Weeks before a likely November election The Sunday Times Irish edition has again hit upon journalistic gold.
A potential honeypot operation at the beating heart of power in Leinster House implicating an as-of-yet anonymous Irish parliamentarian, a Russian embassy apparatchik pulling strings to influence Brexit-era decision-makers, and the potential of a blackmail campaign to influence Irish foreign policy.
Things have gotten very John le Carré all of a sudden on Kildare Street but is it all that it seems?
News of “Agent Cobalt” the anon Oireachtas member allegedly working at the behest of Russian foreign services is still being digested by the political garrison class in Dublin 48 hours after being splashed across headlines courtesy of Time security correspondent John Mooney.
Fleshed out by unknown Irish and British security sources, the piece outlines the work of Russian embassy official Sergey Prokopiev in recruiting one “useful idiot” to the Kremlin cause with a key focus on securing audiences with northern paramilitaries.
Raising but never confirming the possibility of kompromat being collected against Agent Cobalt, Mooney surprisingly or unsurprisingly never mounts the courage to name the politician despite the evidence against them.
Not the first espionage plot he is alleged to have rumbled this year alone Mooney earned kudos for linking ex-MEP Clare Daly to a Russian agent through dissident republicans in the weeks before June’s European election in a piece that potentially cost the Dublin anti-war politician her seat.
While no one would regard Ms Daly’s liaising as a conduit between paramilitaries including the Omagh bomber and Russian anti-corruption activists as espionage, are Cobalt’s alleged misdeeds simply a case of mundane covert networking being given the more sexy title of ‘spy’ in order to achieve a certain political reaction?
Playing on the relative black hole that is Irish counterintelligence, the story has had its desired effect from The Sunday Times London-focused perspective forcing the question of Russian espionage onto the political agenda a month before a potential election.
Rathgar’s Russian embassy has been a major bugbear for both J2 – Defence Forces Intelligence Wing – and British Intelligence for some time in part for its outlandish size as well as an open secret in its role organising the Kremlin’s spy game not just in Ireland but in the the U.K as well.
While it is perfectly fair to say that Russia represents a legitimate threat to Irish sovereignty and that the Irish State should trust a Muscovite spook about as much as their British counterparts, it is also prudent to question the timing and sincerity of this security dump in the dying weeks of the 33rd Dáil.
Perfected in the era of the Dublin-Monaghan bombings British intelligence is accustomed to playing the Irish press like a banjo with the Agent Cobalt story perfectly playing into London rather than Dublin’s security interests.
Yes, Russia is a Eurasianist behemoth with interests contrary to our own but let’s not forget the elephant in the room when it comes to our actual security focus. Loyalist paramilitaries get a fraction of the journalistic look relative to the current scare over our ability to fend off Russian espionage attacks and for good reason.
The Murdoch press sounds the alarm on holes in our national security but would likely throw tantrums against a serious appraisal of our intelligence infrastructure and where our actual interests lie.
A revamp of flimsy Irish security services is not just needed but is coming and the likes of Mooney and other British-backed journos have one idea on the matter while nationalists have another.
In all probability, Cobalt is a gormless anti-Atlanticist socialist who has walked into a rake courtesy of an Irish naivety of all things foreign policy outside of our island. Or an inoffensive gombeen politician who, according to the report, saw the whole spy saga as an ego trip. As shown by the Palestine issue, views considered normal in Ireland are verboten in most of the Western world.
Regardless of the specter of Russian spooks running around Orwell Road, let’s not forget where the genuine influence operations against Irish democracy come from and its not Moscow or Beijing.
☘
A Spy in the hand is worth 2 . . .
Just as the latest SF SAGA unfolds, a press officer in SF charged after admitting to Child Sexual Abuse
and the defence in the Dail for years of coverup by SF MARY LOU was
that all parties in government should be equally transparent and questioned…made accountable….
Who knows what about people linked to Pedophilia in Dail Chambers ?
That implicates everyone from politicians to President,and Ceann C.
Considering they were all so keen in parliament and the media to roast
anybody linked to the Catholic Church….a frenzy unleashed.
So let’s see the same scrutiny applied to All, Every Public Servant, Civil Servant, Police,Politician or President,
THEIR TREACHEROUS LINKS TO SPYING
and
THEIR LINKS TO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, society’s most vulnerable
I wonder how many Irish politicians are secretly helping the Israeli intelligence service? It’s possible that some of the same politicos who express enthusiastic public support for the Palestinians, are quietly facilitating the Israeli use of Irish airports and Irish airspace to ship US supplies to the Mid East Massacre. Some of our top politicians have remarkably Jewish looking noses. Possible cryptos? Have you seen a side profile photo of Harris or Martin?
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There is an old Russian saying which goes:
” В классе, занятом одним очень непослушным учеником, неразумно сосредотачиваться на одном ученике, а лучше сосредоточиться на тех, кто поощряет его поведение.
I am sure, I have made a total knickers of the translation😁. So here it is (Roughly) in English.
” In a classroom occupied by one very naughty student, it is unwise to focus on one student, but it is better to focus on those who encourage his behavior “.👀
Russian speakers my sincere apologies!!.
My point is, the British in Particular , but not alone!, would love to see Ireland as an active member of NATO – OTAN – NAFO.
Therefore, every now and then, especially at times of election, the Brits, US and others with certain interests, create these
” Gentlemen’s Dangly bits” ( a polite way of saying total Bo***X!) type articles!, suggesting without foundation, fact or source! that Russia, President Putin, or Egor from Moscow wants to eat Irish babies!!.
Needless to say, as the Dail is occupied by some intillects, some easily bought and total GobShites!, it’s literally the perfect place to launch such a rumour!!.
Frankly, a teen girls locker room would be far less likely to fall for this crap!, but then again, the teen girls are less open to bribery from strangers!!.
You give an excellent example in Clare Daly, neither BBC, RTE nor any Euro news channels were ever interested in a single word Clare had to say!, that is until Frau GENOCIDE (Von Der Lyen) decided that Clare MUST BE REMOVED!!. Allegedly!!.
Until we have the proof, names and Iron clad FACTS!!.
Once Clare is removed, suddenly there is huge interest in her, RTE, BBC and I think it was France 24 were lined up at arrivals at Dublin Airport!..
Then of course there were claims that Clare was a Provo leaning Ruskie, or should that be a Ruskie leaning Provo. IT DOES NOT MATTER A DAMN!!. Because it’s all TOTALLY MEN’S DANGLY BITS (see explanation above!!) .
THE UK, it’s disastrous revolving door of failed Prime Ministers and it’s secret services, will continue with claims of Clare Daly or their next victim (who is VDL gunning for now – Allegedly!) being a Russian plant, with Russian Spies parked neatly under every Irish bed, along side the piss pot, the old picture of the Pope and countless fluff bunnies!!.
But the true sadness is not that poor Paddy falls for every claim the Brits make! , nor is it the fact that the Times and other newly appointed GUTTER PRESS, print such pointless and ground less SHITE, virtually on REQUEST!.
Nor is it even the fact that Irish Politicians run with the unnamed sources, accompanied by unnamed reports from the VERY SAME so called journalists from the sadly named publication!!.
NO it’s none of the above mentioned, it’s the FACT that the Government allows this crap to go on and on, Year after year, election after election!!.
Either Join NATO and tell the Brits to FCUK OFF or decide it’s not for Ireland and then! (You guessed it!) tell the Brits to FCUK OFF!!.
BY THE WAY, I have been itching to say the words total Bo***X, what are my chances??.
YES President Putin, I did ask honestly!!. 🙄