9 McCANN AND OTHERS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM JUDGMENT was a strong likelihood that at least one of the suspects would be carrying a "button job". 29. This was recalled, in substance, by Soldiers C and D. Soldier B did not remember being told that they would attempt to detonate if arrested but was aware of that possibility in his own mind. They were warned that the suspects were highly dangerous, dedicated and fanatical. 30. It does not appear that there was any discussion at the briefing as to the likely size, mode of activation or range of a remote-control device that might be expected. The soldiers appear to have received information at their own briefings. Soldier F did not know the precise size a radio detonator might be, but had been told that the device would be small enough to conceal on the person. Soldier D was told that the device could come in a small size and that it could be detonated by the pressing of just one button. 31. As regards the range of the device, Soldier F said that the military were told that the equipment which the IRA had was capable of detonating a radio-controlled bomb over a distance of a mile and a half. G. Events on 6 March 1988 1. Deployment of Soldiers A, B, C and D 32. The operations room opened at 8.00 hours. The Commissioner was on duty there from 10.30 to 12.30 hours. When he left, Deputy Commissioner Colombo took his place. Members of the surveillance teams were on duty in the streets of Gibraltar as were Soldiers A, B, C and D and members of the police force involved in the operation. Soldiers A, B, C and D were in civilian clothing and were each armed with a 9mm Browning pistol which was carried in the rear waistband of their trousers. Each also carried a radio concealed on their person. They were working in pairs. In each pair, one was in radio communication on the tactical net and the other on the surveillance net. Police officers P, Q and R, who were on duty to support the soldiers in any arrest, were also in plain clothes and armed. 2. Surveillance at the border 33. On 6 March 1988, at 8.00 hours, Detective Constable Huart went to the frontier to keep observation for the three suspects from the computer room at the Spanish immigration post. He was aware of the real names of the three suspects and had been shown photographs. The Spanish officers had photographs. The computer room was at some distance from the frontier crossing point itself. The Spanish officers at the immigration post showed him passports by means of a visual aid unit. It appears that they only showed him the passports of those cars containing two men and one woman. Several pictures were flashed up for him during the course of the day but he