Book contents
- The Intelligence War against the IRA
- The Intelligence War against the IRA
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I The Intelligence War: August 1969 to July 1972
- Part II On the Verge of Defeat? The Intelligence War: July 1972 to December 1975
- 4 British Political, Military and Intelligence Strategy towards the IRA: July 1972 to December 1975
- 5 The Intelligence War: July 1972 to December 1975
- 6 ‘Everything Is Compromisable after the British Declaration of Intent’: The IRA Returns to Ceasefire, December 1974 to December 1975
- Part III The Struggle to Contain the IRA: January 1976 to April 1998
- Book part
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
5 - The Intelligence War: July 1972 to December 1975
from Part II - On the Verge of Defeat? The Intelligence War: July 1972 to December 1975
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2020
- The Intelligence War against the IRA
- The Intelligence War against the IRA
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- Part I The Intelligence War: August 1969 to July 1972
- Part II On the Verge of Defeat? The Intelligence War: July 1972 to December 1975
- 4 British Political, Military and Intelligence Strategy towards the IRA: July 1972 to December 1975
- 5 The Intelligence War: July 1972 to December 1975
- 6 ‘Everything Is Compromisable after the British Declaration of Intent’: The IRA Returns to Ceasefire, December 1974 to December 1975
- Part III The Struggle to Contain the IRA: January 1976 to April 1998
- Book part
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter investigates the intelligence war’s effectiveness against each regional IRA group between July 1972 and December 1975. Whilst the Belfast IRA suffered some operational difficulties because of British intelligence efforts, the Derry City IRA, rural republican units in Fermanagh, Tyrone and south Armagh, and the cells operating in England had not been damaged to any considerable extent by 1975. It is true that the number of deaths caused by the IRA had declined since 1972. But the republican movement had spread further across Northern Ireland and the borderlands of the Irish Republic. The IRA maintained a persistent campaign for reasons explored in this chapter. Northern Ireland remained politically unstable in 1975, and when the IRA called a prolonged ceasefire, this was not out of desperation. This chapter discusses important events in the intelligence conflict between 1972 and 1975, included the discovery by the IRA of the Four Square Laundry intelligence operation in Belfast in 1972.
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- The Intelligence War against the IRA , pp. 81 - 107Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020