Tim Spicer

Born in 1952 in Aldershot, England, Spicer was educated at Sherborne School and followed his father into the British Army, attending Sandhurst and then was commissioned in the Scots Guards. He tried to join the Special Air Service (SAS), but failed the selection course. In 1982, his regiment was pulled from guard duty at the Tower of London and sent to the Falklands War, where he saw action at the Battle of Mount Tumbledown on 13 June.{{fact|date=September 2022}}

After the Falklands War, Spicer, then at the rank of lieutenant colonel, was sent to Northern Ireland along with his regiment as part of Operation Banner during the Troubles.An Unorthodox Soldier, by Tim Spicer, Mainstream Publishing, 1999, pp. 121-125. In 1992, Spicer was awarded the OBE "for operational service in Northern Ireland".{{cite web |url=http://www.aegisworld.com/index.php/tim-spicer |title=AEGIS - Tim Spicer |accessdate=2012-05-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120519034226/http://www.aegisworld.com/index.php/tim-spicer |archivedate=19 May 2012}} On 4 September of that year, two soldiers under his command, Mark Wright and James Fisher, shot and killed an 18-year old Catholic teenager named Peter McBride in disputed circumstances. Immediately following the incident, Wright and Fisher were interviewed by Spicer and three other officers before they were interrogated by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC). In his 1999 autobiography An Unorthodox Soldier, Spicer wrote that "I thought between us we could reach a balanced judgement on what happened."An Unorthodox Soldier, by Tim Spicer, Mainstream Publishing, 1999, p. 121.

The two soldiers were subsequently tried via court-martial, which convicted them of murder and sentenced the pair to life imprisonment at HM Prison Maghaberry on 10 February 1995. At the court-martial, Wright and James claimed that they feared that McBride was about to throw an improvised explosive device he had hidden in a plastic bag towards them, a claim which Spicer supported (the bag was subsequently found to only contain a t-shirt).[http://patfinucanecentre.org/cases/pmcbride/mcbride.html "The murder of Peter Mc Bride"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116130207/http://patfinucanecentre.org/cases/pmcbride/mcbride.html |date=16 January 2014 }}, Pat Finucane Centre, accessed 7 January 2009.

In reaction to their conviction, Spicer organised a lobbying campaign to free Wright and James, arguing that the two had legitimately believed that their lives were in imminent danger due to McBride's actions. The campaign successfully persuaded the British government to free the pair from HM Prison Maghaberry on 2 September 1998, after they had spent roughly three and a half years in prison.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1375775/Guardsmen-jailed-for-murder-may-stay-in-Army.html|title=Guardsmen jailed for murder may stay in Army|first=David|last=Sharrock|date=25 November 2000|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=26 April 2016}}{{cite web|date=22 June 2004|url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/06/22/security_firms_293m_deal_under_scrutiny/|title=Security firm's $293m deal under scrutiny|work=The Boston Globe|accessdate=9 May 2009|last=Charles M. Sennott}} Wright and James were flown to Catterick Garrison in Yorkshire to meet Spicer, where they stayed until the Army Board decided to reinstate them into the Scots Guards a month later; the pair subsequently served in the Iraq War.[http://www.rte.ie/news/2003/0613/mcbride.html Belfast court rules on McBride killers], RTÉ News, 13 June 2003.

In 1994 he left the army and founded Sandline International, a private military company.{{Cite web |last=McLoughlin |first=Sam |date=2024-10-10 |title=Lieutenant Colonel Tim Spicer OBE on his book about the man who inspired 007 |url=https://restless.co.uk/leisure-and-lifestyle/art-and-culture/lieutenant-colonel-tim-spicer-obe-on-his-book-about-the-man-who-inspired-007/ |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Rest Less |language=en-GB}}

{{Main|Sandline affair}}

The Sandline affair was a political scandal that became one of the defining moments in the history of Papua New Guinea (PNG), and particularly that of the conflict in Bougainville. It brought down the PNG government of Sir Julius Chan and took Papua New Guinea to the verge of military revolt. After coming to power in 1994, Prime Minister Chan made repeated attempts to resolve the Bougainville conflict by diplomatic means. These were ultimately unsuccessful, due to the repeated failure of Bougainvillean leaders to arrive at scheduled peace talks.

After a number of failed military assaults and the refusal of Australia and New Zealand to provide troops, a decision was then made to investigate the use of mercenaries. Through some overseas contacts, defence minister Mathias Ijape was put in contact with Spicer.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}} He accepted a contract for $36 million, but the deal fell through when the PNG Army found out that so much money was being spent on a job they claimed to be able to do. The Army overthrew the PNG government and arrested Spicer. He was eventually released and sued the PNG government for money not paid."The Private war of Tumbledown Tim", London Sunday Times Magazine, 2 July 2000.

When employed by Sandline International, Spicer was involved in military operations in the Sierra Leone Civil War, which included importing weapons in apparent violation of the United Nations arms embargo.{{cite web|date=29 December 2004 |url=http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20050110&s=ackerman |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050108080600/http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20050110&s=ackerman |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 January 2005 |title=Tim Spicer's World |publisher=The Nation |accessdate=14 August 2007 |last=Ackerman |first=Andrew }} The contract was first offered to Globe Risk International who declined the contract on moral grounds. He had been contacted by Rakesh Saxena, an Indian financier hoping that a new government would grant him diamond and mineral concessions. The controversy over this incident, and whether the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) knew of Sandline's actions; inquiries into it concluded that the FCO had known of the actions, and that Spicer believed he was not breaking the embargo. However, former British diplomat Craig Murray claims that he was present at a Foreign office meeting when Spicer was explicitly read the text of UN Security Council Resolution 1132 which obliges member states to prevent their nationals from importing arms to Sierra Leone.{{cite book|last=Murray|first=Craig|author-link=Craig Murray|title=The Catholic Orangemen of Togo and other Conflicts I Have Known|date=29 August 2023 |edition=12 January 2009|page=220|publisher=Atholl Publishing|isbn=978-0-9561299-0-1}}

Spicer maintains neither he nor Sandline did anything illegal: {{quote|Neither Sandline nor Tim Spicer did anything illegal and were, if anything, victims of a wider UK political controversy. Sandline was contracted to supply weapons and professional services to the legitimate elected government of Sierra Leone. This government had been deposed by a military junta in alliance with the Revolutionary United Front, a barbaric rebel movement. The British government knew of the action, which did not contravene international law or the UN Security Council’s arms embargo. The facts are borne out by a Government investigation, two inquiries and a UN Legal opinion.|Spicer's FAQ page}}

Spicer has claimed that he always has called for greater involvement of the British government in the PMC issue. In fact, Lt. Col. Spicer said that six weeks before the arms-to-Africa affair blew up, Sandline had submitted a paper to the Foreign Office calling for greater regulation, but had not yet received a response. At the time, with no government response, Sandline was considering setting up its own oversight committee, including a senior retired general, a lawyer and a representative of the media.{{cite web|date=22 November 1998 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=/archive/1998/11/22/narmy22.html |title=Inside Lt Col Spicer's new model army |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=14 August 2007 |last=Andrew Gilligan |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070519032042/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/htmlContent.jhtml?html=%2Farchive%2F1998%2F11%2F22%2Fnarmy22.html |archivedate=19 May 2007 |url-status=dead }}

In late 1999, Spicer left Sandline, which kept operating until 2004. The next year, he launched Crisis and Risk Management. In 2001, he changed the company's name to Strategic Consulting International and also set up a partner firm specialising in anti-piracy consulting, called Trident Maritime. In 2002, Spicer established Aegis Defence Services, which around the beginning of the Iraq War was consulting for the Disney Cruise Line.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}

Spicer was Chief Executive of Aegis Defence Services, a PMC based in London, until replaced by Major General Graham Binns in 2010. The chairman of the Aegis board of directors is former Defence minister, Nicholas Soames MP.[http://www.aegisworld.com/index.php/new2/about-us-2/management2Aegis Defence Services website]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Board of Directors include: General Sir Roger Wheeler, Chief of the General Staff; Paul Boateng, former Labour Minister and ex-High Commissioner to South Africa{{cite web|date=8 November 2009 |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6908050.ece|archive-url=https://archive.today/20091201180439/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6908050.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 December 2009|title=Lobbying row as ex-minister Paul Boateng lands defence firm job|work=The Times|location=UK|accessdate=17 May 2010|last=Oliver |first=Jonathan }} and Sir John Birch, former British deputy ambassador to the United Nations.

In October 2004, Aegis won a $293 million three-year contract in Iraq outsourcing, among other things, intelligence for the U.S. Army.{{cite web|date=23 October 2005|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article578141.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202013933/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article578141.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 December 2008|title=Making a killing|publisher=pub|accessdate=14 August 2007|last=Jon Swain}}{{cite news|date=1 July 2007 |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/30/AR2007063001075_pf.html|title=In Iraq, a Private Realm of Intelligence-Gathering|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate =14 August 2007|last=Steve Fainaru and Alec Klein}}

{{quote|Spicer is effectively in charge of the second largest military force in Iraq – some 20,000 private soldiers. Just don't call him a mercenary.|Stephen Armstrong Guardian journalist{{cite web|date=20 May 2006|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/story/0,,1779424,00.html|title=The enforcer|work=The Guardian|location=UK|accessdate=14 August 2007|last=Stephen Armstrong}}}}

In 2005, following the award of this contract, five United States Senators – Charles Schumer, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Chris Dodd and John Kerry – wrote a joint letter{{cite web|date=7 December 2004 |url=http://www.irishnationalcaucus.org/pages/Spicer/Pentagon%20now%20paying%20millions%20to%20Spicer.htm |title=Pentagon now paying millions to Spicer |publisher=Irish National Caucus |location=IR |accessdate=10 January 2012 |last=Ray O'Hanlon |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630192249/http://www.irishnationalcaucus.org/pages/Spicer/Pentagon%20now%20paying%20millions%20to%20Spicer.htm |archivedate=30 June 2012}} calling on Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld to investigate the granting of the Aegis contract, describing Spicer as "an individual with a history of supporting excessive use of force against a civilian population" and stating that he "vigorously defends [human rights abuses]".

In a December 2005 letter to his constituents, then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) called on the Department of Defense to withdraw its contract with Aegis. Obama wrote that "The CEO of Aegis Defense Services Tim Spicer has been implicated in a variety of human rights abuses around the globe ... given his history, I agree that the United States should consider rescinding its contract with his company."{{cite web|date=15 December 2005 |url=http://www.irishnationalcaucus.org/pages/Articles2008/IRISH%20URGE%20OBAMA%20TO%20KEEP%20PROMISE%20ON%20SPICER%20Rescind%20the%20$293%20million%20security%20contract.htm |title=Irish urge OBAMA to keep promises on Spicer |publisher=Irish National Caucus |location=IR |accessdate=10 January 2012 |last=Tom Griffin }}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}

• Tony Hunter-Choat

Spicer is the author of three books:

• An Unorthodox Soldier: Peace and War and the Sandline Affair (2000)
• A Dangerous Enterprise: Secret War at Sea,{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Helen |date=2023-07-16 |title=Jane Birkin: My father, the secret agent |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/non-fiction/jane-birkin-interview-childhood-father-john-barry-kate/ |access-date=2024-07-14 |work=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}
• A Suspicion of Spies: Risk, Secrets and Shadows - the Biography of Wilfred ‘Biffy’ Dunderdale, published on 12 September 2024.{{cite web |last1=Spicer |first1=Tim |title=A Suspicion of Spies |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/books/463478/a-suspicion-of-spies-by-spicer-tim/9781999589141 |publisher=Penguin Random House |access-date=14 July 2024 |language=en |date=12 September 2024}}

{{Reflist}}

{{wikiquote}}

• {{cite book|last=Robert Young Pelton|author-link=Robert Young Pelton|title=Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror|date=29 August 2006|publisher=Crown|isbn=1-4000-9781-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Robert Young Pelton|author-link=Robert Young Pelton|title=Three World's Gone Mad|date=1 December 2003|publisher=Lyons Press|isbn=1-59228-100-1}}
• {{cite book|last=Tim Spicer|title=An Unorthodox Soldier|date=1 September 2000|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|isbn=1-84018-349-7}}
• [http://www.sandline.com/ Sandline International] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050828045604/http://www.sandline.com/ |date=28 August 2005 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050720002243/http://www.aegisdef.com/ Aegis Defence Services]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spicer, Tim}}

Category:1952 births

Category:Date of birth missing (living people)

Category:Living people

Category:People educated at Sherborne School

Category:Military personnel from Aldershot

Category:Scots Guards officers

Category:British Army personnel of the Falklands War

Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

Category:People of the Sierra Leone Civil War

Category:English mercenaries

Category:Human rights abuses in Northern Ireland

Category:British military personnel of The Troubles (Northern Ireland)

Category:Businesspeople from Aldershot