Cue Homer Simpson: “Doh!” It’s a short article, but worth unpacking—because there’s an important rebuttal to be made. To the casual Republican observer, it might seem those persistent MI5 snoops chalked up another success. The reality is far darker—and more disappointing.
Firstly, there were no plans. Strictly going by the court proceedings—since I was there—no plans, maps, targets, dates, or anything remotely suggestive were ever produced. The prosecution inferred plenty from the ASU activity, but that was about it. To be fair, the article did include a teeny caveat just to tidy up any exaggerated statements: “It said there was no clear indication of the intended targets.”
So yes, MI5 can claim another victory—but the starker truth is they remain victorious and must wonder how the charade continues. Let me add some perspective for my Republican comrades still wearing green-tinted glasses.
Again—going strictly by the court proceedings, for my own peace of mind—the two lads sent over had never met, nor communicated with anyone in England. It was, quite literally, a terrorist blind date—facetious as that may sound. Yet one of them, with no record or murky Fenian profile, was observed and photographed disembarking in Wales.
Which suggests MI5 knew well in advance—likely from the moment he started to pack his bags, despite having little time to prepare. The second lad, unknown to him, was also tracked via a separate route. At this point, incompetence seems unlikely; the odds of both making major errors from the outset are low. Later, the van sent from the north—allegedly for the ASU use—was tracked from departure. Meanwhile, the London crew had scant details of that operation until it reached them.
Now, without diminishing MI5’s brilliance in keeping the fading flame of imperialism alive, and despite their fingerprints being all over this, it’s abundantly obvious there was a Republican rat embedded in this tightly controlled department. Identifying suspects wouldn’t be rocket science—and just to clarify, it wasn’t the same devious character still collaborating with Belfast Republicans; he wasn’t promoted to that department until later.
In the end, the real story isn’t the Belfast Telegraph glorifying British spycraft, but the decades-long suppression of Republican touts by Republicans themselves. But more on that later.
Firstly, there were no plans. Strictly going by the court proceedings—since I was there—no plans, maps, targets, dates, or anything remotely suggestive were ever produced. The prosecution inferred plenty from the ASU activity, but that was about it. To be fair, the article did include a teeny caveat just to tidy up any exaggerated statements: “It said there was no clear indication of the intended targets.”
So yes, MI5 can claim another victory—but the starker truth is they remain victorious and must wonder how the charade continues. Let me add some perspective for my Republican comrades still wearing green-tinted glasses.
Again—going strictly by the court proceedings, for my own peace of mind—the two lads sent over had never met, nor communicated with anyone in England. It was, quite literally, a terrorist blind date—facetious as that may sound. Yet one of them, with no record or murky Fenian profile, was observed and photographed disembarking in Wales.
Which suggests MI5 knew well in advance—likely from the moment he started to pack his bags, despite having little time to prepare. The second lad, unknown to him, was also tracked via a separate route. At this point, incompetence seems unlikely; the odds of both making major errors from the outset are low. Later, the van sent from the north—allegedly for the ASU use—was tracked from departure. Meanwhile, the London crew had scant details of that operation until it reached them.
Now, without diminishing MI5’s brilliance in keeping the fading flame of imperialism alive, and despite their fingerprints being all over this, it’s abundantly obvious there was a Republican rat embedded in this tightly controlled department. Identifying suspects wouldn’t be rocket science—and just to clarify, it wasn’t the same devious character still collaborating with Belfast Republicans; he wasn’t promoted to that department until later.
In the end, the real story isn’t the Belfast Telegraph glorifying British spycraft, but the decades-long suppression of Republican touts by Republicans themselves. But more on that later.
⏩Michael Phillips is a former republican prisoner. Keep up with his work.
