Northern Ireland becomes an internal-security complication in the hypothetical war. A significant portion of the IRA had communist leanings that Moscow might try to mobilise against Britain. Other elements would understand that openly siding with the Soviet Union could destroy important support in the United States. The scenario could therefore produce an internal split rather than a unified campaign, consuming British political attention without guaranteeing Moscow a reliable proxy.
Notable Point · 2:43:07-2:44:12
Could the Soviet Union exploit divisions inside the IRA?
Soviet support for communist-leaning militants could increase pressure on Britain, but the IRA's dependence on American sympathy would pull other factions in the opposite direction.