http://seachranaidhe-irishandproud.blogspot.com/2022/09/exclusive-interviewwoman-who-passed.html

Declassified files have revealed the shocking level of collusion between the British Army’s UDR regiment and loyalists. Micheál Smith is the author of a new book on the subject (for the Irish Times). For some, the conflict in Northern Ireland was characterised by an impenetrable jumble of abbreviations. Amid the alphabet soup of loyalist paramilitary […]
A powerful weapon in Britain’s ‘dirty war’ against the Irish: The Ulster Defence Regiment
MI6 and a senior detective have been accused of failing to disclose vital evidence in the death riddle of spy Gareth Williams.
A coroner suggested that the counter-terror officer, Detective Superintendent Michael Broster, was not being “completely impartial” towards secret services during the Scotland Yard inquiry.
Coroner Fiona Wilcox and the family’s lawyer both delivered angry outbursts after it emerged that nine computer memory sticks and a black bag were overlooked for 21 months after the death.
The lead detective on the case was told about the evidence only on Monday.
Dr Wilcox also stated at Westminster Coroner’s Court that Mr Broster was offering “total non-sequitur” reasons for not passing on the evidence.
With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Tom Morgan
Follow this link to find out more: https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/spy-probably-killed-unlawfully-28744840.html
(2)-: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Gareth_Williams
https://thewildgeese.irish/m/blogpost?id=6442157%3ABlogPost%3A227695
Glennane gang: Jon Boutcher to head collusion investigation
Former Bedfordshire Police chief Jon Boutcher will head an inquiry into the activities of the Glenanne Gang.
In July, the Court of Appeal said a full, independent investigation must be held.
The loyalist paramilitary gang has been linked to up to 120 murders and included some serving members of the police and security services.
Mr Boucher is separately investigating the activities of an Army agent within the IRA, known as Stakeknife.
Glenanne gang victims win legal challenge
PSNI ‘must complete Glenanne Gang probe’
‘Establish the truth’
Mr Boutcher said the review would have the “interests of the victims, and their loved ones at its very heart”.
He said: “I will do everything I can to establish the truth about who was responsible for these terrible crimes.
“For the families that especially means finding out about what, if any, assistance was given to the Glenanne Gang by others in any manner whatsoever, and that will include whether people turned a blind eye to what was happening.”
An investigation into alleged security force collaboration with the gang was started by the now defunct Historical Enquiries Team (HET).
However, the HET was later abolished and the report, thought to be 80% complete, was shelved.
Families argued they were promised an investigation.
Initial legal proceedings against the PSNI were taken by Edward Barnard, whose 13-year-old brother Patrick was killed in the Hillcrest Bar bombing.
The boy was one of four people to die in the no-warning explosion on St Patrick’s Day, 1976.
Five years later, Dungannon Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) member Garnet James Busby received a life sentence after admitting his role in the bombing and other terrorist offences.
July’s Court of Appeal ruling upheld a previous court’s decision that had been challenged by the former PSNI Chief Constable, Sir George Hamilton.
Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke said the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s thoughts “first and foremost are with all of the families affected by these incidents”.
He added: “Following the Court of Appeal judgment on 5 July the chief constable undertook to commence work to appoint the Independent Police Team and he has now asked for the assistance of Jon Boutcher to head this team to conduct the analytical report on collusion as ordered by the court.”
The Glenanne Gang is believed to have been responsible for the murders of 33 people in the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
It has also been linked to a number of other atrocities, including the 1975 Miami Showband Massacre in which three members of the popular group were shot dead.
With many thanks to: BBC NewsNI for the original story
A former head of MI5 has warned that a legal challenge against the security services over when spies are allowed to commit crimes risks exposing informants who have entrenched themselves
Campaigners begin their action in the courts on Tuesday over a document which was released last year which states undercover agents were permitted to commit crimes if they thought it was necessary.
It was signed by David Cameron, and human rights activists are demanding an inquiry into the transparency of the secret services and how they conduct their operations.
But Lord Evans of Weardale, who was MI5 director general until 2013, told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme certain aspects of such sensitive material through the courts could put spies in danger.
Insisting that it was right that “there’s nothing wrong with bringing a case” against potential wrongdoing and that it “up to the courts to decide what the outcome would be”, he warned that some information could out informants.
He said: “One of the concerns here is that if the exact details of the parameters that are applied are made public then we’re in a situation where a terrorist group who is trying to find out if anybody is actually giving out information could set tasks for them in such a way as to be sure that if they refuse to do that task they know they are working for the intelligence services.
“Not only would that be bad for intelligence gathering, but it would also be very dangerous for the safety of the agent.”
Maya Foa, director of Reprieve – the campaign group bringing the legal action – said she wants to know “what the limits are to this policy”.
“We have only recently discovered that there has been a policy in operation for decades authorising agents of MI5 to potentially commit serious crimes including torture and unlawful killing,” she said.
“Does it mean they can torture? Does it mean they can kill people? Can we torture a five-year-old child of a suspect?”
Lord Evans dismissed the claims, and said: “This isn’t about torture, and it’s not about killing.
“If you’re going to be able to understand the nature of the details of threats to mount terrorist attacks in this country – a really important source of intelligence is humans who are part of the conspiratorial group.
“For many years, probably for decades, we’ve been in a situation where human source intelligence has been absolutely critical for keeping this country safe.”
The former head of MI5 pointed out that by infiltrating a banned group like National Action, agents are already committing a crime by merely being a member.
But pushed on whether MI5 agents are permitted to carry out a punishment beatings such as kneecapping, he said: “The rules are very clear – they are, in this game or in this process to safeguard the public and in order to keep the country safe and able to maintain the rule of law.
“So that’s the ground rules. You have to act in a proportionate way.”
He added: “There are no specific rules on exactly which crimes but there is very clear process to ensure that this is only done at a level which is appropriate, which maintains security and maintains the rule of law.”
With many thanks to: The Telegraph and Gareth Davies for original story
Follow these links to find out more: https://thebreakingnewsheadlines.com/blog/mi5-role-before-london-bridge-attack-of-legitimate-concern/
(2)-: https://www.voanews.com/europe/britains-mi5-lowers-terrorist-threat-level?amp
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