ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the use of informers in the battle against the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and its political wing Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland and makes some observations regarding the effectiveness of this technique as a counterterrorism strategy.* At the time of writing, the IRA had “laid down its arms,” ending more than three decades of “struggle,” and it is an opportune time to consider the role the informer has played in this struggle.
