The assassination of Loyalism's King Rat

[Jan Klimkowski]

So, speculatively, let's assume that the cast in the assassination of LVF leader Billy Wright is as follows:

Mechanics - the INLA gunmen who assassinated Wright;

Facilitators - certain prison guards who allowed a hole in the prison fence to remain unrepaired and unreported, who failed to report for duty in the key observation tower, and who failed to uncover an INLA arms cache inside the high security prison;

Sponsors - British military intelligence or SIS.

In this scenario, the Mechanics are conducting the assassination for their own, clearly defined, ideological reasons. They need have no knowledge of the activities of the Facilitators, and no awareness of the true Sponsors of the operation.

The Facilitators are probably bribed, blackmailed or threatened (eg "we know where your kid goes to school") into turning a blind eye.

The Sponsors learn of the plot to kill Wright (perhaps through bugs in the Maze prison or informants within the INLA), or directly instigate it (eg through an agent provocateur), and then maximise the plot's chance of success by directing the Facilitators to allow weapons into the INLA block, removing the key observation tower guard, and leaving the hole in the fence intact.

The assassination of Wright is regarded by historians and citizens alike as the INLA execution of an ideological enemy.

The streets of Belfast regard it as another murder in the long history of Ireland's "Troubles".

The misson of the Sponsors is accomplished and they have a perfect alibi.