“…in the UK government’s view, historical counter-terrorist techniques never become obsolete.”

Speaking of Rabbit Holes (media, academic or otherwise), on the matter of national security, this from Newton on Saturday… Perhaps the academics are unaware that, in the UK government’s view, historical counter-terrorist techniques never become obsolete. Two years ago, the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police refused to release 19th century files on Irish informants to a historian, arguing that to do so might imperil their descendants and compromise recruitment of future informants, who are promised anonymity forever. An appeal …

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Lord Carlile: “Peace is in no small way the result of these efforts by PSNI and MI5 personnel.”

On 20th March the Order in Council extending the operations of the UK National Crime Agency to Northern Ireland came into power – despite the challenge that presents to the Speaker of the NI Assembly – bringing us into line with the rest of the UK in the process. On the same date the NI Secretary of State of State, Theresa Villiers, made a written statement to the House of Commons on the report by Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of national security …

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Theresa in the Wonderland of the Hallett review

The plainly rushed Hallett Review and the British government response to it raise as many questions as answers. They expose not a carefully planned discreet operation but a terribly improvised muddle in which the  left hand ( the  PSNI)  did not know the full de facto amnesty effect of what the right hand ( the NIO)  was doing, and with nobody really  holding onto  the wriggling baby. The longer term inquiry by the Commons Northern Ireland Select Committee may go on …

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Leak lists Irish companies vital to US security…

WIKILEAKS’ latest instalment contains a list of facilities around the world the US believes is vital to its national security. There are just two Irish entries. The first is the Hibernia Atlantic undersea cable landing – one of a number of fast transatlantic communications links listed – while the other is Genzyme Ireland Ltd. (filling), Waterford, which supplies Thymoglobulin, a drug to help prevent donor organ rejection. Publication of the leak has been criticised, as it could be used as …

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Sinn Féin’s veiled threat over police co-operation

As reported by BBC NI’s Vincent Kearney, Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey has been making veiled threats about reviewing the level of the party’s co-operation with the police unless an ongoing legal action taken by the brother of a former Sinn Féin candidate is resolved to their satisfaction.  I say veiled threat because, despite Vincent Kearney’s best efforts on Evening Extra, Alex Maskey wouldn’t specify on air what it was the party was going to do. From the BBC report Sinn …

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