Northern Ireland Office Freedom of Information Team 11 Millbank Westminster London SW1P 4PN

Freedom of Information Team

Mr Martin McGartland

Telephone 0207 210 0840 Email: foi@nio.x.gsi.gov.uk

request-91688-cde7fe9c@whatdotheyknow.com
14 February 2012 REFERENCE: FOI 11/191 Dear Mr. McGartland, I am writing to you about your request for information dated 1 November 2011 where you asked for: All information known to the Northern Ireland Office concerning shipments of weapons/ammunition supplied to the IRA from Gaddafi's Libya. I am writing to inform you that the information you have requested is exempt from disclosure under section 21 (Information accessible to applicant by other means), of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. This is because the information in question is already in the public domain. The information you seek can be found in various existing sources such as the book a Secret History of the IRA by Ed Moloney (Penguin Books, 2002) and online, for example on the following web-pages: Libyan arms helped the IRA to wage war, 17 November 2011, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/northernireland/8425593/Libyan-arms-helpedthe-IRA-to-wage-war.html The IRA's store of weaponry, 14 August 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1482426.stm Provisional IRA weapons importation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisional_IRA_arms_importation#cite_note-19 Uncovering the IRA, Sean Boyne, Jane's Intelligence Review, 1996, accessed at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ira/inside/weapons.html

Further more there is a file at The National Archives in Kew, catalogue number CJ4 2395 titled: ARMS SALES TO LIBYA AND THE IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY (IRA) which may provide information relating to your request. We can neither confirm nor deny whether we hold any further information relating to your request. Should you require any further assistance in locating this information please telephone the Freedom of Information Team using the telephone number provided at the top of the page. Please remember to quote your reference in any correspondence. If you are unhappy with the result of your request for information you may request an internal review within two calendar months of the date of this letter. If you request an internal review please do so in writing stating the reasons to the address above.

If following an internal review you were to remain dissatisfied you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner and ask him to investigate whether the NIO has complied with the terms of the FOIA. You can write to the Information Commissioner at: Information Commissioner Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF The Commissioner will not investigate a complaint unless an internal review procedure has been carried out. Further details on the role of the Information Commissioner and the handling of appeals can be found at: www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Manager