Colm Ó Broin

When I ask Israeli colleagues why there isn't movement toward a 2-state solution, they say, "Because a Palestinian state would instantly be taken over my Hamas, who would launch nonstop suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and 10/7s in a campaign to destroy Israel." The response of Western pro-Palestinians: "Yes!!!!" | Is the Pro-Palestine Movement the Israeli Right’s Unlikely Ally? open.substack.com/pub/quille…

🗣️“Kenova has set a standard for future legacy investigations.” Secretary of State @hilarybennmp addresses the Kenova findings in the House of Commons today. Read more here: gov.uk/government/news/uk-go…

There is much to digest in the Kenova Report. And it will take time for a comprehensive response however: Whilst Kenova references collusion throughout its report there is a conspicuous absence of collusion as a policy practice - a strategy resourced, financed, and controlled at a much higher level within the British army, RUC special branch, and MI5. These three agencies not only ran every agent but also met at least twice a week during the 1990’s onwards via the Tasking & Coordinating Group (TCG) where they pooled resources, intelligence, coordinated their operations, deployed counter measures, and personnel including the SAS. The latter often sanctioned in carrying out extrajudicial killings. The TCG gave the green light for every response in addition to covert units also "going off the books on unrecorded operations.” It is important to note that the above timeframe was also an unprecedented period of sustained loyalist attacks on Catholics, the uninvolved relatives of republicans, and republicans; with loyalism being rearmed with weapons imported from the then South African apartheid regime with the assistance of agents in the employ of the three above agencies. If the chronicle of the conflict book Lost Lives were to be re-written then arguably culpability for the deaths of those killed as informants and alleged informants by Scappaticci and other agents within the IRA’s Internal Security Unit would also rest with the British government as state killings. In respect to key other events the report states; “No material examined provides evidence of high-level state collusion, or an intent on the part of the leadership of the British Army or the UK government to collaborate with loyalist paramilitaries. In addition, no material has been discovered which evidences or implies a deliberate strategy on behalf of the security forces or the UK government to either not pursue or actively support the activities of loyalist terrorist groups.” Some might be glib saying "well there you go then". However, the truth about high-level and governmental involvement is staring us all in the face in the form of General Sir Frank Kitson. He wrote extensively about the counter-insurgency methods to be adapted and deployed including subverting the courts and rule of law to enable the practice of collusion. His publications openly discuss tactics of the pseudo gangs he established and controlled. Gangs and Counter Gangs; Low Intensity Operations, Subversion, Insurgency & Peacekeeping; and Bunch of Five are amongst his most referenced works. His books and manuals, alongside the practice of collusion across the North for decades, and the accompanying deliberate coverup and impunity, combine as clear and irrefutable evidence of the governmental, political, and military policy of collusion.

A major extension to the Dart network that's to serve new neighbourhoods in west Dublin has been delayed for at least four years. The move has been described as "contrary to best international practice" by one transport expert. thejournal.ie/dart-south-wes…