British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher would have been aware of plans to use the SAS in an ambush that claimed the lives of eight IRA men and a civilian.
The claim was made last year in a book by a former member RUC Special Branch member William Matchett.
In the book the former RUC officer reveals that Margaret Thatcher and then Secretary of State Tom King would have had advance knowledge about the ambush plans at Loughgall.
Mr Matchett claimed that the chief constable, who at the time was Jack Hermon, would have had to authorise the ambush plan.
"For such a plan the chief constable authorises it based on a briefing by the head of special branch (HSB), an assistant chief constable (ACC) at HQ, and requests resources from the army," he said.
Mr Hermon later passed his intelligence and control of the operation over to the British army.
He said that senior RUC officers, permanent Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office and MI5 are then informed.
The Secretary of State is then told who in turn would have briefed the Prime Minister.
Mr Matchett says the SAS used an arsenal of weapons including two general purpose machine guns to fire 1,000 rounds at the IRA unit.
The rate of fire from the heavy duty machine guns was such that it left “both barrels smoking hot”, the former RUC man said.
