Mark Devenport puts hammer to nail with some aplomb tonight…
Most striking was the assertion that “PIRA members” (presumably ones working for the British as agents) “believe that the Provisional army council oversees both PIRA and Sinn Féin with an overarching strategy”.
Think that’s pure fiction? Securocrats, much? Look at paragraph 13 again, and this bit in particular:
Some PIRA members are involved in gathering information of interest to the group including details of [Dissident Republican (DR)] activities and attempted identification of covert human intelligence sources [CHIS].
Or in common Belfast parlance, touts. It verges on taunting. Wherever this leaves the DUP, I suspect this is also a poke in the eye for Sinn Fein from “the Brits” themselves.
Clearly, judging by the rather more nebulous language of the southern AGS report, no one on the British side told the Irish they were planning to go by such a direct route.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
