Skulduggery at the heart of the state.

When it comes to the black arts and skulduggery the British State has few to compete with it. If we consider for a moment the role at the heart of the IRA, MI5 and Special Branch (SB) in Northern Ireland (NI) agent 6126 Stakeknife is the top man. He was a double agent who was an IRA man, who was blackmailed by SB in 1971 to become a double-agent. He walked on both sides of the street. He was the head of the 'nutting squad' in in NI - this was a murder unit in the IRA. At the moment there is an investigation called Kenova that is investigating the issue. John Ware of the BBC produced a brilliant programme last night entitled The Spy in the IRA: Panorma. Watch it to understand the complex history of this bedevilled country.