Former British agent Willie Carlin has claimed he is a republican who believes in Irish unity.
Mr Carlin (71) worked for MI5 and later the British army’s undercover Force Research Unit inside Sinn Féin between 1974-1985 before his cover was blown.
The former British solder has revealed details of his secret life in a new book ‘Thatcher’s Spy: my life as and MI5 agent inside Sinn Féin’.
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Despite providing British intelligence agencies with information about Sinn Féin, Mr Carlin said he considers himself a republican.
“Put it this way, there’s republicans in America and I’m not one of them,” he said
“There’s republicans in Australia and I’m kinda close there.
“If you are asking me do I believe in the unification of this island, absolutely.
“Does that make me a republican? Yep.”
Mr Carlin said he agrees with the majority of Sinn Féin’s policies.
“Am I a Sinn Féin supporter? I have wrote some of their ... stuff but I agree with a good 85 percent of what they are trying to achieve.
“How they are trying to achieve it I don’t believe is going to work.
“But then having said that I agree with about 60 percent of what the SDLP’s trying to achieve, 50 percent of what the Alliance Party is trying to achieve.”
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