Military types who enter politics usually shoot themselves in the foot

THERE was some disquiet during the week over the disclosure that G2 (military intelligence) were keeping files on civilians like Anthony Coughlan, as well as the usual suspects who had previously had connections with subversive organisations.

There are also files on a number of other people such as Desmond Greaves, Roy Johnston, Matt Merrigan, Desmond Fennell, Eoghan Harris, Ian Paisley, Michael Farrell, John Hume, Eamonn McCann, and even Conor Cruise O’Brien, just to name some of those on the G2 list in 1974.

No doubt many people would consider it frightening that the military had files on such individuals. People who look at such files are usually surprised at the content. This is not due to anything sinister, but because of the stunning lack of proper intelligence that the files betray. They confirm the classic oxymoron - military intelligence.