one person has been charged with membership of the Ulster Volunteer Force since the organisation was banned last October.
But if placing Republicans behind bars has been relatively easy for British imperialism, the task of isolating the 'men behind the wire' has proved very difficult indeed. In 1972 Tory gauleiter Willie Whitelaw was forced to grant political status to these prisoners. Now the Labour Government is presenting Whitelaw's decision as an error of judgement', and has declared its intention of ending special category (political status as from March.
Along with the ending of internment, this is a main declared policy of depoliticising the confliet in the Six Counties and presenting it as gangsterism. announced that 'the rule of law will be imposed impartially through the courts' - but it is plain that this "law' belongs to the capitalist class, and is administered by its loyal adherents.
The present attacks on Republican prisoners must be resisted, particularly any attempt to remove political status. In the face of increas ed British Army repression and threats from Loyalist para-militaries, it becomes ever more urgent to mount a campaign to secure the release of all Republican prisoners in Britain and Ireland, so that they may play a part in mobilising the anti-Unionist working class to defeat any British 'solution' and achieve the total and immediate withdrawal of British troops.
JOHN MAGEE Two there was a need, so in addition to supporting the Christian Democrats -Adenauer's party - the CIA got going very early on with the social democrats - wiiiy Dranal. for example. when h went into politics in West Berlin. But in Britain it was different because Britain hadn't been occupied by the Nazis and fascists and there wasn't any strong Communist or left-wing movement.
it needed to intervene directlv here ed with the British intelligence service, and there were a number of operations that led into Britain the Congress for magazine, Forum World Features, the Institute for the Study of Conflict. A plank in Rees's by the CIA here - after all, 70 people sitting there in the Embassy are not doing nothing. But it's very difficult te He has say whether any of those activities were Brush CounterDars acre a uncy mougntit was necessary they wouldn't hesitate a moment.
time?
be monitoring the growth of the threat to American interests here as they do in threat to American interests in Britain? The growth in the strength of left-wing political parties and the left-wing sectors of the British Labour Party.
ation on them, they would be preparing intelligence reports constantly, they would be receiving information on the same groups from their British counterparts these organisations and people - and In Western Germany after World War to Washington.
So it may be that the CIA never felt Certainly it had joint operations establishutural reedom tor example encounter number of activities have been undertaken done without the knowledge of the CIA's Certainly the CIA would intervene What would worry the CIA about the situation in Britain at the present The CIA would without any doubt every other country. What is the principal The CIA would be collecting informwho are aiso montonny this intelligence would be passed back The CIA stays in Britain as the guest of the Labour Government. Can you explain how this works?
I think it is quite clear that it's not Just the Labour Government. wnatever government is in power here, either Labour or Tory, they need the CIA. The CIA provides a considerable amount of intelligence for the British government Remember that the British toreign presence has been diminishing, and the British intelligence operations have diminished in accordance. So where the British have withdrawn they have to rely on other intelligence services such as the CIA to fill the gap.
There is also the question of mutual security interests between the two governments - this would relate to Brazil to Chile, to Uruguay, to Angola or to Indonesia, wacre te cia nas inter vened quite massively to promote strong right-wing governments with great repression in those countries. This is also an area in which the British government, whichever it happens to be, would have a significant interest, although they like others may lament the intensity of the repression.
There has been some speculation in the American press about how much demoralisation has been caused in the CIA due to your revelations. How serious do you think is the damage that you and others have been able to inflict on the CIA?
That's very difficult for me to say, because I can't tollow the movements of all the people. If the people who have been named are indeed being taken out and sent back to the Untied States, and I hope they are, then the damage would be significant - because untimel personnel change-overs, te movemen of people in and out constantly, the identification, the pressure that's brought to bear on them, the psychol ogical pressure on them and their families has got to diminish their effectiveness So I think some damage has been done. Certainly they have struck back very hard at me with this campaign to identify me with the KGB. But just how stone me damage nas been. can say
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