Provo informer Joe 'The Hawk' Haughey was a secret dove at the heart of the
IRA who helped to save dozens of lives, The People can reveal.
The convicted paramilitary went public last week to deny he ever worked for
Special Branch.
His denials were carried in The Belfast Telegraph, 24 hours after The Irish
News initially decided not to run the story.
Today (Sunday), however, The People can reveal that Haughey has been lauded by RUC
Special Branch for years as a cause for good.
And he once helped to save the life of a Royal Irish Regiment soldier who
was set up for death by a republican relative.
That incident took place in 1993 when Haughey was asked by a senior Co Down
republican to kill a relative who was then a member of the regiment.
That republican hated his relative and wanted to see him dead.
But Haughey moved quickly to save the life of the soldier who was moved
from his home in Banbridge.
A second informer also tipped off cops.
When an IRA unit went to scout the house they realised their target had
been moved and the murder mission was aborted.
The methods of some Special Branch officers however are being questioned
because informants were allowed to carry out crimes.
The murder of Charles Bennett in north Belfast five years ago is one
incident being looked at by senior republicans.
Yesterday the former Force Research Unit officer Martin Ingram told The
People: "I did not have any dealings with Joe Haughey during my time in
Northern Ireland but I did know of him and who he was.
"He did not work for the Army during my time there but I would say that he
was a
protected species as far as the RUC was concerned, especially during the
period when he
associated openly with Jim Craig.
"The exposure of Joe 'Buck' Haughey will come as no great surprise to the
republican movement. I can't see what all the fuss is about."
A senior Provisional source agreed. He said: "Joe was stood down a number
of months ago. We are surprised there has been any public support for
Haughey from anyone within the republican movement."
Speculation is mounting as to the identity of 'Joan' - the woman who named
Haughey as a tout on an internet website.
One source says she could be a woman from north Belfast who has lived
abroad for some years.
Haughey sent The People a letter last Wednesday in which he denied being a
tout.
The veteran republican is also a close friend of one of two republicans
suspected of killing Charles Bennett.
That republican - who has a large house in west Belfast and a massive
bungalow in Co Louth - was caught fiddling in a Provo gaming machine and
cigarette racket and booted out of the IRA.
