Arrest of Sean Garland

by Workers Party Support Extradition Fri Jan 30, 2009 16:44

Is this the same man and same party who supported extradition of Irish Republicans. The Workers party have some cheek calling for solidarity following their appalling record on this issue.

The past STICKS!

by pat c Fri Jan 30, 2009 16:50

Regardless of what Sean Garland and the WP have done in the past his extradition should be opposed. He cannot get a fair trial in the US.

Regardless of whether or not Sean Garland is guilty, imho undermining the US economy is not a crime.

by > Fri Jan 30, 2009 16:56

Garland extradition sought by US
Friday, 30 January 2009 15:51
Former Workers' Party President Sean Garland has appeared in court in Dublin after US authorities sought his extradition on alleged counterfeiting charges.

The 74-year-old from Dublin was arrested this afternoon on foot of an extradition warrant from the US.

Mr Garland was remanded in custody, pending a bail application.

A garda detective told the High Court that Mr Garland was arrested at Mountjoy Square North in Dublin and shown the warrant for his arrest.

Counsel for Mr Garland told the court that his client has medical problems. Mr Garland will be detained in Cloverhill Prison and will appear in court again on Wednesday.

The Workers' Party has described Mr Garland's arrest as 'politically motivated'.

Speaking outside the court, party spokesperson Malachy Steenson said the extradition application was an attempt by the authorities to divert attention from the country's economic crisis.

by Workers Party Fri Jan 30, 2009 17:17 wpi at indigo dot ie 01-8740716

former party President arrested outside Dublin HQ
The Workers' Party have condemned the arrest of former Party Presidnet Seán Garland this morning (21/1/09)
The Workers’ Party have condemned the heavy handed arrest of former Party President Seán Garland outside the party’s Head Office in Dublin this morning (Friday).

Current Workers’ Party President Michael Finnegan has said:

“The Árd Comhairle of the Workers’ Party condemns this heavy handed and blatantly political act. Some time ago Sean Garland had been in touch with gardaí through his legal representatives and had made it clear that he was willing and available to speak to them at any time. There was absolutely no need to arrest Sean Garland outside the party offices and the decision to do so only serves to reinforce the political nature of this arrest”.

Sean Garland has made it clear previously and again now that he will fight any attempt at extradition to the United States through the Irish courts. The Workers’ Party will fully support Sean Garland in this process.

The Workers' Party calls on all progressive groups and individuals in Ireland and throughout the world to oppose the persecution of Sean Garland.

further information will be issued in the coming days.

Seán Garland at the 2008 WP Árd Fheis in Dublin

by pat c Fri Jan 30, 2009 19:00

Here are some of the Indy stories regarding the arrest of Sean Garland in the six counties, the attempt to extradite him fron there to the US and how Sean Garland subsequently jumped bail and headed south.

Garland escapes extradition
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/81586

Garland fails to appear in Belfast court
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/73250

Sean Garland, The Workers Party, The Columbia 3 and Extadition.
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/73021

Sean Garland extradition demand raised at Dail and with Foreign Affairs Minister
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/72564

UK To Extradite Sean Garland to US?
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/72467

Who is Sean Garland?
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/72419
Workers' Party condemn arrest of Sean Garland
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/72369

by Michael - Human League Fri Jan 30, 2009 20:28

Mr. Garland has merely been detained in custody as a result of an application for a deportation order to the US oF A ,

Mr. Garland has submitted ,through his solicitor , grounds for being in poor health , how ever the Judge merely remanded Mr Garland to appear early next

week .

Spokesman for Mr Garland suggests His Warrants may be part of some conspirisy and also suggests He Would Not Have Been Arrested Had He Been A
Drug Dealer ???

Maybe the spokesman has a point , Let Justice Take Its Course and we should afford Mr Garland the benefit of Being Innocent Until Proven Otherwise.
indeed if there is a case to answer at all .

by sticky bricky Fri Jan 30, 2009 21:04

Obviously as y'all know the tabletop pep talk presidency agenda will be stopping the economic crises and the foreign policy will be about Clinton someday soon talking to the Iranians. She has already called around a plethora of states which the Bush presidency didn't talk to at all on a first name basis...

But the 16 agencies are really going to focus on the threads and open yarns of the far east circuit, the Korean peninsula, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Japan & right in there was (& might yet be) Mr Garland's particular gems and nuggets of background on stuff of interest.

Or maybe they just want the plates of the "superbill" 100$ code number PN14342 with little picture of Benjamin Franklin embossed - best ever faked dollar in circulation - back so they can reboot their own economy by flooding wallmarts with decent hard currency outside of the Fed's records???

c/f these 3 comments of back data which Pat C. didn't include in his background links which might offer the keen reader a bit of decent barstool chat on what exactly it was Mr Garland supposedly did wrong http://www.indymedia.ie/article/70505?comment_order=asc...12562
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/70505?comment_order=asc...23662
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/70505?comment_order=asc...40620 & this article for info on the Far east as well as Naval orientation of the Obama spooks http://www.indymedia.ie/article/90449

(( it would work a treat by the way - flooding hard hit recessionary economies with undetectable forged currencies. I suppose the brits are ruefully regretting the rumoured fact that most of the planet's smack is bought in their best quality fake 50 quids as well as the Europeans are regretting hte fact that most of the planet's coke is bought in fake 500 euro notes....... & then both sterling and Euros get converted into narco bling and palaces and spent on girls and boys who like to be called bitches........ yep the USA needs those plates back. ))

best of luck to you Sean!!!!!
hardly anybody appreciates how important you can be @ times!!!!!!

by Carr. N. Toole Sat Jan 31, 2009 15:13

No Irish judge will ever extradite Garland. Steenson's claim that the arrest was made to divert attention from the economic crisis is laughable.
(Or perhaps Garland could advise the government on how to print realistic euros as a way out of the crisis)

by Joe - Redundant republican Sat Jan 31, 2009 17:09

Republicans throughout Ireland have waited a long time to see the champagne socialists/communists exposed as the political hypocrites that they have been for generations. Throw away the key after Garland is sent to prison as a criminal. It is a long road that has no turning!

by Jacqueline Fallon Sat Jan 31, 2009 18:05

Mr Garland would be better off if his spokesperson did not speak at all. The reason given by his spokeperson for his arrest that it was: "an attempt by the authorities to divert attention from the country's economic crisis" did make me smile, and, by God, we could all do with a laugh at this time.

I predict both jurisdictions may be waiting in line for a long time with Mr Garland, as I predict both the US and Irish jurisdictions will be inundated with counterfeiting cases given the current gloom and doom, with skilled Waterford Crystal workers being let go by text message after 40 years; and the absolute misery of joining/existing on the pittance that is the dole. The 'authorities' would be well advised given the current economic crisis to release Mr Garland now and save the country a bit of money in the process.

I have no doubt that Mr Garland will 'arise out of the ashes' of his current crisis miraculously unscathed like he has done so many times before, when many others have not. Indeed, he may find that there is a lucrative career to be had as a 'Counterfeiting Consultant' with his living expenses being paid by the 'State' (a job along with many others not to be found on the Fás web site).

by Bill Sun Feb 01, 2009 00:29

Garland and his cronies attacked physically and politically republicans & socialists over the years. They were agents for british state for years in Belfast and Newry. Why should irish socialistsand republicans care about a british asset. as for his spokesperson, we all know his history.

by francis hughes Sun Feb 01, 2009 14:20

forget pass differences in opinion. this man should be supported and not extradited

by Bill Bucks Sun Feb 01, 2009 14:27

should we forget everybodies past offences? Garland is accused of a criminal - CRIMINAL - offence and not related to political activities. Why would we oppose his extradityion? is it because its amerika that wants him? why not "forget pass differences " with amerika? this is a criminal crime and should not be of concern to socialists and republicans.

by lulu Sun Feb 01, 2009 15:03

If Ireland can have parity with the US on extradition, maybe this case is permissible, though faith in American Justice is weak. I fear it will be the same as the UK, from where US courts can extradite, without UK courts having an equal right with regard to people living in the US.

by Malachy Steenson - Workers Party Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:17

74 year old Sean Garland was today further remanded in custody for one week

by Malachy Steenson - Workers Party Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:19

The President of the Workers’ Party has called for the release from custody of Seán Garland, former Party President, and has also called on the Irish government to support a call for a withdrawal of the warrant issued against him by the United States’ authorities.

Mr. Michael Finnegan said, “We now that the outgoing US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice personally signed the extradition request for Sean Garland in the dying days of the Bush administration. This was clearly a vengeful act and we call on the new Obama administration to live up to its glowing promises of creating a new dawn of honesty and trust”.

“Many of us were encouraged by the words of President Obama in his inauguration speech two weeks ago in which he declared that his government would not follow the same discredited path as Bush and Cheney. The continued pursuit of a 74 year old, suffering from diabetes and cancer, and who has spent a lifetime fighting for justice and against division and sectarianism on this island, is both vindictive and inhumane”, said Mr. Finnegan.

“The Allegations against Seán Garland are both preposterous and without foundation. We have no doubt whatsoever that Seán Garland will be vindicated at the end of this process. However, given Seán’s medical condition and the conditions in the prison in which he is being currently held, we believe that in the meantime his health will suffer irreparable damage. I therefore call for an end to these pointless proceedings and for Seán’s immediate release”, said the Workers’

by Ray O'Hanlon Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:36

What has the charge of counterfeiting American dollars to do with politics?

That is a crime in the US.

The FBI are legally required to seek out suspected criminals everywhere.

The US has an extradition agreement with us.

Let justice be done..

.

by Justin Mon Feb 09, 2009 15:35

I urge anyone with an impartial head on their shoulders to view the evidence contained in the following links:

North Korean Criminality Examined: the US Case. Part I
John McGlynn

http://japanfocus.org/_John_McGlynn-North_Korean_Crimin...art_I

A close analysis of the 2005 case by a writer with no connections with the WP, which reaches the conclusion that “ even on the most generous reading of the indictment, the evidence is circumstantial”.

Also, read this:

Sharply Increased US Sanctions are based on the USD Supernote Accusation against North Korea. But Counterfeit Experts say the Accusation is Baseless.

http://www.eba-pyongyang.org/index.php?media#apr06

In an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on 19.4.2006 Klaus W. Bender, the author of the new book ´Moneymakers - The Secret World of Banknote Printing´, Wiley-VCH Verlag, Weinheim, Germany, 39.90 Euro, outlines that ´in the opinion of experts, this allegation is not tenable.´ It is to do with the paper used in the ´supernotes´ using original dollar paper (made by a specialist company in Massachusets) with genuine security ink based on a secret chemical make up and reserved exclusively for the printing of dollars. ´It is unimaginable that anyone else (than the Americans themselves) could come by these materials.´ He stressed that the machines bought by North Korea in the seventies are outdated and not able to produce the USD supernote, a high tech product. In addition, Bender explained that the ´supernotes´ have two or three designed defects that would ensure that they will be immediately detected by the American checking systems. ´The supernotes have therefore no chance of circulating within the USA´, he points out. He says that the USA´s allegation that (North Korean) counterfeiters are waging an economic warfare is baseless but points to the fact that the US CIA itself runs a secret printing facility equipped with the sophisticated technology which is required for the production of the notes.

For a more nuanced account of Korean events than the useless mudslinging one often finds coming from “the left”, visit Tim Beal’s website at
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~caplabtb/dprk/index.html

or

Why Bush is Seeking Confrontation With North Korea
By GREGORY ELICH

at
http://www.counterpunch.org/elich10272006.html

The story that emerges from these analyses is cear.The case of Sean Garland is part of larger scale actions -overt and covert- by the US on the Korean peninsula

by southern comfort Sat Feb 14, 2009 23:08

The charge would be to do with allegedly distributing notes, even if the quality was rubbish. Nothing to do with printing, everything to do with selling to people who would not know better, and ultimately embarrassing Uncle Sam.

SG has 9 lives and a few more up his sleeve. I am not a fan of his but I wouldn't lay a bent fiver on him ever crossing the atlantic.