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File photo PA Archive/Press Association Images

The PSNI has delayed a statement about IRA spy "Stakeknife"

It was due tomorrow, but will be released on Friday.

THE PSNI HAS deferred its planned statement on the former IRA spy codenamed “Stakeknife” until Friday.

The service’s Chief Constable George Hamilton said that the deferral was designed to avoid a clash with the release of a statement tomorrow on the Loughinisland, County Down massacre, in which six people were killed while watching Ireland play in the 1994 World Cup.

“The Northern Ireland Policing Board is our formal accountability structure and it normally meets on the first Thursday of the month.

“In line with our commitment to openness and transparency, we had made long-standing arrangements to brief members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board at the June Policing Board meeting and to subsequently publicly share, details surrounding the investigation team that will be conducting an investigation into the alleged the activities of the person known as ‘Stakeknife’.

When these arrangements were made we were unaware that the date of the Northern Ireland Policing Board meeting had also been selected by the Office of the Police Ombudsman to release the Loughinisland report.

The PSNI was directed last October to open investigations into Freddie Scappaticci, alleging possible links to at least 24 murders. Known as Stakeknife, he was outed as a British spy in the 1990s by the BBC but has consistently denied the claim.

Hamilton added that the scope of all of the investigations meant care needed to be given to each.

“There are multiple victims and families of victims affected by each of these investigations and it is important that they are afforded the same opportunities to articulate views and to have their voices heard.

As a mark of respect for all those affected by these investigations we are deferring the public announcement of the investigation into the alleged activities of the person known as ‘Stakeknife’ until 10 Friday June.

“We recognise the impact of these investigations and we hope that the outworkings and findings of investigations support victims as Northern Ireland works through its troubled past.”

Read: ‘British spy’ and IRA agent Stakeknife to be investigated over 24 murders

Read: NOTW’s Irish editor commissioned hacker to intercept emails – BBC

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69 Comments
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    Mute Dick Durkin
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:22 AM

    You can say what you like about the IRA as a terrorist organization but they dont hold a light to what the British establishment and intelligence services get up to.

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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:29 AM

    So you’re an apologist for murder then

    64
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    Mute Dick Durkin
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:33 AM

    Nope…both organizations are murderers, its just the latter are at the top of the pile to this very day but they don’t get the same coverage.

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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:36 AM

    Didn’t realise there is a league table of murderers

    50
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    Mute whereisspace
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:45 AM

    There isn’t. But it would take a severe lack of brain matter to understand that one organisation could be more devious than another….

    122
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    Mute Tír Eoghain Gael
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:51 AM

    @Dick

    We’re the Old IRA on organisation of murderers?

    58
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    Mute .
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:57 AM

    How about dissident new IRA are they murderers? They have no mandate from the people either They are the same as the provisionals

    64
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    Mute Ger Comings
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:02 AM

    No IRA organisation EVER had a mandate from the people. But that doesn’t stop their ongoing butchery – ‘in our name’…

    65
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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:12 AM

    How about Wolfe tone, was he a murderer?

    52
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    Mute ktsiwot
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:19 AM

    Dick that is probably true, by the 80s and 90s the IRA were heavily infiltrated, the war from an intelligence perspective was boys verses men, the boys being the IRA. It seems the south Armagh brigade was the only sector where they could not get near, the other brigades were exploited and infiltrated at will, this is something that is now become apparent since the cease fire. There were a lot of stake knifes out there.

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    Mute Seamus Og
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:40 AM

    Ger It wasnt in your name. Have you any idea about what was going on in the north 30 years ago?

    45
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    Mute tommy macdonagh
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:45 AM

    tyrone brit is there any difference between the provos and the dissidents? neither have a mandate

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    Mute Ger Comings
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:47 AM

    Yes I do, Og. But who gave them a mandate? Answer : no-one.

    24
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    Mute tommy macdonagh
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:51 AM

    seems like it was very easy to infiltrate the inbred provo subhumans

    27
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    Mute Seamus Og
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:51 AM

    Unless you were a northern nationalist who was treated worse than a dog Ger, it wasnt in your name. Youre not that important.

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    Mute tommy macdonagh
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:54 AM

    and you wonder why the republic was washing its hair…. :D

    14
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    Mute Ger Comings
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    Jun 8th 2016, 12:09 PM

    Well Og – that’s not what your mates say…

    15
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    Mute Greg Kelly
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    Jun 8th 2016, 12:56 PM

    They had a mandate from less than 3% of our people in the 80s and 90s . 97% of Irish people were against SF and ira for their butchering, kidnapping and Murders of our gardai, soldiers, businessmen and prison officers.

    26
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    Mute Greg Kelly
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    Jun 8th 2016, 1:09 PM

    Based on election results they were getting. In mid 80s during their canpaign of terror they secured only 1.9% of the national vote

    19
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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Jun 8th 2016, 2:31 PM

    You have always used a league table, Not_Rod. You just don’t like uppity nationalists complaining when their family members get murdered by the British state’s agents. Hypocrite.

    24
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    Mute Inanimate Carbon Rod
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:24 AM

    Stakeknofe was the M16 spy who infiltrated the Nutting Squad of the IRA and enjoyed the work so much he allowed 24 murders to happen. This report will be interesting.

    126
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    Mute Bill Madden
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    Jun 8th 2016, 12:31 PM

    Don’t know anything about stake knife, but yesterday there was a memorial in Adare, where Garda McCabe was murdered in the line of duty and the one of the murders gets a “heros” welcome at a SF ard feis. Need we say more!

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    Mute bingo
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    Jun 8th 2016, 12:56 PM

    Stakeknife didn’t just allow murders to happen, he ordered murders. I hope there is something meaty in the report but I doubt it. It’s very unlikely that the British government will hang one of their former agents out to dry and hang themselves in the process.

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    Mute Larry Doherty
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    Jun 8th 2016, 2:29 PM

    Did nt know there was a SF ard feis yesterday….

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    Mute Adam Gill
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    Jun 9th 2016, 7:27 AM

    “Enjoyed it so much he allowed murders to happen”

    1
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    Mute Adam Gill
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    Jun 9th 2016, 8:08 AM

    That was a bit of a pointless edit, thejournal.ie. That bit of my comment doesn’t make any sense without the rest. Can you either delete the whole thing or put the rest of it back? Because it was all there when it posted.

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    Mute Adam Gill
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    Jun 9th 2016, 8:09 AM

    But to summarise, those men were heroes.

    1
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    Mute For Connolly
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:16 AM

    I see the journal are still happy to post a photo taken of a dissident at Alan Ryans funeral, in relation to a legacy provisional IRA matter.

    123
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    Mute Clifford Brennan
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:18 AM

    is the olive drab colour the wrong shade?

    62
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    Mute ross mcgee
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:19 AM

    With a shoddily shaped beret

    52
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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:23 AM

    The ira should sue for copyright breach werejammin

    71
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    Mute UndieGrundy
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:31 AM

    Spot yourself in the photo did you?

    36
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    Mute TheJeff
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:51 AM

    Certainly amount of brand dilution going on with the name IRA ?..

    Irish Republican Army (1917–22)
    The Irish Republican Army (1922–69)
    The Official IRA (OIRA), the remainder of the IRA after the 1969 split with the Provisionals
    The Provisional IRA (PIRA) broke from the OIRA in 1969 opposed to the OIRA’s Marxism, it came to develop a left-wing orientation and increasing political activity, SF (maybe)
    The Continuity IRA (CIRA), broke from the PIRA in 1986
    The Real IRA (RIRA), a 1997 breakaway
    In April 2010+, IRA. (Reboot sort of like new Star Trek’s but without taking the fan base & no Kirk or Spock without leadership or issue) & not to be confused with,
    Real IRA, Oglaigh na hEireann (The other real IRA, an indie reboot)
    Continuity IRA ?… Diet IRA, Caffeine free IRA etc..

    No longer can anyone believe its the IRA more like a individual retirement account (IRA) for those involved in Crime.

    59
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    Mute William Campbell
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:53 AM

    Absolutely disgraceful that they should imply that the IRA was ever involved in illegal activities.

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    Mute Ben McArthur
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:25 AM
    11
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    Mute Good Early
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:44 AM

    In all fairness, they could have just posted a pic of the MI6 HQ as he was their agent, and was responsible for numerous murders

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/MI6_Vauxhall_Cross.jpg

    43
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    Mute tommy macdonagh
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:46 AM

    two cheeks of the same evil arse

    17
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    Mute ktsiwot
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    Jun 8th 2016, 12:47 PM

    Connolly
    I see you know your Alan Ryan’s from your IRA’S

    14
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    Mute Sandra
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    Jun 8th 2016, 1:42 PM

    Fair play to him for carrying the brave volunteers coffin.

    8
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    Mute Clifford Brennan
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    Jun 8th 2016, 2:46 PM

    The brave volunteer killed himself and 9 civilians – including 2 children.

    18
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    Mute Jarrett moon
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    Jun 8th 2016, 5:14 PM

    @the Jeff you could add to that list. Republican people’s front or people’s republican front. Or simply trough gobblers..

    2
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    Mute Donnchadh
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    Jun 8th 2016, 12:26 PM

    What ever the outcome won’t look good for the Brits,the loughinisland case the Ruc destroyed the get away car no one ever charged even though they found the guns and balaclavas,protecting there tout mark haddock

    69
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    Mute Funfair
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    Jun 8th 2016, 7:50 PM

    Nearly sure 2or 3 were charged with that murder if memory serves me right as one was a blonde guy who looked evil going into court

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    Mute Donnchadh
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    Jun 8th 2016, 7:57 PM

    Think you’re thinking of greysteels Torrance knight was him,he came out court screaming what bout Kelly referring to Sean Kelly the shankill bomber?

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    Mute Funfair
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    Jun 8th 2016, 8:51 PM

    Donnchadh your right greysteals I’m thinking of..that kid knight is hardly walking the streets? One sick mother fooker

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    Mute Donnchadh
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    Jun 8th 2016, 9:39 PM

    I read something not so long ago,can’t remember what it was bout him think his license got revoked,only a dirty sc#mbag

    3
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jun 8th 2016, 9:50 PM

    Modus Operandi of the unionist murder gangs. Always protected by the security forces.

    7
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    Mute Donnchadh
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    Jun 8th 2016, 9:54 PM

    2 cheeks the same arse

    2
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:16 PM

    Their days are over. We want the truth.

    4
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:39 PM

    Who killed, murdered rather, our people. Why was this allowed to happen, was it policy? Answers please.

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    Mute Seamus Brady
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:06 AM

    More boring comments from nameless self important and the clueless. Research some of our country’s history and then make your judgments.

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    Mute Andrew English
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:24 AM

    It’s scary to think how many IRA deaths are as a result of British agents within the Republican movement. I see McGuinness is (again) defending himself after being accused of being an informer.

    42
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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:10 AM

    There is no connection between the ira and sf

    37
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    Mute ross mcgee
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:20 AM

    They haven’t gone away you know

    33
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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:23 AM

    They still run the party from the back room of a pub in Belfast

    44
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    Mute ray.farrelly
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:44 AM

    Rod. You seem to know a lot about the IRA. Former member prehaps?

    50
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    Mute Not_Rod_Ten©
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:11 AM

    Just a hurler on the ditch

    20
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    Mute Ciaran Foy
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    Jun 8th 2016, 7:47 PM

    The Stakeknife story came into the public eye in the week before the Stalker Report was released.The timing without real proof or evidence that Freddie was who they said he was completely took the heat off the British and the claims of collusion.A complete and utter shame for all the people who had suffered at the hands of British Murder Squads that media and the people took the story that had no real credible evidence instead of the one that had cold hard facts.The fact that Freddie Scappaticci is still alive and people like Denis Donaldson and Eamonn Collins died may give an indication to what the IRA believe

    10
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    Mute Funfair
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    Jun 8th 2016, 7:55 PM

    Freddie ain’t around for the boys to pay him a visit unlike the other 2 touts who were left hanging by the British

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    Mute Ciaran Foy
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    Jun 8th 2016, 8:23 PM

    Would it be inconceivable that Freddie was in such a position within the IRA and the story put out by the British was to cause paranoia and division?Maybe that is why he is being held responsible for 24 murders.If the British could nt get the IRA to kill him,they would have to go through legal means to get him.Still,with a little help from friends in the Irish and British media,the security forces got the whole collusion thing off their back.Cunning is one way to describe them

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    Mute Funfair
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    Jun 8th 2016, 8:57 PM

    We’ll never get the truth of this mess both sides want this hushed up as it’s embarrassing for PIRA to have such a high level tout exposed and as you say the British for the murders while under their control

    3
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    Mute Ciaran Foy
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:19 PM

    But there is no evidence he was a tout.They knew who was in the nutting squad because of bugs in safe houses.If Stakeknife was an actual tout,would he not have been used to interrogate and execute members that the British wanted out of circulation?

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:23 PM

    Touts were never embarrassing, simply ruthlessly dealt with. Many an informer was tossed to the wolves when their work was done.

    3
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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:27 PM

    And they picked on the vulnerable, the sneaky swine.

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    Mute David Clarke
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:30 AM

    What’s the name of the pub so.

    9
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    Mute Joe Smith
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    Jun 8th 2016, 1:39 PM

    The Queens arms ???????? That many double agents

    2
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    Mute D'unredactable
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    Jun 8th 2016, 10:06 AM

    Stick and twist!

    8
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    Mute Neil79
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    Jun 8th 2016, 11:59 PM

    You would want to have balls of steel playing both sides of the fense , big boys games

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jun 9th 2016, 12:39 AM

    I agree. You would have to have a death wish. Some rush though if you keep skipping away. Mind you your past always catches up with you.

    1
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