CIA involvement in The Troubles

Let's say the CIA decides to involve themselves in The Troubles in 1973 (with Britain's consent).

How does that affect the outcome of The Troubles.
 
Let's say the CIA decides to involve themselves in The Troubles in 1973 (with Britain's consent).

How does that affect the outcome of The Troubles.

In what way would the CIA involve themselves in the troubles? I would imagine that it would be over MI5's dead body so to speak:)

I'm not sure what they could bring to the table except in terms of cooperation with British intelligence regarding the IRA's dealings with say Libya.

There's the issue of intelligence and security services regarding IRA support and fundraising activities in the USA. Would that be in the CIA's remit?
 
I'm tempted to say that NORAID would be infiltrated and discredited, but I think that would be more a case for the FBI rather than the CIA.
 

Pangur

Donor
Let's say the CIA decides to involve themselves in The Troubles in 1973 (with Britain's consent).

How does that affect the outcome of The Troubles.

They are a few issues with this. The first being that it would be the FBI not the CIA from the US.The next is that the British would not allow it and final bit is the year. The 1975 Rockefeller investigation is just around the corner. Any CIA involvement would come out and has the serious potential to make sure that any cooperation further down the time line may not happen in this TL
 
Am I right in thinking that in OTL the RUC had trouble sourcing hand guns from the us during Maggies time. Which would suggest a signficiant shift would be needed in us thinking to bring official direct support into the troubles. Wasn't there also a refusal by the UK to allow any form of UN involvement in the North?

The other point has been made about it being the FBI that would be chosen for such an operation.

Why would the US get involved like this anyway? It's not like the troubles interrfered with their operations to any large degree.
 
I could see the CIA being indirectly involved. The majority of the IRA weapons came from the Libya and I could see them wanting to mess with Ghadaffi, especilly if they could poke the Soviets into the bargain. But as for being involved in Northern Ireland directly, I don't think so.
 
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