Speaking exclusively to The Dundalk Examiner, author of Bandit Country Toby Harnden gave us the following statement in relation to Garda collusion allegations...
![[Image]](http://cryptome.org/ira-spy-fight-04.jpg)
"I have always said that I would be happy to assist any inquiry into the circumstances of the Breen and Buchanan killings, subject, of course, to my duty as a journalist to protect confidential sources. That remains the case."
"I willingly assisted both the Garda and the RUC on separate occasions in 2000 when two officers from each force flew out to speak to me informally. No one from Judge Peter Cory's inquiry team saw fit to contact me, an omission that clearly calls into question the thoroughness of his investigation."
"In 'Bandit Country', I identified the two Garda officers suspected of collusion with the IRA as Garda X and Garda Y. At this stage I am not going to make any comment as to their names."
"As far as I can recall, before publication of my book in November 1999 I had never met or spoken to Kevin Myers."
"My book is a serious work of scholarship based on extensive research as well as interviews with British Army, RUC, Garda and IRA members, amongst others. The section on the killings of Ch Supt Harry Breen and Supt Bob Buchanan - by far the most detailed account of what happened - speaks for itself and I would urge anyone interested in this issue to read it carefully before rushing to any judgements."
"The section is, however, only one element of the history of South Armagh. About 150,000 copies of 'Bandit Country' have been bought in Ireland, the UK and elsewhere in the world and I have no doubt that the publicity surrounding the Breen and Buchanan killings - the overwhelming majority of it not generated by me - has played but a small part in this."
