Official title: The historical and political context
What this chapter covers
Chapter 2 sets the scene for the events of 1987–89. It gives a short account of the Troubles, the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement and the reaction to it, the structure of the security forces in Northern Ireland, the state of the UDA and wider loyalism in the late 1980s, the legal profession and the pattern of violence in those years.
Key themes
- Loyalist reaction to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. The agreement gave the Irish government a consultative role in Northern Ireland and was bitterly opposed by unionists and loyalists. The chapter places the resurgence of loyalist violence in that context.
- The UDA. At the time the UDA was a legal organisation; it was not proscribed until 1992. Its members carried out killings under the name Ulster Freedom Fighters. The report treats them as one organisation.
- Lawyers in a conflict. The chapter describes the position of solicitors who represented people charged with paramilitary offences, a theme that returns in chapter 14 on Douglas Hogg's remarks and chapter 18 on what was said to detainees.
Why it matters
De Silva uses this context to explain why loyalist targeting was so dependent on information, and why leaks from the security forces mattered so much. It is a summary for readers new to Northern Ireland rather than original research, and readers wanting more depth will find it in standard histories of the period.