Operation Kenova: MPs call on government to formally name agent Stakeknife
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is calling on the Government to formally name Stakeknife – a British Army agent who worked within the IRA in the 1980s and was suspected of direct involvement in numerous murders.
In a report published the week, the committee concludes that revealing the identity of Stakeknife would be strongly in the public interest and help build trust and confidence in the agencies of the state among all communities.
The recommendation follows last month’s evidence session on Operation Kenova where the committee heard from the current and former lead officers of the investigation, which was set up to examine Stakeknife’s activities during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Operation Kenova was unable to confirm Stakeknife’s identity in last year’s final report after the Government refused its authorisation to do so, while successive governments have cited the long standing policy of ‘Neither Confirm Nor Deny’ (NCND).
In December, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said that the Government was considering its position on naming Stakeknife following a Supreme Court judgment related to the disclosure of intelligence information in the case of the murder of Paul Thompson.
The report from MPs says that the committee has been reassured that formal identification would not put any active agents at risk, discourage existing agents from continuing their work, or deter the recruitment of new agents.
Naming Stakeknife would also indicate to agents guilty of conduct beyond acceptable limits that they will not be protected or shielded from the consequences of their actions, the committee concludes.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the committee’s recommendation “would bring much needed closure to many victims and families”.
Tonia Antoniazzi MP, chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, said: “As Operation Kenova’s final report makes clear, the ongoing refusal to confirm or deny Stakeknife’s identity is having a profound and lasting effect on victims and their families who have already been through so much.
“Given the reassurances we’ve heard that active agents won’t be put in harm’s way and future recruitment won’t be compromised, formal identification in this specific instance is appropriate, proportionate and in the public interest.
“By naming Stakeknife, the Government can send a strong signal that agents who cross a line will not receive the protection of anonymity and help to build trust and confidence across all communities in Northern Ireland.”
“The committee recommends that the Government should review, in consultation with MI5 and PSNI, the application of NCND in all legacy related cases, considering specifically the principles outlined in this Report.
The committee also plans to monitor Government progress on the implementation of Operation Kenova’s other conclusions and recommendations.
PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said: “Sir Iain Livingstone and I gave evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in January and today I welcome their report. I endorse their recommendation calling for the Government identification of the agent Stakeknife. This would bring much needed closure to many victims and families.
“The committee recommendation supports the findings of the operation Kenova Report, which included that Stakeknife should be named with a specific recommendation for a review of the UK Government policy on its NCND policy as it is applied to cases that occurred during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
“The application of NCND must not be allowed to cover up acts of wrongdoing by the State. I am grateful for the committee taking such care in examining this matter.”