Michelle O’Neill Issues Apology Following Revelation of IRA Undercover Agent’s Role
In the midst of Operation Kenova’s interim findings, the handling of an undercover agent within the Provisional IRA during The Troubles was heavily criticized.
Following a report that condemned the management of an undercover agent, Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill issued an apology to families of alleged informers who were killed by the Provisional IRA.
Operation Kenova’s interim findings, which focused on 101 abductions and murders carried out by the IRA’s Internal Security Unit (ISU)—known as the “nutting squad”—while an undercover agent called Stakeknife was operational, were released recently.
The ISU, led by Stakeknife, conducted interrogations, torture, and murder of suspected informers during The Troubles.
Despite Stakeknife’s identity never being officially confirmed, Freddie Scappaticci was exposed in the media as Stakeknife in 2003, a claim he rejected until his death in April 2023 at the age of 77.
Operation Kenova, a seven-year investigation led by Bedfordshire Police and costing £40 million, concluded that more lives were lost than saved as a result of Stakeknife’s actions.
Kevin Winters, a lawyer representing some victims, described Stakeknife’s involvement in the IRA’s ISU as a “macabre joint enterprise.”
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He stated, “We are confronted with the horrific realization that both the state and the IRA were complicit in the murder of some of its own citizens.”
On Friday, Ms. O’Neill, who serves as the vice president of Sinn Fein, the former political arm of the IRA, expressed regret for the loss of life suffered by families of victims. She emphasized, “I am sorry for every single loss of life, without exception, to all those families affected by our conflict.”
O’Neill Calls for UK Government Apology
Regarding Operation Kenova, she remarked, “The report highlights the necessity for an apology, and I believe it should be issued by the British government.”
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, criticized the £40 million expense of Operation Kenova as a significant cost to probe the activities of one agent within the PIRA.
He questioned, “Wasn’t that money better spent on proactive policing today? It is disappointing that, despite the substantial investigation, the PPS was unable to secure any prosecutions.”
The Kenova team revealed significant evidence of criminal behavior by Scappaticci and had shared it with the PPS before his death.
The Operation Kenova report refrained from confirming Scappaticci’s identity as Stakeknife, citing the government’s policy against confirming or denying agents’ identities, even after their demise.
Additionally, they debunked rumors suggesting Scappaticci may still be alive and dismissed claims of him meeting then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and other Cabinet members at Chequers in the 1980s as baseless.
The initial lead of Operation Kenova, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher of Bedfordshire Police, who assumed the role of head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) last year, remarked during a Belfast press conference on Friday, “Stakeknife’s identity has been disclosed to Kenova subject to confidentiality obligations that bind me, and I cannot reveal his name without official authorization.”
The Operation Kenova team, in their 208-page report, called on the IRA and the British government to apologize for flaws in the intelligence services concerning Stakeknife.
Operation Kenova Attributes Fault to ‘Maverick Culture’
The report acknowledged that errors and poor decisions in intelligence were expected and justified. However, during the Troubles, a “maverick culture” existed, where agent handling was considered a clandestine practice kept off the record.
Mr. Winters, representing 12 families affected by the IRA’s ISU killings or abductions, stressed, “The alarming revelation is that the state had the opportunity and responsibility to prevent loss of life. The failure to do so is both legally and morally reprehensible.”
He also asserted that Scappaticci was not the sole Stakeknife.
Ms. O’Neill insisted that she was fully committed to reconciling the past wounds and promoting peace.
She concluded, “I represent the generation of the Good Friday Agreement, born into conflict but now in a position to craft a peaceful future due to that agreement 26 years ago.”
She added, “We must never take peace for granted. The pain caused must not be repeated, and we must always seek ways to support healing.”
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris declined to comment until the final version of Operation Kenova is published, but acknowledged that the investigation, commissioned in 2016, has provided closure to many families seeking answers about their loved ones’ murders by the Provisional IRA.
PA Media contributed to this report.
