Special Branch - They Haven't Gone Away You Know!

[picador]

As of 2007 MI5 took overall responsibility 'national security' related intelligence gathering - i.e. watching republicans - in the North. However this did not spell the end of the PSNI Special Branch, which continues to play a front-line role in intelligence gathering - as Ardoyne man Paul Carson discovered recently while on holiday in Spain. Carson (44), a former republican prisoner, was confronted by two men he recognised as PSNI Special Branch officers following a previous attempt to recruit him at Glasgow Airport. On that occasion the PSNI officers had offered Carson a large sum of money if he agreed to spy on the Óglaigh na hÉireann faction of the Real IRA. Carson, who denies involvement in ONH, says that on both occasions he strenuously rejected attempts to recruit him as an informer.

[jdaly]

As of 2007 MI5 took overall responsibility 'national security' related intelligence gathering - i.e. watching republicans - in the North. However this did not spell the end of the PSNI Special Branch, which continues to play a front-line role in intelligence gathering - as Ardoyne man Paul Carson discovered recently while on holiday in Spain. Carson (44), a former republican prisoner, was confronted by two men he recognised as PSNI Special Branch officers following a previous attempt to recruit him at Glasgow Airport. On that occasion the PSNI officers had offered Carson a large sum of money if he agreed to spy on the Óglaigh na hÉireann faction of the Real IRA. Carson, who denies involvement in ONH, says that on both occasions he strenuously rejected attempts to recruit him as an informer.

Shows how far wrong Sinn Féin was in their belief that all had changed in terms of policing.


and, of course, we have mi5 seeking to have 35 men allowed give information anonymously from behind a screen against a number of Irish men and yet the shinners would have us believe that Britain is now some kind of benign uncle to us poor Irish.

Mary Lou McDonald and wee Marty McGuinness, not in my name.

[Rocky]

As of 2007 MI5 took overall responsibility 'national security' related intelligence gathering - i.e. watching republicans - in the North. However this did not spell the end of the PSNI Special Branch, which continues to play a front-line role in intelligence gathering - as Ardoyne man Paul Carson discovered recently while on holiday in Spain. Carson (44), a former republican prisoner, was confronted by two men he recognised as PSNI Special Branch officers following a previous attempt to recruit him at Glasgow Airport. On that occasion the PSNI officers had offered Carson a large sum of money if he agreed to spy on the Óglaigh na hÉireann faction of the Real IRA. Carson, who denies involvement in ONH, says that on both occasions he strenuously rejected attempts to recruit him as an informer.

Of course they haven't and I'd love to see the part of the GFA that claims it will be disbanded. Even the Republic of Ireland has a Special Branch, so of course Northern Ireland does.

[OldDog]

If anybody knows of a way to operate any kind of police force without a department that fulfills a "special branch" function,.. then we would all like to hear it.

Ugly as it is, without informers, police would be blind when it comes to organised crime and terrorism.
Its an ugly, uncertain and sadly a necessary business.

ONH are real, they are a threat, so frankly I'd be annoyed if police were not trying to infiltrate them,... its what we pay them for.

[Truth.ie]

A woman from Fermanagh was also approached by MI5 whilst in spain last week.
Several derry men were approached on seperate occassions whilst in Spain over the last few years.
Another was approached whilst in Romania. another in the states.
It's an almost weekly affair also in the north.
I'd like to know what the feck the Dept of foreign affairs are doing about MI5 illegally detaining Irish citizens overseas in attempts to recruit them as agents. Blackmail and cash inducements are the main fare.
I personally had a pretty serious run-in with MI5 officers overseas,,yet when i contacted the Dept Of Foreign Affairs, i was told there was nothing they could do. I am an Irish citizen.

[OldDog]

A woman from Fermanagh was also approached by MI5 whilst in spain last week.
Several derry men were approached on seperate occassions whilst in Spain over the last few years.
Another was approached whilst in Romania. another in the states.
It's an almost weekly affair also in the north.
I'd like to know what the feck the Dept of foreign affairs are doing about MI5 illegally detaining Irish citizens overseas in attempts to recruit them as agents. Blackmail and cash inducements are the main fare.
I personally had a pretty serious run-in with MI5 officers overseas,,yet when i contacted the Dept Of Foreign Affairs, i was told there was nothing they could do. I am an Irish citizen.

Maybe you should have contacted the local authority? Its their jurisdiction.

[Truth.ie]

If anybody knows of a way to operate any kind of police force without a department that fulfills a "special branch" function,.. then we would all like to hear it.

Ugly as it is, without informers, police would be blind when it comes to organised crime and terrorism.
Its an ugly, uncertain and sadly a necessary business.

ONH are real, they are a threat, so frankly I'd be annoyed if police were not trying to infiltrate them,... its what we pay them for.

Informers invariably end up dead. And rightly so.Using threats and blackmail to induce someone to inform makes you just as responsible for thats tout's death.
Recently a 16 year old with severe learning disabilities, and no connection to Republican guerillas was recruited as a Brit spy.

[Truth.ie]

Maybe you should have contacted the local authority? Its their jurisdiction.

The local authority were with them, and brought the MI5 officers in their car, with a convoy of others. There was a bit of a scuffle in the street, and the "local authority" appeared from nowhere.
I gave the details to my solicitor including the number plates of the cars involved.

[OldDog]

Informers invariably end up dead. And rightly so.Using threats and blackmail to induce someone to inform makes you just as responsible for thats tout's death.
Recently a 16 year old with severe learning disabilities, and no connection to Republican guerillas was recruited as a Brit spy.

"rightly so",... says all I need to know about you,...
Personally, I don't agree with their murders. I can understand why a terrorist or gangster would murder an informant,... but I could never condone it. It would still be wrong.

[OldDog]

The local authority were with them, and brought the MI5 officers in their car, with a convoy of others. There was a bit of a scuffle in the street, and the "local authority" appeared from nowhere.
I gave the details to my solicitor including the number plates of the cars involved.

Well what more could you have reasonably done?
If you are not a terrorist, then you have a right to that to be the end of the matter.