Declassified Files: Alarm in 1996 at Sinn Féin’s use of the internet

Among filed declassified at the Public Record Office in Belfast is a confidential minute of an April 15, 1996 meeting of the Security Information Group of senior civil servants and military commanders involved in counter-terrorism.

The minute said that information on the security force deployment in Northern Ireland had been found on “the Sinn Féin site on the internet” and that in response the Home Office had asked the department to “explore the possibility of using the internet to get the NIO message across”.

It went on: “The meeting noted that Sinn Féin was using the internet to good advantage.

“Its entry was impressive and presentation was good in content and style.

“An Phoblacht, for example, could be read on the internet before it was on sale at retail outlets.”

Referring to the suggestions of using the internet to push “good news stories” from the NIO and “ministerial soundbites”, Brigadier Strudley said that “dedicated resources might be required and possibly the formation of a committee to take the work forward”.

Prior to the meeting, Home Office minister David Maclean had written a letter to fellow ministers Sir Nicholas Soames and Sir John Wheeler to say that he had come across the Sinn Féin material “freely available on the internet”.

He said that he had done so while recently visiting a police computer crime squad where “amongst the unsavoury nasties on the internet were these very professionally produced pages apparently showing our complete deployment in Northern Ireland”.

He added that “it horrifies me to find such dangerous and nasty propaganda on the internet.

“When we add the other crimes and child pornography the police have to deal with, then the time for some sort of control is fast approaching.”

In response, Sir John said: “I find it horrific that such propaganda is available on the internet, particularly, detailed maps of all British forces in the various towns as well as helicopter bases.

“I very much support your view that, as the internet has 9 million American users and 1 million British users, we should use it effectively to get our own message across.”