Blair refused nuclear threat intelligence sharing
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair refused to share intelligence about any terrorist threat to the Sellafield nuclear facility with his Irish counterpart, according to newly released government files.
MI5 had warned Blair that there was “no guarantee” of who would have access to sensitive material if it was shared with Dublin.
do not follow 2004 Madrid train bombingBertie Ahern wrote that he warned Blair of an “international catastrophe” that could engulf his country if international terrorists targeted the Cumbrian coast region.
Blair insisted that Britain must protect the confidentiality of its sources and assured that any emerging threats would be passed on to the British ambassador.
Correspondence released as part of the government’s annual records transfer to the National Archives under the 20-year rule.
“It is fair to say that terrorist targets that could result in international disasters deserve special attention,” Ahern said at the time.
He said he understood Blair’s concerns but believed “it should be possible to make arrangements for the secure transmission of sensitive information”.
‘Life should be a priority’
The Department for Trade and Industry, which was responsible for Britain’s nuclear facilities at the time, said MI5 was unhappy with the offer.
Shantha Shan, an official in Foreign Secretary Patricia Hewitt’s private office, told No 10 that despite any regulations to reduce the risk of sensitive information, the security service “must maintain a firm line not to disclose any intelligence related to terrorism”.
Ahern was forced to give assurances that he would inform the British ambassador’s authorities if any threats to Sellafield emerged, but said “the protection of the lives and health of our citizens must be a priority”.
Blair said that if the government received intelligence that there was a real threat to Sellafield, it would seek to share that assessment as fully and quickly as possible, “subject to the constraints placed on us by those who prepare the intelligence”.
British ambassador Sir Ivor Roberts said Ireland’s renewed focus on issues such as Sellafield was partly down to the success of that approach. Good Friday AgreementThis meant that relations with the United Kingdom were no longer viewed “exclusively through the prism of Northern Ireland”.
“Much of this year has been spent fighting a strong rearguard action against opposition parties and NGOs who are pressuring the Irish government to take a more advanced position than they would instinctively take at Sellafield,” he said.
“This situation has led to an increase in the number of cases filed against us in international courts and an increase in discourse.”
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