It has long been common knowledge the British intelligence agencies within Ireland colluded with protestant paramilitary groups like the UVF, and the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF), the military wing of the UDA, along with their informers within the IRA to commit crimes up to and including murder.
But ordering the assassination of a senior southern politician, a man who served three terms as the Irish Taoiseach, (Prime Minister) is completely shocking and demonstrates just how murderous, vengeful and beyond political control the British spooks were within Ireland.
When the request from the British crown forces to the UVF to murder Haughey was made he was a serving member of the Irish parliament Dáil Éireann having been first elected in 1957 and returned as a TD (MP) in every general election until he retired in 1992.
I see no reason to doubt the UVF letter is genuine, it would have passed through many hands before it was placed in the Irish governmental archive and even more I would imagine before it was released under the 30 year ruling. That the British government have not challenged its authenticity as you might expect given murdering senior politicians from a friendly state is even under British law a crime and hopefully not an everyday occurance.
Haughey may well have received the black spot after his enemies in the Irish opposition fed the British security services false information about his role in the arms crises when he and other senior members of the Jack Lynch government were accused of plotting to smuggle arms to the Provos in the early days of the troubles. Their first trial collapsed and following a second trial Haughey and his co defendants were cleared.
The only people to come out of this sorry tale with any honour were an Irish army officer named James Kelly whose career was ruined, and John Kelly (no relation) a founder member and a leader of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who refused to recognise the court.
Whatever the truth about Haughey's involvement in this failed escapade it certainly didn't warrant a death sentence. The fact the British state agencies targeted him via their loyalist proxy tells one a great deal about what lurks below the British security services thin veneer of civilized behavior. We should never forget the British security services were plotting murder and mayhem against a leading politician from friendly state.
The letter also reveals it was involved in colluding with its loyalist Proxy in non judicial killings against its own citizens as the North of Ireland was back then and still is sadly part of the disunited kingdom.
Mick Hall
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The UVF letter to Haughey
The Irish archives may be dusty but opening them lets in light By Ann Marie Hourihane
