Allison Morris: Gasps of disbelief at details of how Stakeknife was treated like a celebrity client with a licence to kill

"A blurring of lines, "a significant breach of the demarcation that should exist between an agent and their handlers" is how the Operation Kenova report categorised the relationship between Stakeknife and the spooks who managed him during his time as an informer. Treated like a prize asset to be protected at any costs, the intelligence he provided was only passed on if it could be done without compromising him, resulting in the deaths of people who could possibly have been saved."

"British intelligence saw Freddie Scappaticci as more important than his victims A blurring of lines, "a significant breach of the demarcation that should exist between an agent and their handlers" is how the Operation Kenova report categorised the relationship between Stakeknife and the spooks who managed him during his time as an informer. Treated like a prize asset to be protected at any costs, the intelligence he provided was only passed on if it could be done without compromising him, resulting in the deaths of people who could possibly have been saved."

Operation Kenova concluded the relationship between Stakeknife and his handlers represented "a significant breach of the demarcation that should exist between an agent and their handlers." British intelligence treated Freddie Scappaticci as a prize asset whose protection took priority over potential victims. Managers passed on his intelligence only when it could be done without risking his cover. That selective sharing of information prevented some actionable intelligence from reaching those who could have been saved. The prioritization of the agent over public safety contributed to deaths that might otherwise have been avoided. The case illustrates severe ethical and operational failures in handling high-value informants.

Read at Independent