Scottish National Liberation Army

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Scottish National Liberation Army
Also known asTartan Terrorists
Dates of operation1979 (1979)–present (present)
Country Scotland
Ideology Scottish nationalism
Scottish republicanism
Scottish independence
Major actions Letter bombs
Allies Scottish Freedom Party (political wing)

The Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA), nicknamed the Tartan Terrorists, is a militant group which aims to bring about Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. The SNLA has been condemned by the UK government. [1] The group was reportedly founded by Adam Busby, a former soldier from Paisley after the 1979 devolution referendum, which the organisation claims was fixed. [2]

Contents



Activity

In 1983 letter bombs were sent to Diana, Princess of Wales, and to the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. The device sent to Thatcher was active and was opened by parliamentarian Robert Key: there was no explosion. Busby fled to Dublin in 1983 after the letter-bombing campaign; he was jailed in connection with that campaign in 1997. [2]

In 1993 Andrew McIntosh was jailed for 12 years for conspiring to coerce the government into setting up a separate government in Scotland. The High Court in Aberdeen heard McIntosh had masterminded a campaign of disruption and fear which included placing bombs outside oil industry offices and sending letter bombs to the Scottish Office in Edinburgh. McIntosh served six years and was released in 1999. He died in 2004 after being arrested on firearms charges. [3]

In 2002 Cherie Blair became a target of a renewed campaign by the SNLA when she was sent an anonymous parcel containing a vial that was crudely labelled as containing 'Massage Oil', but which on investigation proved to contain caustic acid. In addition, a renewed letter bomb campaign was waged against Scottish politicians, parcels were recovered after a man claiming to be from the SNLA made an anonymous phone call to the police at London's Scotland Yard. Professor Paul Wilkinson opined at the time: "The SNLA has surfaced from time to time." [4] Meanwhile, in 2006 it was reported that Busby may be targeted for extradition to the United States to face terror charges following a series of e-mails to the country about how to contaminate US water supplies. [1]

In January 2008 two men, Wayne Cook and Steven Robinson were convicted in Manchester of sending miniature bottles of vodka contaminated with caustic soda and threatening to kill English people 'with no hesitation or compunction' by poisoning the country's water supply, echoing a previous threat in 2006. The accompanying letters were signed 'SNLA'. Cook and Robinson were each sentenced to six years for these offences. [5]

In June 2009, Adam Busby Jr., the son of the SNLA founder, was jailed for 6 years for sending a total of 6 packages to various political figures, including First Minister Alex Salmond, Liberal Democrat MSP Mike Rumbles and Glasgow City Council. The packages contained shotgun cartridges and threatening notes. Police linked the crimes to Busby after calls made to journalists claiming SNLA responsibility for the actions were traced to his mobile phone. [6]

In July 2010 Adam Busby Sr. was sentenced by an Irish court to four years in jail after being convicted in June 2010 of making hoax bomb threats against transatlantic flights. [7]


The (peaceful) Scottish Liberation Movement (SLM) provides both education and a path for Scots to understand and reclaim their Constitutional rights as part and parcel of the immutable Articles of Union that created the state of the United Kingdom in 1707. Supporters may sign up at https://liberation.scot (free of charge) and read extensive documents and publications at https://salvo.scot. This peaceful movement, founded in 2022, has no connection with the SNLA described above.

Associated organisations

The Scottish Freedom Party (SFP) has been described as the political wing of the SNLA. The SFP and John MacLean Society were formed in 1995 by former members and supporters of the SNLA. Both groups want to reverse English immigration into Scotland and promote Scottish Gaelic as the country's national language. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 SNLA threat to poison water supply by Mark Macaskill and Jason Allardyce, The Sunday Times Scotland , 10 September 2006
  2. 1 2 Who are the 'tartan terrorists'? BBC News Website, 2 March 2002
  3. ↑ Firearms charge man dies in jail BBC News Website, 18 October 2004
  4. ↑ Politicians on alert over mail scare BBC News Website, 2 March 2002
  5. ↑ Batty, David (25 January 2008). "Nationalists jailed over poison plot". The Guardian . Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  6. ↑ Six years for 'tartan terrorist' BBC News Website, 18 June 2009
  7. ↑ Carrell, Severin (23 July 2010). "Scottish separatist Adam Busby jailed for Heathrow bomb hoaxes". The Guardian. London.
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