Operation Kenova Seeks Government Approval to Name IRA Agent

Operation Kenova is seeking government authorization to publicly name the individual within the IRA known as Stakeknife in its forthcoming final report, scheduled for release in early 2025. This agent is widely believed to have been the late Freddie Scappaticci. Stakeknife has been implicated in 14 murders and 15 abductions during his time working for the British Army inside the IRA. Sir Iain Livingstone, who heads Kenova, has formally submitted this request in writing to Secretary of State Hilary Benn. The interim Kenova report, which was released in March, did not confirm Stakeknife’s identity. This omission drew criticism, notably from Kevin Winters, the solicitor representing relatives of some of Stakeknife’s victims. It is standard procedure to refrain from identifying agents, a guideline referred to as NCND, which stands for Neither Confirm Nor Deny. In his communication, Sir Iain indicates he is requesting permission to “confirm the true identity of the agent known as Stakeknife”. He states: “I believe the blanket application of NCND in legacy cases has the potential to undermine public confidence and add to the grief of families of victims in certain cases.” Sir Iain further notes: “I understand from Cabinet Office colleagues that a review of NCND is under consideration.” He added that “An update on progress of this work and HMG’s current view would be very helpful.” The letter additionally seeks confirmation that the government will not, at this time, issue an apology for Stakeknife’s actions, a point that was among the interim report’s 10 recommendations. Sir Iain writes: “I understand from Cabinet Office colleagues that, given there are number of civil cases that are outstanding, it is not considered appropriate to make an apology at this time.” He continued: “I would, however, be grateful to receive confirmation of HMG’s position regarding this recommendation.” A spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Office verified that the government “has received correspondence from Sir Iain Livingstone,” and stated that a response would be provided “in due course.” The spokesperson also conveyed: “Our deepest sympathies remain with all the families who lost loved ones during that very dark period in Northern Ireland.”