Operation Chiffon: The Secret Story of MI5 and MI6 and the Road to Peace in Ireland

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Operation Chiffon is a compelling, exhilarating historical account. A significant journalistic “scoop” for the author, it is also an authoritative, scholarly, insightful and balanced treatment of one of the most extraordinary intelligence cases of modern times … Taylor is a master at juxtaposing scenes … It is these small but significant details that not only draw in Taylor's audience but ultimately bring to life his magnum opus

Taylor recounts how Oatley readily admitted his rule-breaking to his political masters: it was, Oatley said, “very naughty of me”, but he was less than a week from retirement. When the second infraction was discovered, Robert felt obliged to resign from MI5. Absorbing … timely … The secretive, delicate, and complex machinations of [Operation Chiffon] are skilfully woven through a comprehensive retelling of the Troubles by Taylor … The author expertly captures that story here, of a collective effort by many resolute individuals, so that they will never be forgotten in what they did A gripping exploration of how MI5 and MI6 worked for a ceasefire with the IRA – and how one meeting changed everything Big Night of Musicals 2023 By the National Lottery Big Night of Musicals 2023 by the National Lottery 7.50pm, BBC One David Hoey: It would be an act of incredible foolishness for DUP to accept any ‘promise’ of legislation on the Union from this Conservative governmentLogan Roy himself – Brian Cox – joins Ross this weekend. Also in the studio: Murder Mystery 2 stars Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, Taskmaster’s Greg Davies, Ruth Wilson (set to star in the Young Vic’s 24-hour show The Second Woman) and Mercury prize winner Arlo Parks. HR Film choice A gripping exploration of how MI5 and MI6 worked for a ceasefire with the IRA – and how one meeting changed everything' Telegraph For their part, the British, while stressing that there could be no withdrawal without the consent of the majority of people in Northern Ireland, would use deliberately vague language. They told the IRA that they were prepared to discuss “structures of disengagement”, for example, while withholding their reservations about the century in which they believed that might happen. Nobody could foresee that 23 years later the train would hit the buffers of Brexit Gerry Kelly also takes part in the documentary, saying that the MI5 spy “did the right thing” by defying his bosses and meeting the IRA in the wake of the Warrington atrocity.

Premiership Rugby Union: Saracens v Harlequins, 2.30pm, ITV1/BT Sport 1 At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. London Irish v Northampton Saints is at 5.15pm on BT Sport 1. LATEST | NI traffic alerts: Full list of road closures with flooding widespread and disruption to public transport Robert explains how he spent hours soul-searching about whether to meet the IRA delegation at peace-builder Brendan Duddy’s home in Derry. UK: Rishi Sunak hosts talks with Kamala Harris, vice-president of the US, at No 10, followed by a private dinner; Harris also delivers a policy speech on the future of AI at the US embassy in London; Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, speaks at the annual conference of the King’s Fund, a health think tank; start of Movember, the moustache-growing charity event held during November each year to raise funds and awareness for men’s health. The Irish have an old saying that “When the big man falls in battle, the fight rarely continue s.” As the IRA was never defeated militarily, it is perhaps unsurprising that the peace and stability of Northern Ireland are still threatened by dissident republicans determined to achieve a united Ireland through force of arms. Pivotal to the story of Operation Chiffon was the promise “Robert” made to the IRA’s high command: “The final solution [to your ‘armed struggle’] is union. It is going to happen anyway. The historical train — Europe — determines that. We are committed to Europe. Unionists will have to change. This island will be as one. ” Ireland is still divided , and Brexit derailed the “historical train” of European integration with the UK, ensuring that the Belfast Agreement can be viewed, twenty-five years on, not as a denouement to “the Trouble s” , but rather as a crucial punctuation mark in the history of contemporary Ireland.Usual UK delivery timescale (excluding custom prints) is between 5 and 7 working days from the date of dispatch. Please allow up to 14 working days for delivery. For custom print delivery pricing and timescales see below. c entur y UK Joint doctrine counsels military leaders to overcome such cultural illiteracy through “cultural awarenes s” and “cultural expertise ”. The former is defined as being “critical to understanding, requiring us to develop cultural expertise in are as where we are likely to operate, together with more general awareness of other culture s” . The latter “requires immersion in another’s culture and generally develops in concert with the ability to speak the language and to understand the mindset ”. As the historiography of “the Trouble s” makes clear, the British signally failed to observe these best practices between 1969 and 2 007. There would always be those on both sides of the Irish Sea who believed that no spoon was long enough to sup with the IRA. But the reception that Mayhew received suggests that political and public opinion was by then at least in line with the government – and quite possibly ahead of it – in believing it was time to talk about peace. Who would send their kids out to a monster like that? But we did’: Parents of Coleraine abuse victim speak out Boris Johnson said that the pandemic was “nature’s way of dealing with old people”, the Covid inquiry was told yesterday as his former aide laid bare the chaos and toxic in-fighting at the heart of government. Dominic Cummings said that “pretty much everyone” referred to the former prime minister... Boris Johnson said that the pandemic was “nature’s way of dealing with old people”, the Covid inquiry was told yesterday as his former aide laid bare the chaos and toxic in-fighting at the heart of government. Dominic Cummings said that “pretty much everyone” referred to the former prime minister... Boris Johnson said that the pandemic was “nature’s way of dealing with old people”, the Covid inquiry was told yesterday as his...

The MI5 Spy and the IRA: Operation Chiffon, is broadcast on BBC2 NI at 9:50pm on Saturday evening. It is available on the iPlayer from 7pm on Saturday. Robert later wrote to the journalist after the deaths of Martin McGuinness and Brendan Duddy to admit his role. Explaining why he agreed to take part in the new documentary, he said: “I’d like what I did to be remembered.” Northern Ireland NI braced for more heavy downpours which could thwart major clean up operation following severe flooding By that time, however, McGuinness had passed a historic message to Robert, via Duddy, in which he said: “The conflict is over, but we need your advice on how to bring it to a close.”Martin McGuinness, Sinn Féin’s chief negotiator in the Northern Ireland peace process, in 1998. Photograph: Gerry Penny/AFP/Getty Images Ambiguous phrases were very much the currency we were involved with,” one of the MI6 officers, Michael Oatley, tells Taylor. The point, he adds, was to encourage the IRA to believe that its aspiration of a united Ireland might be possible through peaceful means and that the British government could help. Royal Mail industrial action taking place in 2023 may have an impact on delivery times to all destinations both within the UK and internationally. These delays are out of our control. Operation Chiffon, as the communications came to be known on the British side, also chronicles the extraordinary risks that the go-betweens sometimes took, and the ways in which they frequently redoubled their efforts to achieve peace through dialogue at those times when the carnage was at its most unspeakable and their chances of success seemed most remote. The MI5 spy tells Taylor the goal was ultimately to unify Ireland. The exact words were noted by Mr Kelly, with Robert saying: “The final solution is union. It is going to happen anyway. The historical train, Europe, determines that. Unionists will have to change. This island will be as one.”