Operation Taurus

Last updated

Operation Taurus was the name of a planned prosecution by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) against Martin McGuinness.

Taurus was to be based on allegations arising from the 1993 broadcast of an edition of the "Cook Report" presented by Roger Cook and involving Freddie Scappaticci ("Stakeknife") and the testimony of three witnesses prepared to testify for the Crown.

The operation was abandoned in August 1997 and no charges were made, as it was determined to be not in the public interest. This was taken to be because McGuinness was in negotiations for the Northern Ireland peace process. However, some allege that it was because McGuinness was a British spy. [1] [2]

Related Research Articles

The Anglo-German Fellowship was a membership organisation that existed from 1935 to 1939, and aimed to build up friendship between the United Kingdom and Germany. It was sometimes perceived as being allied to Nazism. Previous groups in Britain with the same aims had been wound up when Adolf Hitler came to power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin McGuinness</span> Irish republican politician and IRA leader (1950–2017)

James Martin Pacelli McGuinness was an Irish republican politician and statesman for Sinn Féin and a leader within the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) during The Troubles. He was the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from May 2007 to January 2017.

Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster truck</span> Vehicle modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension

A monster truck is a specialized off-road vehicle with a heavy duty suspension, four-wheel steering, large-displacement V8 engines and oversized tires constructed for competition and entertainment uses. Originally created by modifying stock pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), they have evolved into purpose-built vehicles with tube-frame chassis and fiberglass bodies rather than metal. A competition monster truck is typically 12 feet (3.7 m) tall, and equipped with 66-inch (1.7 m) off-road tires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy McGuinness</span> English actor, comedian and television presenter

Patrick Joseph McGuinness is an English actor, comedian and television presenter. He rose to fame with the help of Peter Kay, who invited him to appear in his programmes That Peter Kay Thing, Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere. He is best known for his roles within Channel 4, ITV and the BBC presenting game shows such as Take Me Out as well as, since 2019, being one of the three hosts of BBC's Top Gear. In 2021, he became the new host of Question of Sport.

Freddie Scappaticci was a Northern Irish volunteer in the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), and a leading member of its Internal Security Unit. In 2003, it was reported that Scappaticci had been working for British intelligence, their highest-ranking agent in the IRA, and was known by the codename "Stakeknife". Scappaticci always denied any involvement with British intelligence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Taurus Mountains</span> Mountain range in southern and eastern Turkey

The Anti-Taurus Mountains or Aladaglar are a mountain range in southern and eastern Turkey, curving northeast from the Taurus Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Chan Stunt Team</span> Group of stuntmen who work alongside Jackie Chan

The Jackie Chan Stunt Team, also known as Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association, is a group of stuntmen and martial artists who work alongside Jackie Chan. Founded in the 1970s, it originally included Hong Kong action stuntmen and martial artists, before expanding to include international talent over the next several decades.

Stormontgate is the name given to the controversy surrounding an alleged Provisional Irish Republican Army spy ring and intelligence-gathering operation based in Stormont, the parliament building of Northern Ireland. The term was coined in October 2002 after the arrest of Sinn Féin's Northern Ireland Assembly group administrator Denis Donaldson, his son-in-law Ciarán Kearney, and former porter William Mackessy for intelligence-gathering on 4 October 2002.

<i>Malta Story</i> 1953 film by Brian Desmond Hurst

Malta Story is a 1953 British war film, directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, which is set during the air defence of Malta during the Siege of Malta in the Second World War. The film uses real and unique footage of the locations at which the battles were fought and includes a love story between a RAF reconnaissance pilot and a Maltese woman, as well as the anticipated execution of her brother, caught as an Italian spy. The pilot is loosely based on Adrian Warburton; the Maltese woman's brother is based on Carmelo Borg Pisani, who was executed in 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World's longest hot dog</span> World record for the longest hot dog

The world's longest hot dog is a world record dating back to at least 2001. The record supposedly was most recently beaten in October 2017 in the town of Flensburg in Germany, where a group manufactured and served a U-shaped hot dog with a length of 218.7 metres (718 ft). However this attempt was not a valid one apparently, as it consisted of multiple pieces of bread and sausages instead of one of each. In the official page of Guinness World Records the current holder of the record is Novex S.A. done in Paraguay in July 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handley's Corner, Isle of Man</span>

Handley's Corner is situated just before the 12th Milestone road-side marker, measured from the startline at the TT Grandstand, on the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the Isle of Man TT races on the primary A3 road, in the parish of Michael, in the Isle of Man.

Georgina McGuinness is a newsreader who was the anchor of Nine News Adelaide's weekend 6pm news bulletin from 1989 to 2011.

JJ (<i>Skins</i> series 3) 7th episode of the 3rd season of Skins

"JJ" is the seventh episode of the third series of the British teen drama Skins, which first aired on 5 March 2009 on E4 in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. The episode was written by the series' co-creator, Bryan Elsley, and was directed by Charles Martin. The episode focuses on the character of JJ Jones, who has Asperger syndrome, and his confusion about his life and his desire to be normal. He strikes up a friendship with Emily Fitch and attempts to solve the dispute between his friends James Cook and Freddie McClair over their shared love interest, Effy Stonem.

<i>Text Santa</i> British TV series or programme

Text Santa was a charity initiative set up in 2011 by ITV to support UK-based charities during the Christmas period. The appeal to the public is to donate money mainly via text donation and profits from merchandise. The telethons have been hosted by popular ITV presenters including Phillip Schofield, Christine Bleakley, and Ant & Dec. The 2015 appeal show was the last after ITV decided to axe the show to make way for an all-year appeal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Goujon (cyclist)</span> French cyclist

Jean Goujon was a French cyclist. He won the gold medal in team pursuit at the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1937 he turned professional and rode the 1937 Tour de France. He retired in 1949.

<i>Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy</i> (TV series) 1979 BBC programme based on John le Carrés spy novel

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a 1979 British seven-part spy drama by the BBC. John Irvin directed and Jonathan Powell produced this adaptation of John le Carré's novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974). The serial, which stars Alec Guinness, Alexander Knox, Ian Richardson, Michael Jayston, Bernard Hepton, Anthony Bate, Ian Bannen, George Sewell and Michael Aldridge, was shown in the United Kingdom from 10 September to 22 October 1979, and in the United States beginning on 29 September 1980. The US version was re-edited from the original seven episodes to fit into six episodes.

<i>Smileys People</i> (TV series) British television miniseries

Smiley’s People is a 1982 British six-part spy drama by the BBC. Directed by Simon Langton and produced by Jonathan Powell, it is the television adaptation of the 1979 spy novel Smiley's People by John le Carré, and a sequel to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Starring Alec Guinness, Michael Byrne, Anthony Bate and Bernard Hepton, it was first shown in the United Kingdom from 20 September to 25 October 1982, and in the United States beginning on 25 October 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1917 South Longford by-election</span> UK Parliamentary by-election

The 1917 South Longford by-election was held on 9 May 1917 due to the death of the incumbent Irish Parliamentary MP, John Phillips. The by-election ended in a surprise Sinn Féin victory over the Irish Parliamentary Party following a very close vote. The result was not announced until 10 May due to a recount.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Mondeo (fifth generation)</span> Chinese full-size sedan

The fifth-generation Ford Mondeo is a sedan manufactured by Ford through its joint venture Changan Ford in China since 2022. It is the replacement for the outgoing fourth-generation Mondeo and the Chinese market Taurus. The car is the sedan counterpart of the Evos crossover, and shares the same platform as the mid-size luxury Lincoln Z. It is also marketed in the Middle East as the Ford Taurus.

References

  1. Sharrock, David (29 May 2006). "McGuinness was an agent for MI6, former spy claims". The Sunday Times .
  2. "Skeletons in the closet | the Spectator". spectator.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 February 2017.