Conference tallis::celt

1335.0. "MI5/MI6 plot exposed by Poles" by KOALA::HOLOHAN () Mon Feb 21 1994 12:28

                 MI5/MI6 plot exposed by Poles
                           By Neil Forde

Disclosures by Polish embassy officials and a British customs
spokesperson last week that the much hyped 'loyalist' arms shipment from
Poland on the MV Inowroclaw last November was in fact a British
intelligence operation, came a vindication of questions raised by
republicans at the time.  The Polish admission has now further exposed
the operation masterminded by MI5 and MI6.

The British story was full of inconsistencies from the start, and
involved an unbelievable set of circumstances.  Neither the Polish
security services, MI5, MI6, nor British customs had concurring stories
on how the shipment came to be.

Within a day of the new disclosure being printed in the Irish Press on
28 January, they had been again denied.  Also vigorously denied was the
admission that the arms find was organised to pressurise the Dublin
government during negotiations leading up to the Dowming Street
Declaration.  The arms shipment, with its 300 AKM rifles, pistols,
grenades and two tonnes of gelignite, was supposed to convince the
Dublin government that if they sought concession from Britain there
would be a wave of loyalist attacks on the 26 Counties.

AP/RN posed the many unanswered questions in the story last December.
This was followed up by a disclosure in the Phoenix magazine that the
arms shipment was part of a British intelligence sting aimed earlier in
the year at the INLA by a British arms dealer who was in fact an
undercover agent, Jack Christian.  As the Irish Peace Initiative took
shape in the autumn, British intelligence revived the plan with the
loyalist this time being the 'recipients'.

The 17 December Phoenix article outlined the recent history of
Christian's dealings, including links with previous British customs
operations, former RUC Chief constable John Hermon and his conviction
for fraud.

The article also exposed another flaw in the MI5 operation.  The
explosives with the shipment were a brand titled Nitrolite, commonly
used in Polish mines and manufactured with obvious scents.  Since
Teeesport and Tilbury, the destination of the bogus shipment, have
sniffer dog teams, it seems unlikely that loyalists would attempt to
smuggle such explosives through these ports.

In last week's Irish Press story, a Polish embassy official was quoted
as saying the arms find was "a political and psychological operation
rather than a police one".  The arms shipments was organised to "make
political and public opinion sensitive to the loyalist threat".

British Customes officials were also quoted in the article as saying
that the arms shipment was a sting operation.  A British intelligence
'source' had said to a British journalist last month that "the Irish
know what to expect if the loyalist paramilitaries get their hands on
proper explosives.  It must have concentrated their minds wonderfully."

These admissions were in contrast to the following day when the Irish
News reported that a British Foreign Office spolkesperson described the
story as far-fetched and a "variation of conspiracy theory".  The
spokesperson then proceeded to say that: "I very much doubt that that
was the case.  We are not in that business.  At least, I don't think we
are in that business."

Dublin Sinn Fein councillor Christy Burke commenting on the shipment
pointed out that "the truth behind th escare story of loyalists
preparing for war shows the extent of Britain's use of the threat of
loyalist violence to pressure and intimidate people".

"The fact that the UVF claimed this arms shipment, now shown to have
been at all times controlled by British intelligence, again raises
questions about the connection between the British government and
loyalist death squads."

    Re .0
    >>>		-< MI5/MI6 plot exposed by Poles >-
    
     I think he's referring to Wayne Pole over in Soapbox....
    
    Joe.