Difference between revisions of "Operation Torsion"
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| − | RUC operation that led to 'Stormontgate, the collapse of the [[Northern Ireland Executive]] in October 2002, amid claims of an IRA spy-ring. It would later emerge that a key figure in the alleged spy-ring, [[Denis Donaldson]], was a British agent. | + | [[Operation Torsion]] was an RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) operation that led to 'Stormontgate', the collapse of the [[Northern Ireland Executive]] in October 2002, amid claims of an IRA spy-ring. It would later emerge that a key figure in the alleged spy-ring, [[Denis Donaldson]], was a British agent. |
==Surveillance operation== | ==Surveillance operation== | ||
| − | According to the BBC's Brian Rowan, Northern Ireland Secretary [[John Reid]] authorised a major surveillance operation against the IRA by the [[Police Service of Northern Ireland]] Special Branch, assisted by [[Security Service|MI5]], in the wake of the [[ | + | According to the BBC's Brian Rowan, Northern Ireland Secretary [[John Reid]] authorised a major surveillance operation against the IRA by the [[Police Service of Northern Ireland]] Special Branch, assisted by [[Security Service|MI5]], in the wake of the [[Castlereagh break-in]]. |
::I understand Prime Minister Tony Blair was briefed by John Reid in September, by which time the investigation had reached a critical phase. | ::I understand Prime Minister Tony Blair was briefed by John Reid in September, by which time the investigation had reached a critical phase. | ||
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::On the police side, only a handful of senior officers were kept informed - the then Acting Chief Constable, [[Colin Cramphorn]], senior Special Branch officers [[Chris Albiston]] and [[Bill Lowry]], and the senior Belfast detective [[Phil Wright]], who is also heading the [[Castlereagh break-in]] investigation. | ::On the police side, only a handful of senior officers were kept informed - the then Acting Chief Constable, [[Colin Cramphorn]], senior Special Branch officers [[Chris Albiston]] and [[Bill Lowry]], and the senior Belfast detective [[Phil Wright]], who is also heading the [[Castlereagh break-in]] investigation. | ||
| − | ::Before Operation Torsion "went live", Chief Constable [[Hugh Orde]] had been fully briefed and the most senior uniformed officer in Belfast, [[Alan McQuillan]], had been brought into the picture. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/2448333.stm How Stormont 'spies' were rumbled], by [[Brian Rowan]], BBC News, 12 November 2002.</ref> | + | ::Before Operation Torsion "went live", Chief Constable [[Hugh Orde]] had been fully briefed and the most senior uniformed officer in Belfast, [[Alan McQuillan]], had been brought into the picture.<ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/2448333.stm How Stormont 'spies' were rumbled], by [[Brian Rowan]], BBC News, 12 November 2002.</ref> |
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
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| + | [[category:Spooks]][[Category:Northern Ireland]][[Category:PSNI]][[Category:State Violence and Collusion Project]] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:21, 3 September 2012
Operation Torsion was an RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary) operation that led to 'Stormontgate', the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive in October 2002, amid claims of an IRA spy-ring. It would later emerge that a key figure in the alleged spy-ring, Denis Donaldson, was a British agent.
Surveillance operation
According to the BBC's Brian Rowan, Northern Ireland Secretary John Reid authorised a major surveillance operation against the IRA by the Police Service of Northern Ireland Special Branch, assisted by MI5, in the wake of the Castlereagh break-in.
- I understand Prime Minister Tony Blair was briefed by John Reid in September, by which time the investigation had reached a critical phase.
- On the police side, only a handful of senior officers were kept informed - the then Acting Chief Constable, Colin Cramphorn, senior Special Branch officers Chris Albiston and Bill Lowry, and the senior Belfast detective Phil Wright, who is also heading the Castlereagh break-in investigation.
- Before Operation Torsion "went live", Chief Constable Hugh Orde had been fully briefed and the most senior uniformed officer in Belfast, Alan McQuillan, had been brought into the picture.[1]
Notes
- ↑ How Stormont 'spies' were rumbled, by Brian Rowan, BBC News, 12 November 2002.
