A Worse FLQ Crisis...

[unsunghero]

In its bid to make Quebec indepedent, suppose that the FLQ behaves much worse than it did in OTL:

Oct. 5, 1970: James Cross, the British Trade Commissioner, is kidnapped while the FLQ leadership demands independence. The Provicincial government responds by tightening security and announces that 'they will be soley responsible for whatever happens.'

Oct. 10: Pierre Laporte is kidnapped from his home by three members of the FLQ chenier cell.

Oct. 15: In Quebec City the Premier asks for support from the National Assembly in order to ask the Prime Minister that he would invoke the War Measures Act; there is unanimous support for this decision, even from the Parti Quebecois, which advocates an independent Quebec.

Oct. 17: Pierre Laporte is killed and his body dumped in a field outside Quebec City; the same day, a number of bombs explode in Montreal, killing 23 people. In view of the escalating crisis, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau enacts the War Measures Act. In an interview with a reporter who asks him how far he's willing to go, he responds by saying "just watch me!"

Nov. 6: Police raid the 'Chenier' cell of the FLQ and while there is a terrific firefight between them, three members escape while four others are killed. Later on the same day the FLQ executes James Cross because of the actions of the 'fascist police.'

Nov. 8 - 12: A new series of bombings in Quebec City and Montreal, targetting the police and the army. 300 students are arrested after a public display of sympathy for the FLQ. They are subjected to beatings, harsh interrogations, and deprived of food and sleep in an effort to find out if any of them actually have ties w/the FLQ. Though it is deemed harsh, it is a policy that gains real results, as the police are able to capture the three FLQ members who had escaped on November 6.

Nov. 27: The Premier of Quebec, Bourrassa, is killed in a car bomb explosion. As a result of the FLQ becoming more and more extreme, they begin to lose the support that they had initially enjoyed. In fact, since the murder of James Cross, most of Quebec has viewed the FLQ as nothing but terrorists, and many newspapers brand them as agents of the Soviet Union.

Dec. 3: In the most brazen attack of the entire crisis, the FLQ decide they must attack the 'fascist oppressors' at Parliament Hill. As Pierre Trudeau is speaking with a CBC reporter, a young man steps towards him, pulls out a pistol, and fires five rounds at him, before shooting himself. Trudeau dies on the way to the hospital, and the whole spectacle has been caught on camera which is seen throughout the country that same night.

So, what do you think? Any ideas as to what would follow from killing the nation's most popular figure?

 

[megaforce]

There's a guy named McLaughlin who wrote a history of that era suggesting that the FLQ was heavily infiltrated with government spies, to the point where the government was actually planting some of the terrorist bombs. All sides have derided this theory, perhaps because it makes them look bad but there's probably some element of truth in it. I believe McLaughlin is working on a followup trying to make sense of a suicide-in-a-London-jail cell of a bisexual model French-from-France kid named Richard Bros. McLaughin plans to contend that he was killed by the authorities but in fact Bros was certainly a legit suicide, which might be problem for McLaughlin. Overall the FLQ crisis hasn't really been written up all that much compared to a lot of other historical events of lesser magnitude.

There's a guy named Hamer in Montreal who lives a normal life here, he was the only English speaker in the gang. He didn't do any jail time for his act. He was from a white picket fence suburban family and he was one of the kidnappers, some believe he was a government spy.

Anyway I guess this is all off-topic, but my feeling is that such escalatation was highly unlikely because 1-they were too heavily infiltrated 2-they were too disorganized. I don't even think they meant to kill Laporte.

 

[M McLoughlin]

Mr or Miss Megaforce;

I wonder if you might clarify some of your statements, in particular:

"McLaughin (sic.) plans to contend that he was killed by the authorities but in fact Bros was certainly a legit suicide, which might be problem for McLaughlin."

Would you please tell us the basis for "Bros was certainly a legit suicide". That is, could you tell us specifically the basis for your certainty.

I am inquiring into the death of Richard Bros, and related matters, and have as yet no "plans to contend" anything. Could you please tell us the basis of your statement that I do?

With respect to Richard Bros as "bisexual model" would you tell us the basis of your claim. In five years of inquiry during which I interviewed Bros's widow, several ex-girlfriends and those who lived with him in London I have found no evidence that he was either a model or that he was bisesxual.

"2-they were too disorganized. I don't even think they meant to kill Laporte."

Clearly a terrorist band that can effect the kidnapping of a diplomat and a provincial minister, bring about a state of seige and the mobilization of virtually the entire security apparatus of the country is not "disorganized". As for the murder of Pierre Laporte, the fact of having several discussions about how they would kill him - a matter of record - and then going about this most heinous crime is pretty strong evidence, at least to me, of intent. What more, in your view, would it have taken to have been intentional?

As for the FLQ having been infiltrated by the RCMP Security Service, the tactic is elementary, used extensively by the DST and SDECE during the Algerian war of independence and learned by Inspector Don Cobb of Security Service during his time in France. Normand Roy and Denyse Leduc - RCMP operatives who infiltrated the FLQ, organized a cell that planted bombs in Montreal, set themselves up in Algiers as the Delegation Exterieure du FLQ (DEFLQ), a creation of the Security Service to collect intelligence, and shot Bachand to death that day in Paris in an operation entirely organized by the Security Service under directions of the highest level of the Canadian government. This is of more than historical interest. For one, we must determine how a Canadian state murder came to pass and to ensure it is not repeated. For another, we must consider the fact that Raymond Villeneuve was a member of the DEFLQ and that he was involved in the murder of Bachand. He was either a dupe or, as it seems, something more interesting, and it is of capital importance to know which. Finally, the guilty must be brought to justice.

It might further our discussion if you were to tell us your name.

Best wishes,

Michael McLoughlin
author, "Last Stop, Paris: the assassination of Mario Bachand and the death of the FLQ" (Toronto: Viking, 1998).

 

[Max Sinister]

Mr McLoughlin,

I think you want get an answer from Mr / Ms megaforce, since he or she hasn't been active for about two years, and just posted this one time.

 

[Redem]

Mr McLoughlin,

I think you want get an answer from Mr / Ms megaforce, since he or she hasn't been active for about two years, and just posted this one time.

Who know what might get resurected next! (you never know who maybe doing research on his own name )

 

[marie have a question]

In its bid to make Quebec indepedent, suppose that the FLQ behaves much worse than it did in OTL:

Oct. 5, 1970: James Cross, the British Trade Commissioner, is kidnapped while the FLQ leadership demands independence. The Provicincial government responds by tightening security and announces that 'they will be soley responsible for whatever happens.'

Oct. 10: Pierre Laporte is kidnapped from his home by three members of the FLQ chenier cell.

Oct. 15: In Quebec City the Premier asks for support from the National Assembly in order to ask the Prime Minister that he would invoke the War Measures Act; there is unanimous support for this decision, even from the Parti Quebecois, which advocates an independent Quebec.

Oct. 17: Pierre Laporte is killed and his body dumped in a field outside Quebec City; the same day, a number of bombs explode in Montreal, killing 23 people. In view of the escalating crisis, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau enacts the War Measures Act. In an interview with a reporter who asks him how far he's willing to go, he responds by saying "just watch me!"

Nov. 6: Police raid the 'Chenier' cell of the FLQ and while there is a terrific firefight between them, three members escape while four others are killed. Later on the same day the FLQ executes James Cross because of the actions of the 'fascist police.'

Nov. 8 - 12: A new series of bombings in Quebec City and Montreal, targetting the police and the army. 300 students are arrested after a public display of sympathy for the FLQ. They are subjected to beatings, harsh interrogations, and deprived of food and sleep in an effort to find out if any of them actually have ties w/the FLQ. Though it is deemed harsh, it is a policy that gains real results, as the police are able to capture the three FLQ members who had escaped on November 6.

Nov. 27: The Premier of Quebec, Bourrassa, is killed in a car bomb explosion. As a result of the FLQ becoming more and more extreme, they begin to lose the support that they had initially enjoyed. In fact, since the murder of James Cross, most of Quebec has viewed the FLQ as nothing but terrorists, and many newspapers brand them as agents of the Soviet Union.

Dec. 3: In the most brazen attack of the entire crisis, the FLQ decide they must attack the 'fascist oppressors' at Parliament Hill. As Pierre Trudeau is speaking with a CBC reporter, a young man steps towards him, pulls out a pistol, and fires five rounds at him, before shooting himself. Trudeau dies on the way to the hospital, and the whole spectacle has been caught on camera which is seen throughout the country that same night.

So, what do you think? Any ideas as to what would follow from killing the nation's most popular figure?

 

[CalBear]

Gee, I have a question too.

Why would you click through a warning banner telling you the thread had been DEAD for 11+ years with even making a comment?

Square up.