The Deadly Game is a memoir written by Will Britten, the pseudonym of a military intelligence officer from one of the British Army's most secretive units, the Force Research Unit (FRU), so secret that the rest of the army was largely unaware of its existence.
This is the first in-depth look at agent-handling and agent-handling operations in Northern Ireland targeting the IRA's deadliest and most professional unit, South Armagh PIRA, operating in the notorious 'Bandit Country' on the border with the Republic.
The FRU's purpose was to operate undercover and gather intelligence on the numerous terrorist organisations, Republican and Loyalist, that were involved in the bitter sectarian violence of the Troubles. Will's role was in human intelligence - HUMINT in military parlance - in practice identifying, targeting and recruiting those in the community and among the ranks of the terrorist groups, to turn them and run them as agents. The goal was to gather information which could prevent terrorist attacks and death, and ultimately inform operations that would lead to the arrest or death of the terrorists.
Working alongside Special Forces, the Security Service and the RUC Special Branch, the FRU was described as 'one of the most successful intelligence units ever.' They not only militarily disrupted the IRA, but as Britten argues, helped politically to pave the way to bring PIRA to the negotiating table once the extent of infiltration in its ranks was fully realised.
The Deadly Game also provides a comprehensive and detailed picture of tradecraft and tactics forming the backbone of military intelligence agent handling still used today, examining why people might be turned. The word 'tout' had a deep and pejorative meaning for Republicans that meant a betrayal of the community and the cause, but Britten shows that the reasons that agents were turned was far from simple or mercenary but highly nuanced.
It illustrates the skills of handlers, like Britten, and their ability to read people and understand their motivation. It offers a unique insight into life in a Special Duties unit in Northern Ireland - the risks and pressures of human intelligence operations, where betrayal and death for the agent and his or her handler was a constant threat.
The Deadly Game is a tribute to the men and women, not only of the FRU, but also to their agents.
