A report reveals a series of damaging leaks originating from the British government and disgruntled members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, aimed at undermining the peace process in Northern Ireland.
Parts of the British government and disgruntled members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were responsible for a series of major leaks during and after the establishment of the 1998 peace agreement. An Irish department of foreign Affairs official focusing on justice and security created a report and list of the leaks in October 2002.
They included attempts to undermine Sinn Féin, the republican political party linked to the IRA, and expose the position of the then Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam. In a reminder of the fragile situation in the wake of the historic peace deal, the report described how “disgruntled Special Branch officers in Northern Ireland” were blamed by the British government for a series of releases about the IRA that were designed to damage Sinn Féin in the 2001 general election in Northern Ireland. An intelligence database containing the names of leading Conservative politicians – described at the time as a “hit list” – was also passed to the BBC in April 2002 and, the briefing note continued, this was followed “days later by a leak to the Sunday Telegraph which alleged that senior IRA commanders bought Russian special forces rifles in Moscow last year”. Special Branch leaks were also said to be associated with the 2002 IRA break-in at the RUC headquarters in Castlereagh in east Belfast. Other leaks included the disclosure in February 1998 of papers related to preparations for the Drumcree Orange Order march on 6 July 1997, which had been plagued by standoffs and clashes as nationalists opposed the procession down Garvaghy Road in Portadown. The gameplan document showed that Mowlam, who was publicly expressing a desire for a negotiated solution to the 1997 parade, advocated “finding the lowest common denominator for getting some Orange feet on the Garvaghy Road”. In 1997, a large number of security forces were sent to the area to allow the march to proceed. The incident sparked heightened tension and a wave of rioting
LEAKS NORTHERN IRELAND PEACE PROCESS BRITISH GOVERNMENT SINN FÉIN
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