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BRITISH SPIES ARE keeping tabs on a number of persons of interest within Ireland.
The Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) agents have been operating around the country since shortly after the London Bridge attack in June, sources have confirmed to TheJournal.ie.
It is understood that they are operating in at least two cities. Most of them are in Dublin and are working out of a number of offices in the city centre.
Sources say they are “keeping an eye” on a handful of potential extremists. They say that Ireland’s position geographically makes it an area that needs to be monitored by foreign intelligence.
Their arrival in Ireland followed the revelation that one of the London Bridge attackers – Rachid Redouane – had lived in the Rathmines area of south Dublin last year with his English partner who he married while here. He was not being monitored by gardaí.
The Department of Justice did not comment on whether or not it is aware of foreign intelligence agencies operating in Ireland. However it confirmed that a small number of potential extremists are being monitored.
“While there is a small number of persons here whose activities in support of violent extremism give cause for concern they are monitored closely by the authorities and any appropriate action is taken,” the department said in a statement.
The department added that gardaí cooperate with international security agencies on intelligence-related matters “as circumstances dictate” in combatting crime and security threats. A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána echoed that sentiment, but did not confirm that gardaí were aware of MI6 agents in Ireland.
“An Garda Síochána liaise closely with our security and law enforcement partners throughout Europe to share and assess any relevant intelligence and its potential impact on this jurisdiction,” the spokesperson said.
The Special Detective Unit (SDU) – an elite arm of the gardaí – has been liaising with its British counterparts and offering its intelligence capabilities to assist the spies with their work here.
There has been fears within garda management that Ireland would be totally unprepared for an attack without the help of foreign agencies. While there are a number of trained officers who can use rifles and submachine firearms, well-placed sources have told TheJournal.ie that a lack of resources has meant the reliance on foreign agencies working in intelligence has increased.
Earlier this year, TheJournal.ie revealed that members of the SDU had been carrying out a number of surveillance operations on over 20 people they believe to be a potential threat to Ireland.
It has now emerged that elements within MI6 had helped gardaí identify those specific surveillance targets. Days after reporting the operation, a number of terror suspects were arrested.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which oversees MI6, said that it could not comment on operational matters.
International conoperation is the way to go and the UK has a wealth of experience dealing with terrorists.
@Catherine Sims: yeah because they are Terrorists
@Con: well that didn’t take long. A new record ??? Anyone timing the responses ??
@Catherine Sims: but he is correct they are terrorists, they’ve planted bombs here in the republic and killed dozens
@Boganity: I was wondering when you would show up. We have a common enemy and Brit bashing will have to wait until the grown ups have co operated in bringing these extremists under the microscope and keep their actions and contacts monitored .
@Catherine Sims: But we have our own secret service. If they suspect someone surely they can tell our agency rather than have a foreign nation spy on our citizens. It takes away the rights of our own citizens and replaces it with british intrests, which may conflict with our own, especially with brexit.
There should never be spies in an allied nation. That implies you are not true allies.
America has experience with terrorists too, should they send dozens of spies? Hell, why not replace the gardai with british police who have ‘more experience’ with terrorists, because all of a sudden the IRA are not seen as such.
@Catherine Sims:
And also provoking terrorism.
@Andy Dwyer: Well that is like saying all Irish are terrorists because of the IRA. Or everyone in Ballymun is a gang member!
@Andy K: our own secret service…are you taking the p i s s
@Andy Dwyer: my uncle married a british woman. I’m pretty certain she wasn’t a terrorist. However all idiots are idiots.
@Andy Dwyer: What a filthy comment.
@Boganity: British intelligence included? helping their ever so loyal friends,dublin,monaghan etc
I sense a Journal poll is coming.
@Andy Dwyer: I’m a Brit living here 16 years I can honestly say I’ve never had anyone talk to me the way you are on this application. Maybe because you’re a child? I don’t know but your opinion is very out dated and stupid. Have you been to the UK?
@Noj Nikrub: ignore the uneducated comment.
@Andy K: Two choices: Have British spies here reported or unreported. They have better resources in UK. They were totally right to Brexit fair play to them for showing some backbone.
@Andy K: Pur own intelligence service ??? Have you even seen GCHQ in Gloucester ?? British interests have to be protected yes but that doesn’t mean they aren’t compatible with Irish interests . Ireland is in danger of becoming a protective little hub for extremists because of our lack of experience and resources. If there was investment into our intelligence service and it was seperate to our police force you may have a point. But we are reliant on the Gardai at present. I believe our Gardai are an excellent force for the most part and have been very impressive in dealing with gangs here. That doesn’t mean they are up to a task which is very new in real terms for them. Only a small section of our force is armed and we even had recruitment stalked for years due to no money. Why would we not take advantage of the UKs expertise in this area??? Because of the ” we hate brits brigade”?? No I don’t think so. This requires mature thought and action not knee jerk bigoted reactions which cut off our nose to spite our face.
@Catherine Sims: …well someone needs to keep an eye on the hoodlums let in here, because our lot cant, as Ian Paisley Snr said way back in 1976, about the Provos, the Gardai wouldnt find grass in a rocking horses shit…..and if they did Donegan would deny it.
@Catherine Sims: They seem to help create a good few themselves… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeyRwFHR8WY
Coming soon to a Journal near you, after an attack in dublin:
“This has nothing to do with Islam”
“This attack must not divide our nation”
“Fight against racism, nazis etc. more than ever”
“Muslims are the true victims”
“This event should not be used to generalise…”
“The religion has been abused”
“Islam is a religion of peace”
Politician X has condemned the attack
Politician X was said to be deeply shocked and concerned about the events
“Our thoughts and prayers are with X”
“We are going to give an answer to this attack”
It was an attack of previously unforeseen extent that had never been expected…
“It’s the fault of the Western world for the exploitation of countries such as X”
@Liam flag: muppet
@Liam flag: false flag.
@Ivan Truckrcar: Well that’s not very nice is it?
@Liam flag: You are an hysterical infant.
@Atheos Euripides: Whatever dude
@Liam flag: You must have champaign on ice waiting for an attack here.
@Liam flag: You are either allowing yourself to be defined by your own inability to understand what the fcuk so called ISIS is trying to achieve here or else you’re running with the pack for thumbs up. Either way it’s lame me auld pal. You’re going through great lengths to regurgitate and dress up the same old rhetorical horse sh!te.
@Tweed Cap: Cool story thanks
@Liam flag:
I think you win the award for the greatest number of snowflakes triggered with a single comment….
Although interesting to note that your single comment has far more green thumbs than all of theirs combined….
@Liam flag: You forget there have been terrorist attacks in dublin, but they were not done by muslims, rather the british secret service who may be spying on you even now. How come you do not condemn them? Or the IRA. Or the Loyalists? They have all done attacks in Ireland.
@Liam flag: Yawn.
@Liam flag: and after all of that Lism, we will light some candles, sing songs about hope and change our Facebook profiles. These terrorists will sh*t themselves. Us snowflake lefty liberals are bad ass motherfu*let’s.
@Liam flag: Muslims?
@Liam flag: dam right same thing different country .
@Liam flag: you’re actually wishing for this to happen, aren’t you?
@Liam flag: well put,but nonetheless that will happen
@Neal Ireland Hello.: Yeah.. Terrorist attacks… How boring.. Who cares?
@Liam flag: Spot on.
Happier with the UK keeping an eye, can never be sure and they are mor experienced than our lot.
@Paul: Then why not move there? And are the Americans not even more experienced? Why not ask them too? We could have a section in Guantanamo Bay just for Irish people!
@Paul: they’re more experiences than our lot because they had decades dealing with our lot.
@Andy K: Guantanamo isn’t big enough for that.
@David: Honest but true.
@David: Good one David :)
@Andy K: spike
@Damocles: spike island,and find n chips each night for supper,after the movie channels go off
@David: that’s s very good point
@Andy K: Rockall Rockall you’ll never fall to Britains greedy hands.
@TheBluffmaster2: at least get the lyrics right, it is “Oh rock on Rockall you’ll never fall….”
@Andy K: the US intelligence service is here and have been for quite some time, they have expressed their concern in many occasions with some of the visitors and goings on at the mosque in Clonskeagh. They also visit every time a leading US Politician or CEO attends the country, such as the recent visit of Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan. Then of course there is the presence at their Embassy and Dublin airport. Perhaps it is you who should get your sources from places other than YouTube, as you instructed another poster, or indeed An Phoblact.
@David: Just because they are more experienced, doesn’t mean to say they are more competent.
I’m delighted they’re spying on them here! Actually feel a little bit safer knowing this.
This is another cost of multi culturism that isn’t factored in. So instead of more money for xyz we now need to divert resources (people, thinking, money etc) on dealing with this.
I remember a time, not so very long ago, when money that we didn’t have then either, was diverted to dealing with the same s**t from our own. Foreigners & multi-culturalism are not to blame. Small mindedness and mental instability however?
Its good theres a real international professional force on this, but doesn’t this just reek of more irish gov incompetence. We’ve needed the EU and IMF to look after our state finances, and MI6 on our serious international crime, maybe our amateurs like coveney, harris and fitzgerald need to step aside and let the pros in to deal with the shambolic state of our housing, health and immigration too.
@Adrian: agree on everything except EU on state finances. Considering they heaped us with a €64 billlion German bank debt.
@Sean Hyland: What? That was our debt. Our developers, bankers, politicians and investors managed to rack up that debt. Without the loan from the EU central bank (not a german bank) our financial system would have crashed and we would be in a terrible situation now.
Maybe learn from real sources not rage youtube videos.
@Adrian: I think you’re forgetting that our banks weren’t insolvent. It was a temporary liquidity problem that required them to be bailed out. Didn’t the bank heads tell our government that in the middle of the night (no records kept) and didn’t we vote to spend that 64bn the following morning ourselves. Unfortunately the banks were insolvent up to their oxters in debt but we can’t blame the EU/IMF for this. They showed up afterwards to teach us how to run our economy properly.
That’s reassuring. Charlie Flanagan is a spoofer of the highest order whose priority has always been that of placating the public mood over actually dealing with reality on the ground. We can all sleep easier in our beds knowing that the Brits are watching over us.
It’s only a matter of time before we wake up to this terribe news. Dreading the day. Like the rest of Europe it’s going to happen so let’s hope the response is swift. Bullet to the head please. Preferably from a female Garda . They would hate that.
@purple rain: Jesus. You’re a real tonic.
Groovy… I was thinking I spotted Austin Powers and Bond on down at Nearys earlier. I suppose it’s good someone is keeping an eye on these lads when we can’t do it ourselves.
@Brown Boots:
Nearys is a stone’s throw away from 59 Grafton Street where the Cairo Cafe stood in 1920, might be a rerun soon for the nearysgang..
The independent reports at least 60/70 are now living in this multicultural society if we have any idea why not lift them and remove them from our once beautiful country
@Dermot Keogh: cos we are weak
Extremist = a person who does not believe in British hegemony. Extremist does not include British allies around the world i.e Saudi Arabia – head chopper central and women hater central and exporter of extremist ideology and methodology; Israel – implanted racist super state who revel in the killing of young children; Us of A – big Brother .. literally, destroyer of nations and harbinger of corporate hell .
Strange article. Thejournal is infiltrated.
My enemy’s enemy is my friend, it would appear.
@Micheal OLainn: I would have thought we and our British neighbors were friends regardless at this stage. No?
@Ron North: yes we are friends with the UK and they aren’t just the UKs enemy they are ours too. Our flag was there on the little list of countries who they regard as targets.
@Catherine Sims: I knew that bit I was just curious as to why the British might not be our friends if we didn’t have a common enemy which is what I was getting from the comment.
@Ron North: not really,like a distant neer do well uncle by marriage
Good since we haven’t done a stroke. Grafton St. Hmmm……..
Good to hear.
A strict application of Irish neutrality is needed. We should be doing our own security, not collaborating with the U S and UK who have provoked this jihadi backlash because of their adventures in Iraq Syria Afganistan,with many “Irish” regiments of the UK army involved.
Friendly government security services share information on the movements of people of interest,it’s a good thing.Infiltration of these
terrorist organisations is extremely difficult ,but when information on a suspect warrants expensive surveillance,then our Intelligence services should take what ever help that they can,and accommodate them as much as possible.
It’s nothing new by the way.
Don’t understand why these people are being monitored and not deported.
Beware the English accent………they’re watching you………….mate.
The fear is real.. the brits are keeping an eye on us phew.. if there’s a hint of someone jumping in a van and running down Grafton st, then grab why chance it.. grab them.. the fact is they haven’t a f*( king clue who is capable of a twisted act but we’ll give up up every bit of freedom in order to feel “safe” n if they miss the mark, every other dip sh!t will blame the “left” because they let them in. You’re walking blind into a utopia you called for
Can we not just get the irish secret service to investigate .oh wait
@Aidan Martin: Oh wait? Wait for what? You do know we have a secret service don’t you?
@Cian O Donoghue: This is the first I’ve heard of them, they’re very good.
@Ron North: Apparently, they are. They’re called G2 and are based in McKee barracks in Dublin.
Thank God someone is keeping an eye on it
I get a little freaked out when I see drills for such an event happening weather that be manchester or london it always seems to preempt an attack. Recently their was a drill carried out in the docklads if it does happen here my money is on it being there. I think that there is more to this than meets the eye…an big gathering of people on the docks is a no no for me since that drill was carried out beacuse my spidy sences are tingling…really hope im wrong
‘Sources’ . It must be true, then.
@Micheal OLainn: I hope it is true !!!
@Catherine Sims: wishing and hoping it is true does not necessarily make it true. I keep an open mind.
@Micheal OLainn: well same could be said of your scathing response. It doesn’t make it not true either .
@Micheal OLainn: I would double check if I were you on how actually ‘open’ your mind is Tony.
@Micheal OLainn: mi5/6 greatest Chinese whisperers of all
All this means is that when these people attack they’ll say that “the individuals were known to police”. A harder approach needs to be taken rather than just “spying” on them, if they’re suspected terrorists then f***ing do something about it before they do something to us!
@Johnny: There’s actually a much better chance of something being done if other intelligence agencies are breathing down our neck.
@Catherine Sims:
There’s a much better chance of something being done if virtue-signalling liberal types don’t start publicly whining every time something is done.
@Catherine Sims: and make ourselves a target in the process, now that’s not a very clever strategy
@Boganity:
You’re deluded if you think we’re not already a target.
@Catherine Sims: actually no,as has happened all over the globe,spooks regularly let attacks happen to suit the long term goal is public outcry/knee jerk reaction etc,at it for years in Ireland
Well the Brits have to find some work for all the Shinners on their payroll seeing things have quietened down up North
They’re badly needed here, our so called police force are up to their eyes catching people with no road or telly tax
@oh i dunno:
Good point. There have been armed Garda nominally checking car tax etc 3 times in the past 8 days here in Nth Dublin. One would hope their motivation is more than just traffic offence monitoring.
“Persons of interest” need to be arrested or sent packing. When are we going to get sick of this inhuman Muslim ideology?
So there is a non E.U state with spies in our country
What does this normally lead to
Lots of whining and moaning and bitching and what if’s and brits out and we should be neutral …blah, blah…etc. If we need anti terrorism operational & intelligence support (of course we do) then the British are the best available show in town. We ain’t gonna fund and grow this expertise overnight.
At least someone is.
This proves beyond all doubt that we are still under British rule..
@Paul de Vinci: How?
Why publish this. It’s well known we have extremists here. Hopefully the horrific scenes we witness on our tvs never hits our streets. Hopefully they see sense.
@onebox: serious? These maniacs will never see sense
God, this article is the poorest yet.
We should be making M16 aren’t in the country. Look at their record around the world, they are the true terrorists. And also training arming and using Isis in the middle East for their terror campaign
@free Palestine:
Hamas are ISIS-lite
Nothing new there chaps
It’s not called MI6, it’s SIS, amateurish journalism at best, stupidity at worst….
@Niall Higgins: oh give over .that’s what it’s commonly known as. .
Best thing to do is get your “retaliation ” in first lift all these followers of Bedlam and drop them back to whatever 3th world sh&t hole they came from. landing the plane would be just one optional .
Nothingness there
It is obvious that bollards should be erected in both Grafton street and Henry st. There should be no thinking about it
Anyone who says anything against HSBC, Barclays and Goldman Sach are extremists as well lol. I hope they are not doing what they did as in spying on companies for companies that are friends with their government???
have your say