British Army’s top IRA spy Stakeknife ‘cost more lives than he saved’, report finds | BBC News

A British Army spy operating at the heart of the IRA during the Troubles in Northern Ireland probably cost more lives than he saved, a report has found.

The Troubles, a conflict in Northern Ireland which lasted almost 30 years, cost the lives of more than 3,500 people.

In August 1969, the UK government sent troops to impose control. The IRA, Northern Ireland's biggest republican paramilitary group, which was founded to fight for a united Ireland, and also the Ulster Defence Association, the UDA, were carrying out bombings and shootings.

Operation Kenova investigated the British Army agent known as Stakeknife, who was Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci.

It said speculation he had saved hundreds of lives was wrong; it was more likely between high single figures and low double figures.

It found the security forces failed to prevent some murders to try to protect their agents in the IRA.


#Troubles #NorthernIreland #BBCNews

[XXXTENTAClON]

£40m in order to conclude that a double agent was a double agent

United Kingdom moment

[gyorkshire]

His job wasn't to save lives, it was to steer IRA internal security away from real British informers onto members of the organisation who weren't informing.

[jeffreyroberts]

Hindsight is an easy thing, especially in war situations.

[dominic]

Not as many as Tony Blair. But he’s still walking around free.

[lazylad]

This was years ago. Let it go and move on. Both sides committed atrocities. Let's build a better united Ireland

[thetony]

Sentenced to 5 years at HMP Miller & Carter

[shinshinshin]

Terrorist group??is that the British empire that made millions starved to death in Ireland?Or the brave guys having fought for their homeland?who are real savages?

[LukeJackandWill]

I’m still struggling to understand what Boucher uncovered in this report that we already didn’t know? And it cost 40 million? I’m confused.

[pdsimons]

The BBC News anchor practically mumbled through that report. They're supposed to be good communicators with a clear voice, excellent pronunciation, articulation, and intonation.

[majorwhite]

He ain’t the only one, sin-finished is full of crown agents

[jm-nvbl]

Well I would personally like to hear his story before I listen to what the BBC propaganda say

[yobeatthat]

What does anyone his life day in day out, on a knife edge not only had to keep his cover and his life but also had to provide reliable intelligence. I think this should be kept out of the public eye and left to rest.

[samfisher]

"The crying game" is a good film.

[polygonalmasonary]

40 million pounds of Uk tax payers money whilst our elderly and sick sit 12 hours in A&E because the Gp’s surgery system has broken down. Criminal use of OUR money 😮🇬🇧♥️🙏🌈

[greenphoenix]

The British Government enabled & supported numerous different loyalist murder gangs to torture & butcher innocent Catholic Irish (generally young men) for nearly 30 years in the North; it's well documented, & open to the public, just not talked about very much for obvious reasons. And of course the authorities did very occasionally manage to gather some accurate intel on actual active service IRA members too in order to be targeted. The fact that the British government let their top undercover agent carry out regular murder & torture should be of no surplice, & isn't for anyone who grew up in the North.

[public.public]

Worth remembering the gvt did not level N.Ireland to get to the terrorists.

[bigbang]

Those who believe the Mull of Kintyre Chinook helicopter incident was a tragic crash need to look at the facts again the people on board that helicopter were the cream of Northern Irelands intelligence service the very people who operated Scappaticci "Stake Knife" the Good Friday agreement was about to be signed and those people knew far to much about the dirty war in N Ireland they were to dangerous to M15 and could not be allowed to tell their stories.

[colinb]

I thought we had to forget and forgive, or is it only one side

[JohnFlynn-pi]

I love how they say murky times in Northern Irelands history and not UK history. They don’t care about Northern Ireland or consider it part of their nation.

[sirloin]

So how many did he save (so we have an idea of how many State-sanctioned murders there were)? 😢