I think Martin actually
asked me to do the talking.
220
00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:21,160
God love them,
they were so innocent.
221
00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,720
It still does look a bit strange
that you're showing these children
222
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:26,760
guns and bullets and stuff.
223
00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,720
No, but the kids got used to us.
224
00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,120
They got used to the units
that were walking around.
225
00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:36,560
The kids used to follow
the guys everywhere.
226
00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:38,280
It was all part of the thing.
227
00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:40,640
You got used to it
after a while.
228
00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:51,040
No police were allowed
into the area.
229
00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:57,760
Tony Devine outlines how his IRA
unit dealt with those accused
230
00:20:57,760 --> 00:20:59,600
of criminal behaviour.
231
00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,200
This is the reality
of Belfast today.
232
00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:31,080
Bombs in the city centre.
233
00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,560
So much disruption,
so many explosions.
234
00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:37,280
From time to time, you forget that
it's become part of everyday life.
235
00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:44,160
As Northern Ireland's largest city
reeled from the bombings...
236
00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:51,800
..Bowyer Bell was secretly filming
with the IRA during every stage
237
00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:53,320
of another attack.
238
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,960
He's just put a bomb in
the Queen's University Sports Club.
239
00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:55,960
It's set to go off in 20 minutes.
240
00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:14,400
I've always been taught by nuns
since I started school,
241
00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,720
and I'm taught by the
Sisters of Charity now.
242
00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:21,360
This is the red-haired girl
portrayed in the bomb attack.
243
00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,440
I do commercial subjects
and languages.
244
00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:29,400
They're always very useful.
245
00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,080
I'm a member of an IRA
active service unit
246
00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,960
in the Andersonstown area.
247
00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:43,880
As far as the active service unit
is concerned,
248
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,440
there's not much
to be said about them.
249
00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,000
Not really, you know.
250
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,640
Besides, it's a great honour
to be in it.
251
00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:56,120
I find that I am more sure of myself
now than I was beforehand.
252
00:23:56,120 --> 00:23:59,480
At least I'm doing something,
even if it's not much.
253
00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,280
She's Geraldine Hughes.
254
00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:11,680
She was 17 when ordered
to take part in the film.
255
00:24:15,120 --> 00:24:19,280
# There is a red-haired girl
256
00:24:19,280 --> 00:24:23,280
# More sweet than you
could find... #
257
00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,600
A song, The Red Haired Girl,
258
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,360
complements her
freedom fighter image.
259
00:24:28,360 --> 00:24:31,120
# ..in my mind
260
00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:35,120
# I take her to the mountains... #
261
00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:38,720
She died in 2006.
262
00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:43,080
# I spread the world
before her...#
263
00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:47,560
But who composed the soundtrack
to her life in the IRA?
264
00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:50,920
# I sit beside the stream... #
265
00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:12,200
Finding the people who made
this film, more than 50 years ago,
266
00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:13,800
is a struggle.
267
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:17,320
Most have died.
268
00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:28,040
The man I'm looking for
is 88 years old,
269
00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,480
now living on the edge of
Arizona's Sonoran Desert.
270
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:39,640
SAT NAV: After 200 yards,
turn right.
271
00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,440
Then you have reached
your destination.
272
00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,520
DOG BARKING
273
00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:03,760
Hello, how are you? I'm good.
274
00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:05,360
I'm Darragh.
275
00:26:05,360 --> 00:26:06,960
Mr Jacob is waiting for you.
276
00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:08,360
Oh, fantastic.
277
00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:11,360
Well, how are you?
278
00:26:11,360 --> 00:26:13,240
Good, how are you?
Great to see you.
279
00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,160
You got my piano out.
280
00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,000
Let me see if I can play.
281
00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:22,400
Take your time.
282
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:27,880
There you go.
OK.
283
00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:29,720
I'm a little rusty on my playing.
284
00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:37,640
HE PLAYS SIMPLE MELODY
285
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,160
Oh, boy!
286
00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:47,120
I'm rusty. What can I say?
287
00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:56,560
HE PLAYS THE SAME MELODY
WITH BOTH HANDS
288
00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,240
You so have not lost the touch.
289
00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:34,720
Oh! That's...
290
00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,360
You should have heard me
when I was really playing.
291
00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:39,440
Oh, that was brilliant,
fantastic.
292
00:27:39,440 --> 00:27:40,600
Well, thank you.
293
00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:47,600
I was the composer of the music
for the film, Secret Army.
294
00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:53,160
And Bo Bell is the fellow
who made the film.
295
00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:55,840
This is J Bowyer Bell.
296
00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,600
Dr Bell.
297
00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,840
He asked me if I would go to Ireland
and record the music there,
298
00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,160
and I said, "Absolutely."
299
00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,800
It sounded like a fabulous
project, to me.
300
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:16,720
Bo had brought me up-to-date
on what the situation was
301
00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,040
and the terrible injustice
302
00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,320
that was being done by the British
303
00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,000
to the Irish people.
304
00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:29,560
The first body I saw was that of
a youth being carried out by other
305
00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:31,640
civilians, with a priest in the
lead,
306
00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:34,320
waving a bloodied handkerchief
as a white flag.
307
00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:38,960
Worldwide attention followed
308
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:41,800
the killing of 14
unarmed civilians -
309
00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:45,080
Bloody Sunday,
which defined for many,
310
00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:46,800
Britain's attitude to Ireland.
311
00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:57,480
I think the purpose of doing
the film was trying to show
312
00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:00,360
the legitimate cause of the IRA.
313
00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,800
And the...
314
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,400
..non-legitimate ownership
by the British of Ireland.
315
00:29:11,280 --> 00:29:14,840
But if somebody had been killed,
how would you have felt?
316
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:19,320
Terrible about their being killed
but I still thought the cause,
317
00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,920
the cause of the fighting was just.
318
00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:25,160
I was in sympathy with the IRA.
319
00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,720
I've an opportunity to learn more
320
00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:51,680
about Bowyer Bell's work in Ireland,
from his family.
321
00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:01,720
So, up this hallway,
you'll find books on Ireland.
322
00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,000
Pretty much all these books.
323
00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,920
His first book was on
the Civil War in Spain.
324
00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,520
So he does have some of that.
325
00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:14,120
But the vast majority is on Ireland.
326
00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:19,400
We get back to his studio...
327
00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,440
..where we have
328
00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:27,200
hundreds upon hundreds of paintings.
329
00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:32,760
He would just love to paint.
330
00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:40,600
This was my dad taken
not long before he died,
331
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,480
I think probably
in the late '90s.
332
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,560
He is looking right at us,
isn't he? Right.
333
00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:50,240
It's quite an inscrutable look.
Yes.
334
00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,720
We found these going
through his papers.
335
00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:55,000
They seem to have been
taken at the time
336
00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,400
that The Secret Army
was being filmed.
337
00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:05,680
What do you remember about the film,
The Secret Army?
338
00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:08,720
I remember us all being very
excited.
339
00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:11,760
"Daddy's going to do a movie!"
you know?
340
00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:16,720
But then we were all waiting for it
to be on TV and it never was.
341
00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:21,640
It was a big disappointment.
342
00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,680
He actually had access
to these people.
343
00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,040
It took him a long time,
but he got them to trust him.
344
00:31:31,040 --> 00:31:34,120
And I think that was exceptional,
345
00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,000
that he was able to get people
346
00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:40,400
whose business it was
to not be known,
347
00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,560
to talk to him in person.
348
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,120
And he would go on these meetings.
349
00:31:46,120 --> 00:31:51,040
You know, he had to sort of
learn how to be secretive.
350
00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:54,360
And I'm sure, you know, he was sure
people were following him.
351
00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,200
Bowyer Bell used
counter-surveillance tactics
352
00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,720
from the moment he collected
Jacob Stern at Dublin Airport.
353
00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:14,000
Bo had said to me, "If you
look out the back window,
354
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:17,760
"you'll see that tan-ish automobile
behind us
355
00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:20,880
"and it's Irish Special Branch."
356
00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:25,440
And behind that car,
there was another automobile.
357
00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:29,800
And Bo said, "That's British MI6."
358
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:33,120
And I said, "Oh."
359
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:37,840
And we pulled up in front
of the sandwich shop,
360
00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:41,880
and I thought we were going
to go in and get a sandwich.
361
00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:43,320
But no, no.
362
00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:47,360
We walked in the front door
and straight through the shop,
363
00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:52,480
out the back door, and there was
a car waiting for us there.
364
00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:57,000
And we got in it and drove out
a different street.
365
00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,640
So this is somewhere
in the backstreets of Derry.
366
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,880
And a man on the left,
367
00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:15,200
a tall man with that slight stoop,
368
00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,040
is the unmistakable figure
369
00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:20,000
of Martin McGuinness.
370
00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:30,600
I think it was Bo himself said,
371
00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:34,200
we're going to show you something
that's never been seen before,
372
00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:38,520
the first filming of a car bomb
that the IRA is going to set of.
373
00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:46,240
They'd stolen a car
from a carpet salesman.
374
00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:52,320
The IRA put together a bomb and put
them under the samples of a carpet,
375
00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:56,840
so you couldn't even
tell anything was there.
376
00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:01,920
Not all bombs go off
as they're supposed to.
377
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:06,720
So I was in a heightened state
of alert and worry.
378
00:34:20,240 --> 00:34:23,000
Is this where that bomb
would have been prepared?
379
00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,640
This is where they moved the carpet.
380
00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:27,280
Around here.
381
00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:28,840
Around here? Aye, aye.
382
00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,720
I was standing back,
watching it happening.
383
00:34:35,720 --> 00:34:39,400
There was a unit that was preparing
an explosive device to be taken
384
00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:41,440
out into the city centre.
385
00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:52,200
It would have been a five-minute
run, if all went well.
386
00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:01,240
The unit would have,
they would have come up here.
387
00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:03,040
They could have been stopped
at any stage?
388
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:04,880
They could have been stopped
at any stage.
389
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,320
Once they got into the car,
they were committed.
390
00:35:24,040 --> 00:35:27,120
And this is where, the bomb
was just down here on the right?
391
00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:30,560
It was exactly there where that,
see that trading place there?
392
00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:32,600
Just here? Aye.
393
00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,520
Could I tell you
how long it took us to get here?
394
00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,840
It took us four minutes
to get here. There you are, aye.
395
00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,880
I saw people walking in
from the other end of the block
396
00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:46,480
and I was very worried about
whether they're going to get
397
00:35:46,480 --> 00:35:47,920
injured or killed.
398
00:35:47,920 --> 00:35:51,320
But we were well back behind the IRA
399
00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:53,320
at the top of the block.
400
00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:55,640
Did you see the bomb go off?
Yes, I did.
401
00:35:55,640 --> 00:35:57,760
BOMB EXPLODES
402
00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:02,960
It was a hell of an explosion.
403
00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:15,640
The unit made phone calls,
they phoned the newspapers,
404
00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:17,360
they phoned the radio stations.
405
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:20,800
And there was a good amount of time
406
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:23,480
allowed for civilians to get out,
407
00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:25,080
get out of the way.
408
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,840
SCREAMING
409
00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:51,240
An Irish TV news crew at
the other end of the street
410
00:36:51,240 --> 00:36:53,280
captured the same bomb.
411
00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:58,440
There were people hurt
and injured that day.
412
00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:01,400
26 people, at least
26 people were injured.
413
00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,880
The unit didn't set out to do that.
414
00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:07,240
And to this day, I can't
understand why,
415
00:37:07,240 --> 00:37:09,400
because there was plenty
of warning given.
416
00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,640
But still, people would get injured
because that's the way of things
417
00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:19,400
with bombs, you can't
control everything.
418
00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:20,960
I mean, we know that.
419
00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:22,520
I know that.
420
00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:24,800
All you can do is try
and do your best.
421
00:37:32,040 --> 00:37:35,200
Do you understand that, you know,
the bombing of a city,
422
00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,400
to know of it in advance,
and not to attempt to stop it
423
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:42,560
or not to attempt to alert
the police to it,
424
00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:44,120
that was a criminal offence.
425
00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:45,920
I didn't know that.
426
00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:47,840
And...
427
00:37:49,200 --> 00:37:53,480
You know, I couldn't possibly
have alerted anybody
428
00:37:53,480 --> 00:37:55,880
without blowing the whole thing.
429
00:37:55,880 --> 00:38:01,280
And we were never given that much
advanced knowledge of something.
430
00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:10,840
The bomb filmed by Bowyer Bell
431
00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:13,000
was part of a two-day blitz
432
00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:14,920
that left eight people dead.
433
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:24,600
The British Government
chose this moment to close down
434
00:38:24,600 --> 00:38:26,640
Northern Ireland's parliament.
435
00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:34,880
All of us have been horrified
by the violence in Northern Ireland
436
00:38:34,880 --> 00:38:38,200
and by the suffering it has caused.
437
00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:42,240
The Government here in London
is therefore obliged to take over
438
00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:46,360
for the time being, full
responsibility for the conduct
439
00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:48,440
of affairs in Northern Ireland.
440
00:38:54,240 --> 00:38:58,920
The IRA had broken what
they saw as Protestant rule.
441
00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:04,560
Ending British rule was
their main objective,
442
00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:07,000
and that's what they wanted
the film to capture.
443
00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:21,800
Bowyer Bell knew the IRA
leadership personally.
444
00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:28,080
He'd spent four years researching
a book on the organisation.
445
00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:33,400
Few knew the IRA better.
446
00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:38,960
Were you ever involved
in the planning of an IRA bombing?
447
00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:43,080
I've known about them before they
happened, but not in the sense that,
448
00:39:43,080 --> 00:39:45,920
well, he knows about it and is
walking around and innocent people
449
00:39:45,920 --> 00:39:47,280
are going to get killed.
450
00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:49,400
I've known a situation where
I couldn't have done anything
451
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,400
if I had been of a mind to do so.
452
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:57,760
But, you know, I'm all right.
453
00:40:03,200 --> 00:40:07,200
Bowyer Bell first published his
book, also called The Secret Army,
454
00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:08,680
in 1970.
455
00:40:10,720 --> 00:40:11,920
Geraniums are great.
456
00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:13,560
They don't need much water.
457
00:40:15,880 --> 00:40:21,160
That same year, Tim Pat Coogan
also wrote a book on the IRA.
458
00:40:21,160 --> 00:40:25,400
But the IRA only cooperated
with Bowyer Bell.
459
00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:31,360
I wasn't going to let that stop me.
460
00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:33,040
I went to other sources.
461
00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:35,600
I got police records.
462
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:39,480
After all, remember, I was an
active journalist.
463
00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:41,640
I had my methods.
464
00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:43,520
And some American
465
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:46,960
academic wandering
into Ireland wasn't going to stop me
466
00:40:46,960 --> 00:40:48,120
writing my book.
467
00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:51,680
Is it a good book?
468
00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:55,080
I think so.
469
00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:59,680
I mean, if you if you want to know
about the IRA in Ireland and, erm,
470
00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:03,520
you were handed Bowyer Bell's book,
you know, you'd learn something.
471
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:06,320
You'd have to say that he did a fair
job on it.
472
00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,440
I wouldn't have approached it,
obviously, the way he did.
473
00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:12,080
But then, we're two different
people.
474
00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:16,120
It bolstered his reputation
within the IRA to the extent
475
00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:19,200
that he got permission to do
this extraordinary feat
476
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:23,360
of photographing what was meant
to be underground guerillas.
477
00:41:27,160 --> 00:41:29,480
You wouldn't know what
Bowyer Bell told them.
478
00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:31,960
Did they think there was going
to be a Hollywood bonanza
479
00:41:31,960 --> 00:41:34,880
from this film? That money would
flow into the coffers?
480
00:41:39,720 --> 00:41:41,840
MUFFLED AUDIO: You know who your
target is.
481
00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:44,080
You know...you know what to do.
482
00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:51,880
The IRA did make clear
what they expected to get
483
00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:53,400
from the film.
484
00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:58,280
They wanted a more favourable
opinion in America
485
00:41:58,280 --> 00:41:59,800
of what they were doing
486
00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:01,960
and how they were doing it.
487
00:42:01,960 --> 00:42:04,560
And maybe they could raise
more money that way.
488
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,360
EXPLOSION
489
00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:09,960
That's propaganda.
490
00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:11,080
Oh, I think so.
491
00:42:12,080 --> 00:42:13,240
That's what they w...
492
00:42:13,240 --> 00:42:15,960
I think that's what they would
have liked best of all.
493
00:42:15,960 --> 00:42:17,680
Straight propaganda.
494
00:42:17,680 --> 00:42:19,120
But you're not a propagandist?
495
00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:22,600
No. I do music!
496
00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:24,840
GUNFIRE
497
00:42:26,560 --> 00:42:28,600
AMERICAN INTERVIEWER:
Do they trust you?
498
00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:30,280
To a degree.
499
00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,280
I've been there so long
and I've written the book on the IRA
500
00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:35,560
that they have to look up
if they have any questions,
501
00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,360
that it's sort of too late
to keep anything much from me.
502
00:42:48,480 --> 00:42:50,600
As far as our fringe area
is concerned...
503
00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:54,200
IRA trust in Bowyer Bell only
went so far.
504
00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:05,960
They insisted on controlling
the film's content.
505
00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:10,160
They said, "We will see the finished
product.
506
00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:12,560
"And when it's...when we've
approved it..."
507
00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:15,280
the whole film would be mixed,
508
00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:17,720
so it couldn't be changed again.
509
00:43:21,080 --> 00:43:22,280
MUFFLED AUDIO
510
00:43:22,280 --> 00:43:23,640
STAND TO ATTENTION
511
00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:31,040
I've independently confirmed that
Bowyer Bell
512
00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:34,120
conceded control to the IRA.
513
00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:35,880
He must have known his film's
514
00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:37,400
integrity was shattered...
515
00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:40,160
Tonight's class...
516
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:41,800
..is on engineering...
517
00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,640
..resulting in scenes like this.
518
00:43:45,760 --> 00:43:49,200
If you give the volunteer a basic
knowledge of engineering...
519
00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:54,000
Paddy Ryan was one of the seven top
commanders on the IRA's ruling
520
00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:55,360
Army Council.
521
00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:07,840
To prevent any attempt to re-edit
the film
522
00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:11,560
after it was finished, the IRA
threatened the production team.
523
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:26,800
They said if any separate parts
of the film
524
00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:31,600
were attempted to be taken
separately to America,
525
00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:35,480
that we would be all shot
at the airport.
526
00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:37,440
"We're going to kill you."
527
00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:53,240
But the IRA's attempt to control
the making of this film failed.
528
00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:59,920
Bowyer Bell's film reels needed
developing before editing.
529
00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:03,280
There were no colour laboratories
in Ireland.
530
00:45:03,280 --> 00:45:08,160
Instead, these canisters reveal
he chose a London facility.
531
00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:13,880
10 School Road, London, NW10.
532
00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:21,720
That decision put the IRA's
security at risk.
533
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:42,240
The address on the cannisters
back up an astonishing account
534
00:45:42,240 --> 00:45:46,120
the film's executive producer
outlined to me five years ago.
535
00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:58,080
He said Bowyer Bell
and the film's Director
536
00:45:58,080 --> 00:46:00,600
told him British intelligence
537
00:46:00,600 --> 00:46:02,400
had intervened in London.
538
00:46:04,680 --> 00:46:05,920
Mr Gildin?
539
00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:08,440
Yes.
Lovely to meet you.
540
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:09,960
Thank you. My pleasure. Right.
541
00:46:17,360 --> 00:46:20,240
Both men told
you that the intelligence services
542
00:46:20,240 --> 00:46:24,520
of the United Kingdom viewed...?
The material. Yes.
543
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:28,280
Both of them said to you that the
British intelligence services saw
544
00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:30,920
this footage after it was developed?
545
00:46:30,920 --> 00:46:32,480
Yes, absolutely.
546
00:46:32,480 --> 00:46:35,680
Did they give any explanation
or did they give any indication
547
00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:40,480
about how they felt about the fact
that British intelligence was seeing
548
00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:41,680
all their footage?
549
00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:48,120
I have to assume that the producers
of the film had no alternative...
550
00:46:49,960 --> 00:46:53,960
..but to turn the material
over to British intelligence,
551
00:46:53,960 --> 00:46:57,960
if British intelligence said,
"We want to see it."
552
00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:02,400
I don't think that it was a betrayal
of any confidence
553
00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:04,720
or anything like that.
554
00:47:04,720 --> 00:47:09,080
I just think had they developed
it in Dublin...
555
00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:14,280
..erm, perhaps no-one would have
seen it.
556
00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:17,120
By virtue of it being developed
in London...
557
00:47:19,200 --> 00:47:23,760
..that's where British intelligence
got their hooks into it.
558
00:47:23,760 --> 00:47:25,400
GUNFIRE
559
00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:38,760
Leon Gildin's revelation
is incredible.
560
00:47:43,640 --> 00:47:47,480
British intelligence in London
would have been able to watch every
561
00:47:47,480 --> 00:47:52,680
scene, including footage the IRA
would have cut from the final film.
562
00:48:00,640 --> 00:48:05,520
The timing of the making of the film
has even more significance
563
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:09,040
because it coincided with secret
contacts the IRA
564
00:48:09,040 --> 00:48:11,720
were having with their
British enemy.
565
00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:17,000
It should convince them that
they haven't beaten the IRA,
566
00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:19,360
that they're not going to beat
the IRA, that the only way to
567
00:48:19,360 --> 00:48:20,880
establish peace in Ireland is to
568
00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:23,280
sit down and talk to the leadership
of the IRA.
569
00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:33,360
Those secret contacts led to a
ceasefire and footage from
570
00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:37,120
The Secret Army was central to its
announcement in America.
571
00:48:38,720 --> 00:48:40,120
Walter Cronkite's
572
00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:44,120
CBS News was supplied film
clips by Bowyer Bell.
573
00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:50,000
We have an unusual picture report
of the kind of thing the IRA
574
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:52,160
was doing before today's
announcement.
575
00:48:52,160 --> 00:48:56,000
The film of this secret bombing
operation was shot by an independent
576
00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:58,760
television crew and is narrated
by CBS News
577
00:48:58,760 --> 00:49:00,400
correspondent John Laurence.
578
00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:07,640
This is what happens on an actual
bombing operation.
579
00:49:07,640 --> 00:49:11,680
The scene is Londonderry,
inside the isolated Catholic enclave
580
00:49:11,680 --> 00:49:13,400
known as the Bogside.
581
00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:15,920
The team of IRA men work openly,
582
00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:19,080
for Army patrols stay
out of the area.
583
00:49:19,080 --> 00:49:22,800
And this is what happens
when a bomb goes off.
584
00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:25,720
Terrified people, unaware
that a bomb has been planted,
585
00:49:25,720 --> 00:49:27,040
run for cover.
586
00:49:27,040 --> 00:49:28,600
ALARMS WAIL
587
00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:35,920
After tens of millions of Americans
saw this, the IRA may have believed
588
00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:39,200
they were on the verge of a major
propaganda coup.
589
00:49:40,600 --> 00:49:42,880
While their bombings appeared
to have persuaded
590
00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:44,520
the British to negotiate.
591
00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:54,280
IRA leaders were flown to London
by the British Government for
592
00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:55,600
face-to-face talks.
593
00:49:58,080 --> 00:50:01,760
As I was told, the British
would have already seen four of them
594
00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:03,720
in the intercepted footage.
595
00:50:13,320 --> 00:50:18,120
A security breach of this magnitude
makes me wonder if the film-makers
596
00:50:18,120 --> 00:50:22,160
ever told the IRA all the footage
had been sent to London.
597
00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:25,680
And if they didn't, why not?
598
00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:38,280
It's becoming clear that Bowyer Bell
could be more than just an author.
599
00:50:42,880 --> 00:50:44,080
That's it.
600
00:50:44,080 --> 00:50:46,200
BBC, that's why. Press from the BBC.
601
00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:48,080
This is BBC? Yeah. Oh, OK.
602
00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:55,000
Harvard University is where
he once worked.
603
00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:58,920
I discovered they've retained some
of his personal correspondence.
604
00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:04,600
And I think we have some
specifically from the folder
605
00:51:04,600 --> 00:51:06,240
on Jack...
606
00:51:06,240 --> 00:51:08,440
Bowyer Bell, that's correct, yeah.
Bowyer Bell, OK.
607
00:51:20,440 --> 00:51:22,080
Here's something.
608
00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:24,760
This is his CV from 1991.
609
00:51:27,680 --> 00:51:31,880
A consulting firm focused
on problems of conflict set
610
00:51:31,880 --> 00:51:36,200
up and ran from 1976 that was
advising on terrorism, conflict
611
00:51:36,200 --> 00:51:39,120
generally, for private
and government clients.
612
00:51:42,320 --> 00:51:43,800
This is interesting.
613
00:51:43,800 --> 00:51:50,640
1974, a consultant to the Department
of State, Department of Energy,
614
00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:54,240
the CIA, the Department
of Justice, Department
615
00:51:54,240 --> 00:51:55,680
of Defense, and others.
616
00:52:00,640 --> 00:52:03,400
This guy is seriously connected.
617
00:52:04,800 --> 00:52:06,640
His security clearances,
618
00:52:06,640 --> 00:52:08,280
in brackets, lapsed,
619
00:52:08,280 --> 00:52:14,040
for the Department of Energy, the
CIA, and the Department of Defense.
620
00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:19,240
I mean, that tells you this guy
is clearly tied in and trusted
621
00:52:19,240 --> 00:52:20,520
by the CIA.
622
00:52:20,520 --> 00:52:22,640
HORN BLARES
623
00:52:35,240 --> 00:52:39,920
Why would he have been advising
the CIA on terrorism,
624
00:52:39,920 --> 00:52:42,000
with top security clearance?
625
00:52:44,040 --> 00:52:47,360
A lifelong friend of Bowyer Bell
knows more.
626
00:53:05,680 --> 00:53:06,880
Be careful now.
627
00:53:06,880 --> 00:53:07,920
Yep.
628
00:53:10,960 --> 00:53:16,160
Roberto Mitrotti has kept some
of Bowyer Bell's original artwork...
629
00:53:16,160 --> 00:53:19,840
OK. All right, I'm going to hand
them over to you.
630
00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:25,280
..painted while he was associated
with the CIA.
631
00:53:30,280 --> 00:53:34,680
Yeah, this painting is really
about the core of his work.
632
00:53:36,160 --> 00:53:40,120
His expertise was terror,
was irregular warfare.
633
00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:43,280
Part of him was pretty...
634
00:53:44,760 --> 00:53:46,520
..pretty shitty.
635
00:53:46,520 --> 00:53:48,400
I mean, some of the work he did
636
00:53:48,400 --> 00:53:50,800
was pretty shitty, if he advised
the Department of Defense.
637
00:53:50,800 --> 00:53:53,120
What do those guys...? What do those
guys want, you know?
638
00:53:53,120 --> 00:53:56,760
They want to - the CIA - they want
to create, you know,
639
00:53:56,760 --> 00:53:59,400
they want to eliminate.
640
00:53:59,400 --> 00:54:01,400
How many tanks
do we need to eliminate?
641
00:54:01,400 --> 00:54:04,080
How many things...? How many people
do we have to get out of the way?
642
00:54:04,080 --> 00:54:05,760
How many bombs?
643
00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:08,120
So this is what Bo did.
644
00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:12,920
But let me show you a picture
of Bo in front of his art,
645
00:54:12,920 --> 00:54:14,760
which, there are very few.
646
00:54:14,760 --> 00:54:18,400
And I think this is the only one
I managed to ever
647
00:54:18,400 --> 00:54:21,240
get my hands on. Here, look.
648
00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:22,840
Oh, wow.
649
00:54:22,840 --> 00:54:24,800
In front of a big painting.
650
00:54:24,800 --> 00:54:28,800
This is the catalogue of
the exhibition in 2007.
651
00:54:28,800 --> 00:54:30,680
Here we have Agency Arena.
652
00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:34,720
This was, this was brilliant, too.
653
00:54:34,720 --> 00:54:38,400
This says, look, you can be as
covert as you want, but I know
654
00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:40,560
where you are.
I know where to find you.
655
00:54:40,560 --> 00:54:44,400
I can see your... I can see your
finger everywhere, you know?
656
00:54:48,480 --> 00:54:50,280
Was he CIA, do you think?
657
00:54:51,480 --> 00:54:53,760
You've known him for 40 years.
658
00:54:55,080 --> 00:54:56,480
I think he was...
659
00:54:57,480 --> 00:55:03,240
He was too smart to be a servant
660
00:55:03,240 --> 00:55:05,960
of an American agency.
661
00:55:05,960 --> 00:55:11,520
So he might have taken money
from them at some point, to provide
662
00:55:11,520 --> 00:55:16,680
certain services, provided
the services were in the abstract.
663
00:55:16,680 --> 00:55:19,200
But he would never, knowing him,
664
00:55:19,200 --> 00:55:21,480
I don't think he would betray,
665
00:55:21,480 --> 00:55:28,880
he would sell people,
human beings, in the service
666
00:55:28,880 --> 00:55:30,560
of the CIA idea.
667
00:55:35,080 --> 00:55:38,360
Was he kind of walking,
always walking,
668
00:55:38,360 --> 00:55:40,280
some sort of fine line? Yes.
669
00:55:40,280 --> 00:55:42,520
How would you describe it?
He loved it.
670
00:55:43,800 --> 00:55:47,800
He was really talking
like a CIA agent.
671
00:55:47,800 --> 00:55:51,000
He was talking the talk
and he lived it,
672
00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:52,800
and he was good at it.
673
00:55:54,120 --> 00:55:56,120
He was a character in his own movie.
674
00:56:02,760 --> 00:56:06,920
Taking money from the CIA
for services in the abstract.
675
00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:11,280
Was Bowyer Bell more than
just an adviser?
676
00:56:21,920 --> 00:56:26,040
As I look at who his main
collaborator on this film was,
677
00:56:26,040 --> 00:56:28,480
the mystery deepens.
678
00:56:28,480 --> 00:56:31,920
Bowyer Bell's choice of director
is startling.
679
00:56:40,720 --> 00:56:44,960
The first thought come into my head,
you know, was that I was caught,
680
00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:46,520
that they'd caught me.
681
00:56:46,520 --> 00:56:49,000
I mean, I wasn't scared of
being shot, or anything.
682
00:56:49,000 --> 00:56:50,440
I really wasn't.
683
00:56:54,040 --> 00:56:59,000
This IRA member, Rita O'Hare, is
being interviewed by the director,
684
00:56:59,000 --> 00:57:02,440
Zwy Aldouby, an Israeli
writer and journalist.
685
00:57:03,760 --> 00:57:07,000
His own back story
could be from a spy novel.
686
00:57:15,320 --> 00:57:19,200
He was involved in a plot
to kidnap a notorious Nazi.
687
00:57:42,080 --> 00:57:47,080
The CIA were actually gathering
intelligence on Zwy Aldouby.
688
00:57:47,080 --> 00:57:50,480
And here they identify
who he was connected to.
689
00:57:52,400 --> 00:57:55,960
This is a declassified CIA document.
690
00:58:00,000 --> 00:58:03,280
Spooling through here, we find
691
00:58:03,280 --> 00:58:06,440
a source telling the CIA that
692
00:58:06,440 --> 00:58:10,560
"Aldouby was part of a team
based in Vienna...
693
00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:20,280
"..hunting Nazi war criminals,
and working under the guidance
694
00:58:20,280 --> 00:58:23,400
"of Israeli intelligence."
695
00:58:25,600 --> 00:58:26,960
Hmm.
696
00:58:47,560 --> 00:58:51,840
What's baffling is that Zwy Aldouby
doesn't appear to have any
697
00:58:51,840 --> 00:58:56,600
experience in film-making,
yet he's inside the IRA
698
00:58:56,600 --> 00:58:59,560
as the director
of this extraordinary film.
699
00:59:02,560 --> 00:59:04,040
DOG BARKS
700
00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:11,840
I find myself wishing that I really
knew more about my own father.
701
00:59:13,560 --> 00:59:15,720
He's really,
I'm tempted to say, like
702
00:59:15,720 --> 00:59:18,920
Austin Powers:
International Man of mystery.
703
00:59:20,880 --> 00:59:23,120
Who was Zwy Aldouby?
704
00:59:25,680 --> 00:59:27,080
What do you think, Corey?
705
00:59:27,080 --> 00:59:31,760
As far as me saying how my father
died, like, penniless and stuff -
706
00:59:31,760 --> 00:59:34,240
is that something we want
them to air?
707
00:59:40,280 --> 00:59:43,560
No. I think let it be told.
Just the true story.
708
00:59:44,640 --> 00:59:47,600
Well, you heard from the boss there.
I did.
709
00:59:49,560 --> 00:59:51,440
HE SPEAKS ON VIDEO CLIP
710
00:59:53,200 --> 00:59:56,280
My father was born in Romania.
711
00:59:56,280 --> 00:59:58,400
He escaped the Nazis.
712
00:59:59,400 --> 01:00:04,920
However, the Nazis did manage
to kill most of his family.
713
01:00:07,680 --> 01:00:11,640
He had an uncle who had
a connection that managed
714
01:00:11,640 --> 01:00:15,360
to get him into Israel.
715
01:00:15,360 --> 01:00:19,640
And I think because he saw
the terrors
716
01:00:19,640 --> 01:00:22,600
that the Nazis inflicted
717
01:00:22,600 --> 01:00:30,240
on his family, it caused him to
really be patriotic for Israel.
718
01:00:33,760 --> 01:00:36,440
He became involved in the Haganah.
719
01:00:36,440 --> 01:00:43,040
The Haganah was the beginning
of the military force of Israel
720
01:00:43,040 --> 01:00:45,000
and ended up in the Mossad.
721
01:00:51,520 --> 01:00:56,680
Do you think it's possible
that your dad was part of some
722
01:00:56,680 --> 01:01:02,200
conspiracy involving intelligence
agencies to infiltrate the IRA?
723
01:01:03,720 --> 01:01:07,960
I would say there would be a strong
possibility because there is
724
01:01:07,960 --> 01:01:15,000
a connection of the IRA and Israel,
and that connection
725
01:01:15,000 --> 01:01:16,560
would be Gaddafi.
726
01:01:16,560 --> 01:01:22,720
At that point, Gaddafi was selling
or giving arms to terrorists
727
01:01:22,720 --> 01:01:28,160
that were attacking Israel,
and Gaddafi was also giving arms
728
01:01:28,160 --> 01:01:29,840
to the IRA.
729
01:01:29,840 --> 01:01:35,280
And Israel at this point was
in a very precarious state.
730
01:01:35,280 --> 01:01:36,480
So...
731
01:01:38,400 --> 01:01:42,680
..my father, if he worked with
732
01:01:42,680 --> 01:01:46,920
or collaborated, or worked with
733
01:01:46,920 --> 01:01:52,200
the Mossad or Israeli intelligence,
it would be a clear fit.
734
01:01:56,080 --> 01:02:00,320
Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi
was viewed by Western intelligence
735
01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:03,920
agencies as a major
international terrorist.
736
01:02:09,880 --> 01:02:15,600
Zwy Aldouby was actually working
inside the IRA when Gaddafi first
737
01:02:15,600 --> 01:02:17,800
declared his support for them.
738
01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:40,160
Five months later, one of those
appearing in Bowyer Bell's film
739
01:02:40,160 --> 01:02:44,120
oversaw the first consignment
of Gaddafi's weapons.
740
01:02:48,840 --> 01:02:53,200
We organised a plane to fly
to Libya to collect them.
741
01:02:55,560 --> 01:03:01,640
Well, we got 490 RPG warheads,
which is rocket-propelled grenade,
742
01:03:01,640 --> 01:03:03,320
and 25 launchers.
743
01:03:35,600 --> 01:03:37,720
A training camp was arranged.
744
01:03:38,960 --> 01:03:42,800
Two of the volunteers were given
instructions to fire the rocket.
745
01:03:42,800 --> 01:03:45,120
And they fired it from over there.
746
01:03:47,680 --> 01:03:51,280
And as you can see here,
there's a hole here in this wall
747
01:03:51,280 --> 01:03:53,720
about an inch-and-a-half
in diameter.
748
01:03:53,720 --> 01:03:58,360
And that's where the first rocket
hit the wall and penetrated it.
749
01:03:58,360 --> 01:04:00,400
BIRDSONG
750
01:04:13,760 --> 01:04:18,600
It could penetrate armour and that
was what it was designed for.
751
01:04:18,600 --> 01:04:22,400
And when it would penetrate
the armour, it would explode
752
01:04:22,400 --> 01:04:27,280
inside the vehicle, killing those
and injuring those inside.
753
01:04:30,320 --> 01:04:35,440
The attack came without any warning
at 9.35, and it was a lucky fluke
754
01:04:35,440 --> 01:04:37,840
shot which killed Constable Keys.
755
01:04:39,440 --> 01:04:41,960
The Government said he died
when the police station was hit
756
01:04:41,960 --> 01:04:43,600
by an anti-tank rocket.
757
01:04:43,600 --> 01:04:47,280
His was one of at least ten police
stations and Army posts that came
758
01:04:47,280 --> 01:04:49,160
under such rocket attacks.
759
01:04:54,240 --> 01:04:58,960
Constable Robert Keys, a father
of six, was killed by a rocket
760
01:04:58,960 --> 01:05:03,760
from this first of many deadly
arms shipments by Gaddafi.
761
01:05:23,360 --> 01:05:27,640
Mossad deny that Zwy Aldouby
was in their organisation.
762
01:05:29,160 --> 01:05:32,920
A former CIA deputy director
who was monitoring Gaddafi
763
01:05:32,920 --> 01:05:37,320
from the 1970s, knows how Israel
gets its intelligence.
764
01:05:41,760 --> 01:05:43,920
MAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY ON VIDEO
765
01:05:50,080 --> 01:05:55,120
Is it possible that Aldouby
was spying on the IRA
766
01:05:55,120 --> 01:05:58,000
when he was filming them,
and feeding information back
767
01:05:58,000 --> 01:05:59,680
to his former comrades?
768
01:06:00,760 --> 01:06:03,080
Almost a certainty.
769
01:06:03,080 --> 01:06:05,320
Mossad, they have long ties
770
01:06:05,320 --> 01:06:06,840
and connections.
771
01:06:06,840 --> 01:06:08,320
They maintain those.
772
01:06:09,960 --> 01:06:15,040
I don't think many of them
have left totally.
773
01:06:15,040 --> 01:06:19,120
They're still involved,
supporting Israel.
774
01:06:26,160 --> 01:06:31,160
So, Zwy Aldouby could have
been spying for Israel.
775
01:06:31,160 --> 01:06:36,160
And because of Gaddafi,
the CIA also kept watch on Ireland.
776
01:06:37,800 --> 01:06:42,120
We were very interested in Gaddafi
anyway, in terms of funding
777
01:06:42,120 --> 01:06:48,040
or collecting arms,
or just general support,
778
01:06:48,040 --> 01:06:51,520
cos you had this interesting
779
01:06:51,520 --> 01:06:54,040
phenomena that the IRA...
780
01:06:55,920 --> 01:06:59,280
..tended to look to him as a
781
01:06:59,280 --> 01:07:02,600
supporter and an ally.
782
01:07:04,480 --> 01:07:08,160
Would you have had an officer
or officers based in Ireland
783
01:07:08,160 --> 01:07:09,200
at this time?
784
01:07:10,160 --> 01:07:13,200
We had a chief of station
in Ireland.
785
01:07:14,840 --> 01:07:18,080
Would you have had that
as far back as 1972?
786
01:07:18,080 --> 01:07:19,280
Oh, yeah.
787
01:07:27,400 --> 01:07:32,960
Despite all the shadowy intelligence
undercurrents around this film,
788
01:07:32,960 --> 01:07:36,840
it did arrive in America,
where a sales campaign began.
789
01:07:42,880 --> 01:07:44,880
BELLS CHIME
790
01:07:46,600 --> 01:07:49,840
I like to go to church, go to Mass.
791
01:07:49,840 --> 01:07:52,280
It's a unifying factor.
792
01:07:57,360 --> 01:07:59,480
As well as IRA attacks,
793
01:07:59,480 --> 01:08:03,080
TV executives saw a pious
IRA leadership.
794
01:08:09,400 --> 01:08:15,680
When I come home, I try to spend
some time with the children.
795
01:08:15,680 --> 01:08:20,400
Six is a good number by
what are called modern standards.
796
01:08:23,600 --> 01:08:26,440
A US broadcast seemed imminent...
797
01:08:31,480 --> 01:08:33,960
..until what happened next.
798
01:08:35,640 --> 01:08:37,040
EXPLOSION
799
01:08:38,560 --> 01:08:40,520
EXPLOSION
800
01:08:50,320 --> 01:08:54,800
The IRA's talks with the British
about a peace deal, collapsed.
801
01:09:01,440 --> 01:09:03,440
The IRA response -
802
01:09:03,440 --> 01:09:07,800
more than 20 bombs in Belfast
one Friday afternoon.
803
01:09:11,440 --> 01:09:14,840
Nine people were killed,
many dozens injured.
804
01:09:21,080 --> 01:09:25,320
The scale of death and injury
was a public relations disaster
805
01:09:25,320 --> 01:09:26,600
for the IRA.
806
01:09:29,760 --> 01:09:34,600
But they were in Bowyer Bell's film,
rationalising the risk to civilians.
807
01:09:36,120 --> 01:09:38,360
Well, the simple fact is that a
young lad,
808
01:09:38,360 --> 01:09:40,280
before he sets out to plant a bomb,
809
01:09:40,280 --> 01:09:43,720
he takes every precaution possible
to ensure that there will be no
810
01:09:43,720 --> 01:09:47,480
civilian casualties resulting
from that bomb.
811
01:09:47,480 --> 01:09:52,200
One cannot be completely satisfied
that the element of responsibility
812
01:09:52,200 --> 01:09:53,960
is totally removed.
813
01:09:53,960 --> 01:09:58,760
But yet, one bears in mind
that eventually that the innocent
814
01:09:58,760 --> 01:10:02,080
civilians pay a price,
that that price is not in vain,
815
01:10:02,080 --> 01:10:06,480
that from that sacrifice a better
form of society will evolve.
816
01:10:11,160 --> 01:10:15,560
The rising toll on civilians
was undermining the film's portrayal
817
01:10:15,560 --> 01:10:16,880
of the IRA.
818
01:10:18,000 --> 01:10:19,480
Can you clear back, please?!
819
01:10:27,200 --> 01:10:32,320
Made worse by the fact that the only
death featured in the entire film
820
01:10:32,320 --> 01:10:35,520
is that of an IRA man
killed by the British.
821
01:10:41,520 --> 01:10:44,680
The selling of the film
was now in jeopardy.
822
01:10:48,800 --> 01:10:56,040
We had a neighbour who was one of
the chiefs in control of CBS News.
823
01:10:56,040 --> 01:10:59,240
I took it to his house
and handed it to him.
824
01:11:01,800 --> 01:11:04,920
He gave it back to me and said,
"It's too romantic."
825
01:11:04,920 --> 01:11:06,160
"It's too..."
826
01:11:07,280 --> 01:11:09,120
You know, "It doesn't seem real."
827
01:11:11,560 --> 01:11:12,960
And...
828
01:11:14,440 --> 01:11:17,760
..you know, I was, I was upset about
that.
829
01:11:19,240 --> 01:11:23,320
Because by this time I was
emotionally involved
830
01:11:23,320 --> 01:11:25,360
in the success of it.
831
01:11:25,360 --> 01:11:29,400
# And soothe her every care... #
832
01:11:30,480 --> 01:11:33,840
It was my job to go out
and try and sell it.
833
01:11:34,920 --> 01:11:40,000
And I went to a new company
that had just been formed...
834
01:11:41,400 --> 01:11:43,080
..by the name of Viacom.
835
01:11:45,240 --> 01:11:48,440
And I showed it to them
and they loved it.
836
01:11:49,440 --> 01:11:56,160
And they immediately offered me
a contract for worldwide rights.
837
01:11:57,560 --> 01:12:00,800
I don't remember if they paid
anything or not.
838
01:12:00,800 --> 01:12:04,680
They prepared a lovely
four-page brochure.
839
01:12:04,680 --> 01:12:06,040
Oh, wow.
840
01:12:06,040 --> 01:12:07,720
I don't know if you've ever
seen that.
841
01:12:07,720 --> 01:12:09,520
I've certainly never seen that.
842
01:12:09,520 --> 01:12:12,760
Well, that's from Derry
the day the bomb went off.
843
01:12:12,760 --> 01:12:14,600
And there's footage from it.
844
01:12:14,600 --> 01:12:15,800
ALARMS WAIL
845
01:12:15,800 --> 01:12:17,320
EXPLOSION
846
01:12:22,400 --> 01:12:25,760
We thought it was a pretty
good documentary.
847
01:12:25,760 --> 01:12:28,000
But what happened after that,
848
01:12:28,000 --> 01:12:31,240
I suppose we can discuss here today.
849
01:12:36,320 --> 01:12:41,600
Viacom took it for worldwide rights
850
01:12:41,600 --> 01:12:43,720
and never sold a copy.
851
01:12:47,920 --> 01:12:52,400
The commercial failure left
Bowyer Bell and Aldouby in debt.
852
01:12:54,680 --> 01:12:56,920
Both had borrowed money to make it.
853
01:13:00,720 --> 01:13:05,200
Later, Bowyer Bell confided
the reason no American broadcaster
854
01:13:05,200 --> 01:13:08,160
bought it was British intelligence.
855
01:13:10,400 --> 01:13:12,680
What did he say to you happened?
856
01:13:12,680 --> 01:13:15,440
The British Government was
857
01:13:15,440 --> 01:13:18,680
too afraid of the repercussions
858
01:13:18,680 --> 01:13:24,600
that the film could have with the
Irish community in the US,
859
01:13:24,600 --> 01:13:28,360
which was a very powerful,
wealthy community.
860
01:13:28,360 --> 01:13:34,760
So they, the British Government,
the Foreign Office, decided to clamp
861
01:13:34,760 --> 01:13:40,160
down on it and put pressure on
862
01:13:40,160 --> 01:13:43,960
the US Government to stop the film.
863
01:13:49,360 --> 01:13:51,800
Whatever the reason for
its rejection,
864
01:13:51,800 --> 01:13:54,080
the film then seems to vanish.
865
01:13:57,280 --> 01:14:03,120
Despite some private screenings,
it didn't emerge into public view
866
01:14:03,120 --> 01:14:05,440
until almost 50 years later.
867
01:14:16,560 --> 01:14:20,400
The bombsite itself, Free Derry
to those who have maintained it
868
01:14:20,400 --> 01:14:24,160
as one of the most notorious
of Northern Ireland's no-go areas,
869
01:14:24,160 --> 01:14:28,000
has been ringing from the sound
of pneumatic drills today as Army
870
01:14:28,000 --> 01:14:30,880
engineers tackle the toughest
of the barricades.
871
01:14:37,360 --> 01:14:41,800
The IRA's attempt to make
the ultimate propaganda film failed.
872
01:14:44,080 --> 01:14:46,760
Their hopes of ending British rule
in Northern Ireland
873
01:14:46,760 --> 01:14:50,040
in 1972, also vanished.
874
01:14:51,800 --> 01:14:56,280
It's clear that the Army intends to
stay and to stay in force.
875
01:14:56,280 --> 01:14:59,680
They've taken over more buildings
and set to to turn them
876
01:14:59,680 --> 01:15:01,640
into fortified strong points.
877
01:15:04,920 --> 01:15:09,880
More than 25,000 British
troops seized back control
878
01:15:09,880 --> 01:15:11,520
of IRA strongholds.
879
01:15:16,400 --> 01:15:19,400
Their no-go areas were now gone,
too.
880
01:15:29,040 --> 01:15:31,440
I want you to get the feel
of that weapon as well.
881
01:15:31,440 --> 01:15:35,160
This is an ideal weapon
for assault groups
882
01:15:35,160 --> 01:15:37,920
in close-up fighting and it's a good
weapon for street fighting.
883
01:15:37,920 --> 01:15:41,520
In 1986, Des Long's life
also changed.
884
01:15:43,720 --> 01:15:47,920
Younger IRA leaders wanted much
more emphasis on politics
885
01:15:47,920 --> 01:15:52,040
and forced him from the top
of the IRA and out of the movement.
886
01:15:55,360 --> 01:15:57,880
Sources in Northern Ireland
are taking seriously a claim
887
01:15:57,880 --> 01:16:00,720
earlier this month from a group
calling itself the Continuity
888
01:16:00,720 --> 01:16:05,280
Council of the IRA that they carried
out the bombing at the
889
01:16:05,280 --> 01:16:06,840
Killyhevlin Hotel in Enniskillen.
890
01:16:09,120 --> 01:16:14,520
In 2001, Des Long was charged
with membership of the IRA breakaway
891
01:16:14,520 --> 01:16:16,400
group behind this bombing.
892
01:16:30,680 --> 01:16:33,640
MUSIC: Symphony No. 6,
Second Movement, by Beethoven
893
01:16:37,000 --> 01:16:38,200
This one is called The Brook.
894
01:16:39,160 --> 01:16:40,600
Second movement.
895
01:16:42,360 --> 01:16:44,960
HE HUMS ALONG
896
01:16:55,360 --> 01:16:56,720
My phone is tapped.
897
01:16:58,000 --> 01:17:00,920
And find that Special Branch
are passing your house
898
01:17:00,920 --> 01:17:02,440
on a regular basis.
899
01:17:03,840 --> 01:17:06,080
It's all constant watching
and watching.
900
01:17:07,280 --> 01:17:08,520
I can't go to England.
901
01:17:08,520 --> 01:17:12,720
I know that if I went to England,
I would be stopped and arrested.
902
01:17:19,640 --> 01:17:21,120
I'm banned out of America.
903
01:17:22,760 --> 01:17:25,320
I consider that a badge of honour,
I'll be honest with you.
904
01:17:25,320 --> 01:17:27,000
HE CHUCKLES
905
01:17:38,840 --> 01:17:40,240
I am not in great health.
906
01:17:40,240 --> 01:17:41,920
I'm 82 years of age.
907
01:17:41,920 --> 01:17:45,640
But I would support anybody
who is prepared
908
01:17:45,640 --> 01:17:48,520
to resist British occupation
of my country.
909
01:17:49,920 --> 01:17:52,680
Full stop? Full stop.
910
01:17:52,680 --> 01:17:53,960
No qualms about it.
911
01:17:56,560 --> 01:18:00,040
You know, a lot of people would
say you're a bit of a dinosaur.
912
01:18:00,040 --> 01:18:01,880
A lot of people say lots of things.
913
01:18:11,360 --> 01:18:16,640
Having organised IRA shootings
of alleged criminals in Free Derry,
914
01:18:16,640 --> 01:18:21,760
in 1984, it was Tony Devine
facing IRA justice.
915
01:18:21,760 --> 01:18:24,240
Accused of breaching discipline,
916
01:18:24,240 --> 01:18:26,120
his own life was at stake.
917
01:18:32,880 --> 01:18:36,040
And what they did was they asked
for the death penalty.
918
01:18:37,480 --> 01:18:39,040
You know, and I couldn't believe it.
919
01:18:42,920 --> 01:18:45,200
He escaped a death sentence,
920
01:18:45,200 --> 01:18:48,760
but was dismissed from the IRA
921
01:18:48,760 --> 01:18:51,200
and ordered to appear
for punishment.
922
01:18:56,760 --> 01:18:58,960
This is where my life changed
forever.
923
01:19:06,240 --> 01:19:08,960
This is where the, the deed took
place.
924
01:19:12,920 --> 01:19:15,640
The guy said to me, "You know,
you're getting shot in both legs."
925
01:19:15,640 --> 01:19:17,320
I went, "All right, then."
926
01:19:17,320 --> 01:19:18,720
And he said... Both legs?
927
01:19:18,720 --> 01:19:22,760
Aye, he says,
"I was told to break bone."
928
01:19:22,760 --> 01:19:25,680
I went, "All right."
So he shot me in the ball of leg.
929
01:19:25,680 --> 01:19:27,560
The ball, what do you mean
by the ball?
930
01:19:27,560 --> 01:19:30,000
The ball of me leg,
the calf of me leg.
931
01:19:30,000 --> 01:19:33,440
And then he shot me in me left leg
932
01:19:33,440 --> 01:19:34,840
and he broke it.
933
01:19:39,600 --> 01:19:40,840
In The Secret Army,
934
01:19:40,840 --> 01:19:43,880
you talk about how people
get shot in the legs.
935
01:19:46,160 --> 01:19:49,560
There's an irony that... Aye,
what goes around, comes around.
936
01:19:49,560 --> 01:19:51,800
Aye, that's true.
937
01:19:51,800 --> 01:19:54,440
Well, I mean, you have to
take it all, like.
938
01:19:54,440 --> 01:19:58,040
You can't say to somebody,
"It's not right for you to do it,"
939
01:19:58,040 --> 01:20:00,400
and then I go and do it, you know.
940
01:20:00,400 --> 01:20:02,800
Everything was aboveboard.
941
01:20:02,800 --> 01:20:05,800
You know, if you stepped
out of line in any way at all,
942
01:20:05,800 --> 01:20:07,160
you were punished for it.
943
01:20:15,000 --> 01:20:19,960
Tony Devine and his IRA commander
never spoke to each other again.
944
01:20:26,240 --> 01:20:29,880
Martin McGuinness eventually
led the IRA to peace.
945
01:20:34,840 --> 01:20:39,080
Decades later, as a leader of
a new Northern Ireland government...
946
01:20:41,320 --> 01:20:42,920
..he was meeting Queen Elizabeth.
947
01:20:45,280 --> 01:20:47,360
Good evening.
Hello, how are you? Are you well?
948
01:20:47,360 --> 01:20:49,720
Thank you very much.
Well, I'm still alive, aren't I?
949
01:20:49,720 --> 01:20:51,320
Nice to see you again.
950
01:20:51,320 --> 01:20:52,360
Well, you're quite busy.
951
01:20:52,360 --> 01:20:54,080
Yeah. There's been quite
a lot going on.
952
01:20:54,080 --> 01:20:56,000
I'm really sorry I let Martin down.
953
01:21:04,520 --> 01:21:06,760
Martin McGuinness
was a brilliant guy.
954
01:21:06,760 --> 01:21:08,000
He really was.
955
01:21:18,840 --> 01:21:20,680
HE EXHALES
956
01:21:22,360 --> 01:21:23,800
Sorry about that.
957
01:21:33,880 --> 01:21:38,280
The IRA must have calculated
the publicity from this film
958
01:21:38,280 --> 01:21:43,160
was worth exposing its members,
like Des Long and Tony Devine.
959
01:21:47,240 --> 01:21:51,720
But did they fully consider
how hidden enemies might exploit it?
960
01:21:54,280 --> 01:21:56,040
As the years went by,
961
01:21:56,040 --> 01:22:02,560
I would say that at all times
962
01:22:02,560 --> 01:22:05,680
I had some suspicion of Bowyer Bell,
963
01:22:05,680 --> 01:22:08,040
and as the years passed,
and I learned more
964
01:22:08,040 --> 01:22:09,520
about how the CIA operated
965
01:22:09,520 --> 01:22:12,280
or how intelligence
services work,
966
01:22:12,280 --> 01:22:16,440
I got...I was more and more
suspicious of him.
967
01:22:16,440 --> 01:22:20,240
In fact,
I wasn't in any doubt
968
01:22:20,240 --> 01:22:22,000
that he was a CIA agent.
969
01:22:25,360 --> 01:22:28,000
Straightforward duplicity.
970
01:22:28,000 --> 01:22:32,720
He was fooling the IRA
and he was acting as a spy.
971
01:22:38,160 --> 01:22:41,320
PIANO MUSIC PLAYS
972
01:22:58,560 --> 01:23:01,760
My immediate reaction is
absolutely not.
973
01:23:01,760 --> 01:23:04,440
Bo would not betray anyone.
974
01:23:07,320 --> 01:23:09,800
What sort of a man was he,
as far as you're concerned?
975
01:23:09,800 --> 01:23:11,080
Straightforward.
976
01:23:11,080 --> 01:23:12,120
Honest.
977
01:23:12,120 --> 01:23:13,760
Er...
978
01:23:13,760 --> 01:23:16,880
Extremely, extremely brilliant.
979
01:23:25,800 --> 01:23:28,960
Bowyer Bell knew he was suspected
of spying.
980
01:23:30,320 --> 01:23:33,560
Years after the film,
he acquired Irish citizenship,
981
01:23:33,560 --> 01:23:37,480
and would dismiss allegations
of betrayal as fantasy.
982
01:23:40,440 --> 01:23:42,480
He did work for the CIA,
didn't he?
983
01:23:42,480 --> 01:23:47,080
Yeah, well, I mean,
it's on his resume,
984
01:23:47,080 --> 01:23:51,040
because that was one of the ways
he made money.
985
01:23:51,040 --> 01:23:53,520
This was after,
this was after the film.
986
01:23:53,520 --> 01:23:56,520
He came home basically
as an academic
987
01:23:56,520 --> 01:23:58,840
without being a professor.
988
01:23:58,840 --> 01:24:02,880
The only thing you can do
is consult, write books.
989
01:24:04,240 --> 01:24:07,640
One way to make money was to run
a war game
990
01:24:07,640 --> 01:24:09,720
for the Defense Department
991
01:24:09,720 --> 01:24:14,520
or consult with the CIA about
terrorist mindsets or whatever,
992
01:24:14,520 --> 01:24:17,680
or go to a conference and give
a speech on the subject,
993
01:24:17,680 --> 01:24:19,720
or be a talking head on TV.
994
01:24:19,720 --> 01:24:21,440
Like all revolutionary
organisations,
995
01:24:21,440 --> 01:24:23,120
they tend
to be incompetent.
996
01:24:23,120 --> 01:24:25,160
Secrecy and underground
movements always are,
997
01:24:25,160 --> 01:24:27,000
and they kill a lot
of people by mistake,
998
01:24:27,000 --> 01:24:28,320
which doesn't make it any nicer.
999
01:24:28,320 --> 01:24:29,760
In fact, it may make it worse.
1000
01:24:33,360 --> 01:24:37,000
He wrote proposals to
the CIA saying, you know,
1001
01:24:37,000 --> 01:24:42,400
"I can teach a course in your
class about, you know, terrorism."
1002
01:24:42,400 --> 01:24:44,000
He was open about it.
1003
01:24:44,000 --> 01:24:47,360
But that's a completely different
thing from being a spy.
1004
01:24:47,360 --> 01:24:50,720
And he was never that, you know.
1005
01:24:50,720 --> 01:24:54,080
I mean, he probably wouldn't
have told me if he was,
1006
01:24:54,080 --> 01:24:56,640
but I just can't even imagine it.
1007
01:24:56,640 --> 01:25:01,320
For one thing, he was not
spy material, you know!
1008
01:25:08,800 --> 01:25:11,960
I've contacted
the intelligence agencies.
1009
01:25:11,960 --> 01:25:14,120
None admit involvement in the film.
1010
01:25:17,560 --> 01:25:20,440
ON RADIO: The bomb wrecked
Queen's University Sports Club
1011
01:25:20,440 --> 01:25:22,080
in Upper Malone Road.
1012
01:25:22,080 --> 01:25:26,240
I'm certain Becky Waring is telling
the truth as she knows it.
1013
01:25:30,000 --> 01:25:32,520
And according to Bowyer Bell's
own resume,
1014
01:25:32,520 --> 01:25:36,800
there was a two-year gap
between filming with the IRA
1015
01:25:36,800 --> 01:25:39,600
and when he began working
with the CIA.
1016
01:25:42,480 --> 01:25:44,680
But that may not be true.
1017
01:25:54,840 --> 01:25:57,720
"CIA, Justice and Defense."
1018
01:26:00,160 --> 01:26:01,640
My God.
1019
01:26:01,640 --> 01:26:04,360
The paperwork here
confirms what I thought.
1020
01:26:04,360 --> 01:26:07,960
I see that Bowyer Bell was very much
tied up with the CIA.
1021
01:26:07,960 --> 01:26:10,200
He had security clearance.
1022
01:26:10,200 --> 01:26:11,920
There's no doubt about it,
1023
01:26:11,920 --> 01:26:14,760
he was definitely up to his eyes
with it.
1024
01:26:14,760 --> 01:26:17,320
No, I never thought he was an agent
of the CIA,
1025
01:26:17,320 --> 01:26:20,400
but I thought he certainly
was giving information to the CIA.
1026
01:26:20,400 --> 01:26:22,280
And this would confirm it.
1027
01:26:25,360 --> 01:26:27,080
They would be gathering
intelligence.
1028
01:26:27,080 --> 01:26:29,200
"What about so-and-so?
What about so-and-so?
1029
01:26:29,200 --> 01:26:30,960
"Did you meet so-and-so?"
1030
01:26:30,960 --> 01:26:33,360
That's not just listening to him,
1031
01:26:33,360 --> 01:26:35,920
they were gathering intelligence.
1032
01:26:35,920 --> 01:26:37,240
I'd love to see their file.
1033
01:26:37,240 --> 01:26:39,200
I'd say it wouldn't fit
in this room.
1034
01:26:42,120 --> 01:26:43,160
CIA.
1035
01:26:44,280 --> 01:26:46,800
Top Secret. Department of Defense.
1036
01:26:47,840 --> 01:26:49,560
And Top Secret again.
1037
01:26:49,560 --> 01:26:51,680
I mean, there's no way...
He must have been.
1038
01:26:51,680 --> 01:26:55,080
He was working for the CIA,
I believe,
1039
01:26:55,080 --> 01:26:57,000
without a shadow
of a doubt.
1040
01:27:00,040 --> 01:27:02,640
Knowing what I know now,
you know,
1041
01:27:02,640 --> 01:27:05,840
never in a million years should
they have been allowed
1042
01:27:05,840 --> 01:27:07,680
to film what they filmed.
1043
01:27:13,200 --> 01:27:15,600
You know, reading this here,
1044
01:27:15,600 --> 01:27:17,760
you know, we were idiots.
1045
01:27:17,760 --> 01:27:20,040
No, but that's in hindsight.
1046
01:27:20,040 --> 01:27:24,000
You know, and I'm just wondering
what people...
1047
01:27:24,000 --> 01:27:27,080
Mossad? Come on, like.
1048
01:27:27,080 --> 01:27:30,080
A bunch of teenagers
in the Bogside.
1049
01:27:30,080 --> 01:27:33,280
Mossad, the CIA, MI5.
1050
01:27:33,280 --> 01:27:37,040
That's all James Bond kind of stuff,
you know.
1051
01:27:45,840 --> 01:27:50,320
It's impossible to be definitive
about the making of this film.
1052
01:27:52,800 --> 01:27:56,200
Evidence of intelligence agencies'
involvement in it,
1053
01:27:56,200 --> 01:27:59,880
unbeknownst to the IRA,
is compelling.
1054
01:28:06,000 --> 01:28:10,880
Bowyer Bell may have been more than
a consultant to the CIA.
1055
01:28:18,600 --> 01:28:22,240
But it's also possible he too
was manipulated,
1056
01:28:22,240 --> 01:28:26,600
along with everyone else,
by the spy masters.
1057
01:28:29,680 --> 01:28:31,600
Technically, I am an academic.
1058
01:28:31,600 --> 01:28:33,400
I associate with gunmen.
1059
01:28:33,400 --> 01:28:36,120
No-one is sure whether I am
smuggling arms,
1060
01:28:36,120 --> 01:28:37,400
representing the IRA,
1061
01:28:37,400 --> 01:28:39,600
or what I say I am,
which is an author.