Letter: Intelligence gatherers' unity of purpose
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Once again, and most unfortunately, it has been suggested that there is rivalry over intelligence gathering in Northern lreland to the detriment of the effort in combatting terrorism. Your report ('Major urged to end rivalry in Ulster's secret war', 17 January) gave further unwarranted currency to this quite unfounded claim.
There is no such unproductive rivalry and there is no ensuing detriment to the attrition that is being achieved against republican and loyalist terrorist organisations through the combined efforts of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Army and the Security Service.
In matters of intelligence, the agreed lead agency in Northern Ireland is the RUC and the undoubted preponderance of intelligence is of RUC origin. As far back as July 1992, in a public lecture at the Guildhall in London, I stated:
The intelligence relationships between the RUC, the Army and the intelligence community are extremely good and highly productive.
That was the position then and is the position now. Intelligence remains of crucial importance and enables the security forces in Northern Ireland to thwart the vast majority of terrorist outrages before they come to fruition.
Unjustified reports of rivalry do a disservice to all those very brave people who daily put their lives at risk to protect the community and wrongly detracts from their significant achievements. The public in Northern Ireland depend vitally on the RUC and the Army and we in turn depend on their support and confidence.
The people of this Province, and beyond, may be reassured that there is complete unity of purpose and effort among all those involved in ensuring that terrorism is defeated. That objective is being pursued with unrelenting vigour and determination.
Yours faithfully,
HUGH ANNESLEY
Chief Constable
The Royal Ulster Constabulary
Belfast
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments