A chronological list of incidents involving the SAS in Northern Ireland
The SAS have been in Ireland and active since 1968, they still maintain an active presence now, in plain clothes in an intelligence gathering obviously covert mode. On the 7th of January 1976 Prime Minister Harold Wilson publicly admitted that the SAS were in Ireland and further members of the SAS were to be deployed to South Armagh, known by all British troops as "Bandit Country". From the 70s on the SAS deployment was as follows, one Troop at Bessbrook attached to 3 Brigade one troop in the Belfast area, one troop in Londonderry and yet a further troop under the personal command of the commander of land forces. Quite a formidable contingent. In the 1980s to make the SAS even more effective another group was established known as the "Intelligence and Security Group" This new group had over 20 members. The SAS should be seen for what they are. They are skilled men, easily adaptable to carry out the "Northern Ireland" job. Calculating surveillance men and ruthless assassins when required. To get a glimpse of them and other undercover soldiers with whom they worked we need only search out the incidents, attacks by them resulting in woundings and killings.
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