Workers' Party president arrested in North on US warrant

TomF

An amazing piece just published about the arrest of Sean Garland, president of the Workers' Party. The item alleges that he was deep in the effort to circulate counterfeit US $100 notes. I know I have been on flights where the cabin crew say that such notes are not acceptable in payment for the luxury items that appear in airline seatback pocket catalogs.

The story says Garland was involved in the failed IRA raid that lead to the deaths of Sean South ("...from Garryowen.") and Fergal O'Hanlon ("My name is O'Hanlon, I've just gone sixteen ... .").

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1819057,00.html

Snickers Man

How old are you sonny?

That's not meant to be as patronising as it sounds. But the Workers Party were formerly Sinn Fein the Workers Party, formerly Official Sinn Fein, briefly Sinn Fein (Gardiner Place) and before that good old Sinn Fein.

Basically the soubriquets above were the names given to the 'Official' wing of the Republican Movement which had adopted a hard, make that very hard, left analysis to the problems facing Ireland north and south in the 1960s and which were found to be somewhat inappropriate when the situation in northern Ireland was simplified down to a straightforward sectarian fight in the early 1970s.

The Provisionals, who basically just wanted to shoot cops and soldiers and any other Prod who looked threateningly at them, broke away from the movement and went on to eventual fame and fortune.

The Officials (Stickies) who contained many hardmen who had 'fought' in the border campaign of the late 1950s were not exactly backward about taking on the 'forces of imperialism' but went on ceasefire in 1972, shortly after they had pissed off whatever small level of support they had entirely by murdering a young Catholic lad from the staunchly republican Creggan estate in Derry who had been serving with the British Army in Germany and had come home to see his mother.

Nice people.

Following the cease fire the Official IRA entered into a life of racketeering and crime, chief of which was the production of counterfeit money. That's an old old story. It's not news that Garland was 'on active service' in the 1950s, nor is it surprising that he may have had wads of dud money on him.

Why the lack of outrage?

I prsume it doesn't really suit the left wing agenda to suggest that one of their own may (and of course he deserves a presumption of innocence) be up to his eyes in corruption.

At least the next time someone sticks a Socialist Workers Party newspaper into my face with some headline screaming about the corruption in Government, I'll have an answer for them...

sceptre

Deleted User wrote:

Why the lack of outrage?

I suspect it's because people have pretty much known about Garland's various activities for years which haven't involved killing people all that recently so they're probably less pushed than they might be beyond perhaps "oh good, about time". Criminal activity is criminal activity but people tend to put an order of magnitude on these things at times. There isn't a large swell of outrage as the Workers Party don't have all that many members or voters, nor are they likely to have either ever. Of course he could be innocent of this allegation in particular, sceptre said, covering his ass in wrapping paper. Having said that, I'm not all that surprised.

I prsume it doesn't really suit the left wing agenda to suggest that one of their own may (and of course he deserves a presumption of innocence) be up to his eyes in corruption.

That's something of a presumption but I'm presuming that it suits you to presume it. I tend not to address anything with "<select wing, religion or label> agenda" anyway, I believe a somewhat caustic post by me stating why is on boards.ie somewhere.

At least the next time someone sticks a Socialist Workers Party newspaper into my face with some headline screaming about the corruption in Government, I'll have an answer for them...

I know almost nothing of the SWP apart from knowing that they're nowt to do with the Workers Party rump. I didn't know they had a newspaper but I've usually got an abrupt answer for anyone who sticks a newspaper in my face (or worse, into my face) at any time. I suspect my usual answer is rather shorter than the one you intend to give the newspaper waving SWP members.

Sponge Bob

sceptre wrote:

Of course he could be innocent of this allegation in particular, sceptre said, covering his ass in wrapping paper. Having said that, I'm not all that surprised.

The Workers party have been conterfeiting since the 1980s when they used to get paper from East Germany to make Irish banknotes. That was when Pat Rabbitte was a member

This has been published on numerous occasions, no court cases ensued .

Snickers Man

Deleted User wrote:

Why the lack of outrage?

I prsume it doesn't really suit the left wing agenda to suggest that one of their own may (and of course he deserves a presumption of innocence) be up to his eyes in corruption.

At least the next time someone sticks a Socialist Workers Party newspaper into my face with some headline screaming about the corruption in Government, I'll have an answer for them...

If you knew anything about lefties, you would know that the only thing they hate more than a capitalist, fascist or bourgeois is another leftie with a slightly different interpretation of Marx and Lenin than their own. For an almost perfect illustration of the venom felt between them look no further than Monty Python's Life of Brian and the section about the squabble between the People's Front of Judea and the Judean People's Front.

So Blaming the Silly **** Party for something the Stickies did will only make the latter laugh out loud.

Won't get you too far with the paper boy either.

Snickers Man

Snickers Man wrote:

If you knew anything about lefties, you would know that the only thing they hate more than a capitalist, fascist or bourgeois is another leftie with a slightly different interpretation of Marx and Lenin than their own.

Must admit a friend of mine was at the Conference, big Workers Party supporter, has been involved in it for years, and his integrity is admirable - he knows I am not cut from the same cloth but he spares me the diatribe. Plus he is highly entertaining company because he has a deep knowledge of politics. But he sure knows the ins and outs of Trotsky and Lenin and on what side of the debate each left wing group stand alright.

Snickers Man

I must admit, I would never vote for the SWP in a fit but any members I have met both here and in UK have been utterly charming people. Some of the nicest around, in fact. Optimists who try to see the best in most people.

Apart from Stalinists, of course.

DadaKopf

SWP isn't the Worker's Party.

mike65

Just watched the Spotlight/Panorama programme, it make a compelling case for the prosection, with much audio evidence. Seems Garland and the various criminals he has used to distribute the Superdollars have been under close surveillence for many years.

Mike.

Snickers Man

DadaKopf wrote:

SWP isn't the Worker's Party.

Yes. We know. As the previous few posts would make clear.

We were just agreeing that some of the nicest people in the world are commie bastards.

But you don't have to agree with them.

Sponge Bob

Snickers Man wrote:

But you don't have to agree with them.

WP = Stalinists SWP = Trotskyites , they fell out almost 80 years ago

Uncle F

are none of ye concerned that an Irish Citizen could be sent to A fascist court in the U.S to face an unfair trial and could be sentenced to a jail term in Guantanamo Bay??

Garland was 2nd in command the night o Hanlon and South were killed. he carried South on his shoulders to a waiting car and immediately after that Garland was shot himself. He was shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the leg and he crawled for 7 miles on his stomach to a safe house where he was treated for his wounds. to this day he still has the bullets in his body.

if u where to look at the provos today they are doing the same thing as what the stickies did 30 years ago by calling a ceasefire. So that’s 30 years of murder for **** all. The sticks where no angels either in this time.

it was also interesting to note that Peter Stringer was going to be the main speaker at the stickies ard fheis last weekend. Rumor has it he is considering running for the sticks when his rugby career is over :eek: :eek:

i wonder does he know of the stickies past??

sceptre

Uncle F wrote:

Garland was 2nd in command the night o Hanlon and South were killed. he carried South on his shoulders to a waiting car and immediately after that Garland was shot himself. He was shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the leg and he crawled for 7 miles on his stomach to a safe house where he was treated for his wounds. to this day he still has the bullets in his body.

Not that what Garland got up to in the fifties has any relevance to what he's currently being accused of. He could have bounced for seven miles on a space hopper singing the Hallelujah Chorus all the way and it wouldn't have any relevance.

sceptre

sceptre wrote:

He could have bounced for seven miles on a space hopper singing the Hallelujah Chorus all the way and it wouldn't have any relevance.

But it would have been MOST entertaining!!!

Uncle F

sceptre wrote:

Not that what Garland got up to in the fifties has any relevance to what he's currently being accused of. He could have bounced for seven miles on a space hopper singing the Hallelujah Chorus all the way and it wouldn't have any relevance.

your a sad sad man :mad:

black_jack

Uncle F wrote:

your a sad sad man :mad:

And I suspect you're a banned banned man. Sorry. Just don't insult a mod.

sceptre

Uncle F wrote:

your a sad sad man :mad:

I'd suggest you attack the post and not the poster. Like I did. With relevance (unlike the the irrelevant post I took on), humour and gusto.

Snickers Man

Uncle F wrote:

it was also interesting to note that Peter Stringer was going to be the main speaker at the stickies ard fheis last weekend.

Are you sure that's the same Peter Stringer that plays rugby for Ireland? There's more than one person of that name.

Uncle F

yes

bonkey

Uncle F wrote:

are none of ye concerned that an Irish Citizen could be sent to A fascist court in the U.S to face an unfair trial and could be sentenced to a jail term in Guantanamo Bay??

Well, firstly the US isn't fascist no matter how much its detractors might like to claim it is.
Secondly, there is no reason to suspect the trial he would face would be any more unfair than a trial in any other part of the developed world. America has its share of dodgy trials, to be sure, but its hardly alone in that regard.
Finally, Gitmo is predominantly used to detain people instead of giving them a trial. In fact, once tried, I believe American law will prevent anyone found guilty from being sent to Gitmo.
So I'd have to say no, I'm not concerned in the slightest about the fictional scenario you describe above.
For me, its more a question of whether or not he has a case to answer, rather than that said case may be in the US. To all appearances, it does indeed seem like he has a case to answer.

Garland was 2nd in command the night o Hanlon and South were killed. he carried South on his shoulders to a waiting car and immediately after that Garland was shot himself. He was shot twice, once in the stomach and once in the leg and he crawled for 7 miles on his stomach to a safe house where he was treated for his wounds. to this day he still has the bullets in his body.

....which, as we all know, under international law gives one a lifelong license to be involved in counterfeiting of foreign currency without fear of recrimination.....

...unless my memory is failing me and that wasn't actually ever an international agreement to which Ireland and the US were both party.

jc