The Soho Nail-Bombing Scandal Revisited: NFB Pamphlet #2
The Soho Bombing Scandal Revisited
In 1999 Nazi David Copeland planted three nail-bombs in London: Brixton 17/4/99, Brick Lane 24/4/99 Soho 30/4/99.
This last bomb killed three people drinking at a gay pub.
Copeland was caught after that explosion, and jailed for at least 50 years: he is still in prison.
You may agree these events tragic, but see them as a matter just for the history books. We demur. In any case, this saga was the catalyst for a 2021 Netflix documentary (Nail-Bomber Manhunt) & book ‘Codename Arthur’ written by Nick Lowles, CEO of Hope Not Hate.
Both (unintentionally) provided new leads to us at Notes From the Borderland, on this case even before the smoke cleared from Soho.
THE SHOCKING TRUTH:HIS LAST FATAL BOMB COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, BUT WAS NOT
READ THIS PUBLICATION TO FIND EVIDENCE FOR THAT ASSERTION, AND SEE WHO HAS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
* SPECIAL BRANCH (NOW PART OF SO15)
* MI5 THE SECURITY SERVICE
* THE COMMUNITY SECURITY TRUST (DAVE RICH)
* SEARCHLIGHT PAST (NICK LOWLES)
* SEARCHLIGHT PRESENT (GERRY GABLE)
* ALL THREE ‘AGENT ARTHURS’
* COLIN BARR & DANIEL VERNON (WHO MADE NETFLIX ‘NAIL-BOMBER MANHUNT’)
INTRODUCTION Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Larry O’Hara
As I write, bombs rain down on Gaza, causing untold thousands of deaths. It might be thought, therefore, that a 1999 bombing campaign on British soil which ‘only’ killed three people, albeit injuring and permanently disfiguring dozens more physically, let alone the enduring mental trauma, is small beer. Wrong: not only do all victims matter, the 1999 Soho nail-bombing, like the two previous bombs planted in Brixton and at Brick Lane by Nazi low-life David Copeland resonates today, for various reasons:
1) Continuing homophobia is one important factor in a disinclination by those who should know better to explore the full truth of those events and the lead-up to them.
2) The bombs themselves were an important justification for the 2000 Terrorism Act, in itself a definite over-reach of state power.
3) Shockingly, the final, fatal, Soho bomb could have been avoided. This pamphlet explores the role of the Security Service (MI5), Special Branch (now part of SO15), the (Jewish) Community Security Trust and their flunkeys the Searchlight organisation, then headed by Gerry Gable but in those events and more recently a crucial role was/is being played by Nick Lowles, now CEO of Hope Not Hate.
4) Consistently atrocious and shallow media coverage, reaching a nadir with the 2021 Netflix film ‘Nail Bomber Manhunt’ (Colin Barr/Daniel Vernon), which grossly distorted facts to support a spurious upbeat narrative and deliberately evaded the central issues. Having said that, the film, and related ‘Code Name Arthur’ book by Lowles, inadvertently provided fresh leads resulting in this publication. Many thanks!
Notes From the Borderland magazine have been on this case a long time. Hopefully there is enough here (and in previous coverage) to make more people feel the same righteous anger we feel, and want to get answers. We commend those who relentlessly exposed police corruption and malpractice after Stephen Lawrence was murdered, but now ask, who will step up to the plate and hold MI5 and Special Branch accountable here? The ultimate scandal is that so far few realise there is a scandal. Time that changed. Do any budding documentary makers out there want to exceed Expectation?
The text often alternates between I/we: reflecting the fact various NFB collective members over the years have had invaluable input: some no longer with us, sadly. Final point: criticising the CST does not dilute our long-standing opposition to anti-Semitism.
CONTENTS
Introduction: The Scandal Defined/For New & Previous Readers p.3
1) The Arthurian Legend Deconstructed p.7
2) The Police Investigation/How Copeland Was Caught p.10
3) The Codename Arthur/Nail-Bomber Manhunt/Jewish Chronicle Version p.14
4) The ‘Nail-Bomber Manhunt’ Documentary Dissected p.18 CLICK FOR ARTICLE – opens in a new window
5) Why MI5/Special Branch allowed Copeland to Continue p.23
6) Community Security Trust/Searchlight Dishonesty Explored p.26
7) Could the Soho Bomb Have Been Prevented? p.29
8) Summary Of This Publication/Conclusion p.32
References p.33
Other Notes From the Borderland publications p.35
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