Irish spy arrested in Russia

zell12 · 04-01-2019 02:49PM #1

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 · 04-01-2019 02:50PM

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

sk8erboii · 04-01-2019 02:50PM

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 · 04-01-2019 02:51PM

He's Canadian.

Gatling · 04-01-2019 02:51PM

So he's not an Irish spy

Paddy Cow · 04-01-2019 02:52PM

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 · 04-01-2019 02:52PM

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 · 04-01-2019 02:53PM

Gatling wrote: »

So he's not an Irish spy

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

NSAman · 04-01-2019 02:54PM

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

zell12 · 04-01-2019 02:55PM

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 · 04-01-2019 03:01PM

Gatling wrote: »

So he's not an Irish spy

That’s what he wants you to think

NSAman · 04-01-2019 03:02PM

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 · 04-01-2019 03:02PM

James Boland.

Bob24 · 04-01-2019 03:04PM

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 · 04-01-2019 03:10PM

The name is Bond. Prize Bond.

Bob24 · 04-01-2019 03:14PM

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 · 04-01-2019 03:33PM

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 · 04-01-2019 03:45PM

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 · 04-01-2019 03:49PM

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

razorblunt · 04-01-2019 03:56PM

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 · 04-01-2019 03:59PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:15PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:21PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:22PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:22PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:25PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:29PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:37PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:40PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:52PM

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 · 04-01-2019 04:53PM

sk8erboii wrote: »

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

Should lose your citizenship for typing lyk dis 2.

Irish spy arrested in Russia

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