SAOIRSE32

News Letter
29 December 2008

THE Government had IRA informers inside the Maze and had prior warning of republicans going “on the blanket” and the dirty protests. And the republican sources said they had been threatened by the IRA Army Council with “being shot”, if they did not participate in the campaign.

THE Government had IRA informers inside the Maze and had prior warning of republicans going “on the blanket” and the dirty protests.
And the republican sources said they had been threatened by the IRA Army Council with “being shot”, if they did not participate in the campaign.

Secret Northern Ireland Office and Home Office files, released after 30 years, revealthat British intelligence knew of plans to mount the jail campaign – linked to the demand for special category (or prisoner of war) status.

Internal prison documents, covering the 1978 protest, also include files from June 1977 in which it is recorded that prison officers had been passed – from two different sources – information by IRA inmates.

One conversation between an informant and officer was at the Maze on June 15. The other in a mainland British prison.

On June 16, the IRA Maze inmate was brought in for further questioning. He warned the protests would start on June 20, 1977.
Orders were to come from the IRA army council for inmates to strip – discarding their prison uniform.

The report, prior to the protest, said, “the usual pressures will be applied to ensure that the order is carried out”.

The hotpsot for the protest was H5, where the IRA command “reminded them (the IRA prisoners) that they had been asked to stop shaving as a form of protest and counselled not to forget that they came under the control of PIRA staff on H5″.
On June 21, the protest did not begin.

The informer said that “up until now it was the prisoners’ own choice as to whether or not they (went as far as) stripping, but that there was now an army order, stating that those who did not strip would be shot”.

On June 22, the secret Maze files record, a prisoner (a lifer) spoke to a prison officer and said he had intended not to conform with the protest but from that day would be stripping.

The report said: “He was asked if he had discussed the matter with his parents and girlfriend.

“At this he began to cry, and informed the prison officer that they had advised against this course of action but that the pressure was from the army council and he must conform.”