Did dirty war tactics and

human rights violations help

to defeat the IRA?

There is no victory and no defeat. This military language is

out of place. What is needed is the language of trust.

What is a Dirty War?

Smith & RobertsA dirty war is the logical expression of
certain forms of intelligence-related activities, which
occur in conditions where a political actor seeks to deal
with threatstakes place in conditions where there is a
lack of adequate accountability and constraints under
the rule of law
M. Smith and S. Roberts, War in the Gray: Exploring
the Concept of Dirty War, Studies in Conflict &
Terrorism31 (2008)
Infringed on human rights
The security forces role in Northern Ireland operated
within an environment that would constitute a dirty war

Dirty War Tactics

I. Internment
II. Interrogation
III. Collusion
. All 3 violated human rights of
combatants and non-combatants. It
was the IRAs most effective
recruiting tool.

I) Internment
Imprisoned without trial.
None of the initial 918 suspects were
loyalists and most had nothing to do
with the IRA.
William Whitelaw, first secretary of
state of Northern Ireland, later
reflected, it remained a source of
discontent and a spur to more
violence.

II) Interrogation
Sensory deprivation
Torture an ever present characteristic
within a Dirty War
the security forces through human
rights violations had made
themselves the enemy not the
protector

III) Collusion
Pat Finacue
Sir John Stevens report, the unlawful
involvement of agents in murder
implies that the security forces
sanction killings.
John Baker
No accountability

Dirt war Tactics

The 3 tactics violated human rights
Galvanised
IRA used it to recruit, knew how to
win sympathy and support
It legitimised the IRA to many
Catholics
State seen as enemy not protector

Did these tactics contain

violence?
Did contain violence in Belfast and Derry
Supergrass trials:
RUC estimated by the early 1990s 70% of all planned IRA
operations had been abandoned on security grounds. Of
remaining 30% 90% were prevented by the security
forces.

Bew, Frampton and Gurruchaga War

weariness

Political negotiations
Good Friday agreement 1998
Resolved not through military
methods but political discourse
Earlier talks laid the foundations

Conclusion

It was a political problem and so

required a political solution