| ID | 119414 |
| Title Proper | Have a go |
| Other Title Information | British army/MI5 agent-running operations in Northern Ireland, 1970-72 |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Charters, David A |
| Publication | 2013. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Early in the Northern Ireland conflict the army took the lead in intelligence operations, including Humint. This article examines the case of 'Observer B', an agent run jointly with MI5. Using testimony and documents provided to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry as well as original archival sources, it offers a unique Humint case study that discusses the agent's recruitment, motivation, reliability, handling, product, and utility. This represents the most complete account that we have of this case, but gaps remain. It illustrates some of the limitations of clandestine Humint collection in situations where information may be time-sensitive. The article challenges the conventional wisdom about army/MI5 relations and shows how the two improvised and cooperated in agent-running. |
| `In' analytical Note | Intelligence and National Security Vol. 28, No.2; Apr 2013: p.202-229 |
| Journal Source | Intelligence and National Security Vol. 28, No.2; Apr 2013: p.202-229 |
| Key Words | Northern Ireland ; Intelligence Operations ; MI5 ; Recruitment ; Motivation ; Agent |