Irish spy arrested in Russia

zell12

The former US soldier holds USA, Canada, Ireland and UK citizenship
Russia's intelligence service said Mr Whelan was arrested last Friday "while carrying out an act of espionage"

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0104/1020235-russia/

Must've been seeking potato secrets

Paddy Cow

Is it possible to have citizenship in four countries? I though dual was the most and not all countries allow that.

sk8erboii

zell12 wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0104/1020235-russia/

Must've been seeking potato secrets

I thought u lose irish citizenship if u join a foreign armed forcez

Deebles McBeebles

He's Canadian.

Gatling

So he's not an Irish spy

Paddy Cow

So I read the article, he has dual citizenship.

Canadian born
US citizen
UK citizen
Irish passport

Don't know what he expects the Irish to do.

sk8erboii

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Is it possible to have citizenship in four countries? I though dual was the most and not all countries allow that.

Born in ireland - citizenship 1
Naturalized in uk - citizenship 2
Served in US marines - citizenship 3
Spent 10 years in canada - citizenship 4

Theoretical but plausible scenario

zell12

Gatling wrote: »

So he's not an Irish spy

He's seeking the Irish ambassador to haul him outta Lubyanka

NSAman

Not even a mention of any Irish assistance...;)

zell12

NSAman wrote: »

Not even a mention of any Irish assistance...;)

"The Embassy of Ireland in Moscow has requested consular access to an Irish citizen currently detained in Russia after receiving a request for assistance. The DFAT will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case."

munster87

Gatling wrote: »

So he's not an Irish spy

That’s what he wants you to think

NSAman

zell12 wrote: »

"The Embassy of Ireland in Moscow has requested consular access to an Irish citizen currently detained in Russia after receiving a request for assistance. The DFAT will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case."

Yep mea culpa... they are talking about it ..;)

kneemos

James Boland.

Bob24

I like the way RTÉ’s headline only flags him as “US citizen” ;-)

I’m not sure what’s behind it but it is very political not to pick up his Irish citizenship for the headline. There are manny occurrences whereby a national of other countries who is also Irish is consistently described as Irish in the headlines of RTÉ or other Irish media.

razorblunt

The name is Bond. Prize Bond.

Bob24

sk8erboii wrote: »

Born in ireland - citizenship 1
Naturalized in uk - citizenship 2
Served in US marines - citizenship 3
Spent 10 years in canada - citizenship 4

Theoretical but plausible scenario

Being born anywhere in the world, never have been to ireland in his life and simply having a grandparent he never met who was born in Belfast but left after a month and spent the rest of their life in the US could also have made him an Irish citizen.

Not trying to minimise his irishness (I don’t know what his story is), but just saying citizenship rules can be very lax and make it easy to have more than 2 citizenships, even at birth.

Gatling

sk8erboii wrote: »

Born in ireland - citizenship 1
Naturalized in uk - citizenship 2
Served in US marines - citizenship 3
Spent 10 years in canada - citizenship 4

Theoretical but plausible scenario

He's Canadian born to British parents

josip

Worth a try shure.
Weren't the DFA able to get yer man Halawalla outa jail a few years ago?
They sound like they know how to operate

MarkR

But is he a goal scorer? That's the real question.

razorblunt

Wait until Kimmage and MacKenna hear about this fella. Taking the place of local lads with binoculars hiding behind menus in restaurants up by the Border.

Bob24

Espionage charges and too many countries involved means this cannot be treated as a regular consular assistence request.

I think the first thing is to try and figure out if he’s indeed been spying on Russia, and if yes is it for another nation than Ireland?

If it is the case, we should handle with extreme care and possibly tell him that he’s already made a choice about what his true citizenship is and should talk to the British or American or Canadian government who put him into this mess.

If he’s been spying for Ireland (doubt so but who knows), we obviously can’t publicly admit it it but should of course take responsibility and support him as much as we can.

Hammer89

How do we know the Irish passport is real? If I know spies, and I think I do, then he'll have a briefcase full of passports, each with a different name, and wads of cash, each of a different currency.

KevRossi

Bob24 wrote: »

I like the way RTɒs headline only flags him as “US citizen” ;-)

.

I'd be more interested in what the Skibbereen Eagle has to say about it.

DanMurphy

josip wrote: »

Worth a try shure.
Weren't the DFA able to get yer man Halawalla outa jail a few years ago?
They sound like they know how to operate

Thought SF sprung Halawa from the Egyptian Jail?

Bob24

Hammer89 wrote: »

How do we know the Irish passport is real? If I know spies, and I think I do, then he'll have a briefcase full of passports, each with a different name, and wads of cash, each of a different currency.

The article says: “The Department of Foreign Affairs said: "The Embassy of Ireland in Moscow has requested consular access to an Irish citizen currently detained in Russia after receiving a request for assistance.”

You’d hope the before claiming he is Irish and requesting access they tried to validate that he is a citizen. And that the DFA has ways to clarify if someone genuinely is Irish.

The Tetrarch

BorgWarner Inc, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier, said Paul Whelan is the company's director of global security and oversees the safety of its facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and other locations.

BogWater?

josip

Bob24 wrote: »

You’d hope the before claiming he is Irish and requesting access they tried to validate that he is a citizen. And that the DFA has ways to clarify if someone genuinely is Irish.

They probably asked him what day comes after Christmas Day.

Bob24

josip wrote: »

They probably asked him what day comes after Christmas Day.

They would expect something like “the day I was arrested by the Russians, you gob****e!” ?

Gonad

Not to worry , I hear we are sending good oul Biffo over to Russia with a few bottles of proper 12 to take out man back home.

BattleCorp

Hammer89 wrote: »

How do we know the Irish passport is real? If I know spies, and I think I do, then he'll have a briefcase full of passports, each with a different name, and wads of cash, each of a different currency.

You'd hardly go looking for Irish consular assistance if your Irish passport was fake.

Cina

sk8erboii wrote: »

I thought u lose irish citizenship if u join a foreign armed forcez

Should lose your citizenship for typing lyk dis 2.

DEFTLEFTHAND

zell12 wrote: »

"The Embassy of Ireland in Moscow has requested consular access to an Irish citizen currently detained in Russia after receiving a request for assistance. The DFAT will provide all possible and appropriate assistance in relation to this case."

This will be completely ignored.

Hammer89

BattleCorp wrote: »

You'd hardly go looking for Irish consular assistance if your Irish passport was fake.

It was a joke.

Del2005

What difference will any consular contact be ? He's been arrested by the Russians who don't give a toss what the West thinks and its not like a diplomat actually does anything when they visit. So apart from making some nice headlines what is the point, especially when it's most likely a political arrest.

Mrcaramelchoc

An Irish spy ha ha brilliant.where was he trained in our make believe army?

Hotblack Desiato

Mrcaramelchoc wrote: »

An Irish spy ha ha brilliant.where was he trained in our make believe army?

Pig-ignorant post. Our Defence Forces are very well respected internationally, and since the latest round of UK defence cuts we have more soldiers per citizen than the UK

rafatoni

Mrcaramelchoc wrote: »

An Irish spy ha ha brilliant.where was he trained in our make believe army?

Ryanair dont fly to russia so cant be in our army.

Richard Hillman

I hope Crooked Simon Coveney & Varadkar don't use this to get a few pats on the head from the "Dem Pesky Russians" movement at the EU and UN.

Hotblack Desiato

Richard Hillman wrote: »

I hope Crooked Simon Coveney & Varadkar don't use this to get a few pats on the head from the "Dem Pesky Russians" movement at the EU and UN.

That makes it sound like you think Vladimir Putin is a decent human, he isn't.

Atoms for Peace

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Pig-ignorant post. Our Defence Forces are very well respected internationally, and since the latest round of UK defence cuts we have more soldiers per citizen than the UK

But unlike the UK we don't have any unruly natives that need to be put in their place or oil companies that need assistance in aquiring new sources.

whisky_galore

Gatling wrote: »

So he's not an Irish spy

He's as Irish as Celine Dion.

They must give out Irish passports in cereal packets now.

dxhound2005

whisky_galore wrote: »

He's as Irish as Celine Dion.

They must give out Irish passports in cereal packets now.

If one of his grandparents was born in Ireland, he qualifies. Or if he sent in his name on a cornflakes packet.

Spanish Eyes

I think it might depend on what passport he used to enter the country. That passport issuing country will have first call for consular assistance I reckon.

Spanish Eyes

BREXIT means that many people will qualify for Irish passports too. Under the parent or grandparent rule. Foreign birth register may apply, but hey ho.

uch

I think I'll give up the Cake for January

pleas advice

whisky_galore wrote: »

He's as Irish as Celine Dion..

She lost her virginity in Dublin, theres a bit of trivia for you...
(the night she won the Eurovision for Switzerland)

worded

pleas advice wrote: »

She lost her virginity in Dublin, theres a bit of trivia for you...
(the night she won the Eurovision for Switzerland)

A lot of hidden meaning in her song
https://youtu.be/fsgWUq0fdKk

whisky_galore

pleas advice wrote: »

She lost her virginity in Dublin, theres a bit of trivia for you...
(the night she won the Eurovision for Switzerland)

They should put up one of those historic plaques at the site.

zell12

Sputnik - Brother Confirms Spy Suspect Has Four Citizenships

Under His Eye

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I think it might depend on what passport he used to enter the country. That passport issuing country will have first call for consular assistance I reckon.

Nope. You can ask whatever embassy you want for assistance.

skooterblue2

Under His Eye wrote: »

Nope. You can ask whatever embassy you want for assistance.

You would want to be sure whatever embassy that you call on will come to your aid.The Irish embassy has a great record of getting people out..... even Brian Keenan(who was a US asset)and Ibrihim Halawa (who was by his own admission involved in a violent uprising).