15 MAY 1971, Page 9

Improved intelligence

And the fight against the IRA goes well too, according to the same interpretation. 'We've got three or four of their leaders. This time WC knoll' we've got some of the right people', Was how it vas put to me. I heard from

various sources, not all of them Ulster but all of whom should be well-informed, that the quality of intelligence now coming into the hands of the authorities has greatly im- proved. It needed to. It's only three months or so since the best available English view was that the biggest single difficulty in Northern Ireland was the very poor quality of the intelligence reports being received.