The Man Who Knew Too Much
From the late 1960s to the late 1990s, Northern Ireland went through a period of violence known as the Troubles. On one side of the conflict were Catholics (Republicans) who wanted Northern Ireland to secede from the United Kingdom and become part of the Republic of Ireland, and on the other side were Protestants (Royalists) who wanted to retain part of the British Republic of Ireland.
It was a chaotic time, with many dead and wounded, as the British government tried to prevent tensions from escalating — while authorizing multiple covert operations to undermine Republican efforts.
In 1968, a fresh-faced 25-year-old Northern Irishman named Colin Wallace joined the Ministry of Defense as Deputy Information Officer in the British Army. He eventually quickly climbed the corporate ladder and soon found himself deeply involved in British covert operations, specifically psychological operations or PsyOps.
He became a master of what we now call “fake news.” Wallace peddles stories to the media, some bizarre, some unbelievable, some far from the truth, to challenge the IRA’s credibility and nationalist narratives and agendas.
These stories include Satanism and terrorism financed and spearheaded by the Vatican and the Soviet Union. He is an expert at spreading misinformation, creating confusion and obfuscating enough to deflect and undermine opposition efforts.
However, two things happened that had troubling consequences for Wallace and his future. Authorities in Northern Ireland have discovered a group of pedophiles abusing children at a Kincora Boys Home. It is run by a Protestant loyalist group called Tara, which authorities have kept secret because it would be a huge publicity asset for Republicans. The other was Operation Clockwork Orange, in which Wallace was called on to run multiple smear campaigns against elected politicians – including the Prime Minister.
Unable to consciously and patriotically agree to protect pedophiles or undermine the democratic process, Wallace immediately blows the whistle. He let a lot of people know what the government wanted from him — and what the government wanted from him. He was fired, of course, but also accused of killing his lover’s husband, convicted and sent to prison, where he served six years for manslaughter. Eventually, other investigators found evidence that all of the charges against him were fabricated, and his conviction was eventually overturned.
Today Wallace is approaching 80, and the government is still trying to silence him. What’s so interesting about his story is that the PsyOps strategies he implemented 40-50 years ago are still relevant today. This is especially evident in the face of fake news, conspiracy theories, and social media, which make it easier to deliberately confuse, redirect, and mislead people to hide a larger, more sinister agenda.
Director Michael Oswald
