The news that the USA has sought the extradition of a central figure in the Workers Party (Seán Garland) due to his alleged involvement in currency fraud in connivance with the government of North Korea has focused attention on a by now little-known faction within Irish politics. Debate on Indymedia.ie has focused on what the 'proper response' to this news should be.

It has emerged that the USA has formally requested extradition of Seán Garland and six others of various nationalities from the UK for the alleged crime of the distribution of forged US $100 bills. It is alleged that these bills (of high quality) were forged by elements of the North Korean administration.

Press coverage indicates that Garland is being accused of involvement in laundering less than one million dollars worth of these bills.

Seán Garland was remanded on bail last week in the North. He is also an Irish citizen with his principal residence formerly in Navan, now in Kentstown in Meath. He has at various times in the past been closely associated with the Official IRA and Official Sinn Fein and in recent times became President of the Workers Party.

News of his threatened extradition to the USA elicited a variety of responses from Indymedia.ie contributors. The first story published on the newswire included a post that summarised the genesis and development of the Official IRA (known colloquially as the 'Stickies') and their long-running differences and conflicts with the Provisional IRA and the INLA amongst others. Other posts point out that the 'stickies' had been markedly unsympathetic in the past to republican political activists facing extradition and the kangaroo 'special criminal courts'.

This issue looks set to test Inter-Irish, Irish-English, Irish-American and English-American relationships in unique ways. It may also make a Europe-wide impact as Garland's ideological colleagues have a strong base across the EU as evidenced by one contributor's post from Greece.

RELATED
RTE And The 'Sticky' Brigade
Wikipedia Entry on Garland and his time in the OIRA, OSF and WP
Superdollars

Background To This Story From Indymedia Archives: Amnesty Cite Shannon Complicity In US "Extraordinary Renditions" | Shannon: Hard Truths In Seanad Via Sweden Via Indymedia Ireland | Guantanámo Bay Express uses Shannon Airport | Peace Activists Call For Govt To Come Clean On CIA At Shannon | Activists lodge complaint about Guantanamo Bay Express | CIA Torture Jet Sold In Attempted Cover Up | More On The US 'Secret Commando Unit' That Has In Past Repeatedly Transited Thru Shannon

It has been a busy few weeks for Shannon airport news. There have been banner drops, arrests, IAWM demos, John Gormley of the Greens sparring with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, and the media mostly taking a government line. Today [Saturday, October 9th], a small group of protestors decided to bring the message back to the scene of the crime.

"John Gormley had a battle with Ahern this week about these jets, the fact that they are not inspected, and the fact that Denmark has BANNED the CIA from using their airspace, while we allow them at our airport. A Danish official recently sent me a list of CIA flights through Danish Airspace. One of them was from Shannon to Kabul, in Afghanistan. Denmark has forced them to make a detour around their airspace, but they are still welcome at Shannon.

A stand-off has been arranged in the saga at Killaghmore, Killconnell. Greenstar has agreed to stop work on the road used by bog owners, land owners and members of the Local Community and are going to meet with concerned community members and their representatives on Friday (tomorrow) at 2 pm.

The saga so far is that Greenstar attempted to cut off part of a road and divert the people with rights on this road through land LEASED by Greenstar without even consulting with the local community. Last Tuesday week Brendan Kelly, a local man who uses the right of way to access his organic farmland, found his way blocked by a digger and dumper. He objected and his way was cleared. This Local Man had several such experiences until last Friday when he mounted a permanent vigil and blocked all machines belonging to Greenstar from interfering with his rights. He was threatened with jail and the guards were present several times. On Monday in the presence of the guards and other concerned members of the Local Community he stood in front of a digger and stopped it. His actions were carried out using his rights under Agenda 21 and the Aarhus Convention.

I walked into the shed of my block one afternoon when I was on the late shift and - it wasnt there. For a minute, I racked my brain. Did I leave it in town last night? Is it back in the gaf? Is it somewhere else? No, it wasnt. It was here last night when I came in, locked it, and now its gone.

Heart pounding, I found the 'super' and we fast forwarded through the nights CCTV footage. There he was, a fucker in a black leather jacket, white pants, and a Coca-Cola sweatshirt. A decent shot of him too. So who was this guy? The super had no idea, nor the Garda, but I knew who he was. He was my Rollo Tomasi, my voodoo doll, my idée fixée - every dickhead, loser, psycho, paranoiac, backstabber, waster, pest, spoilt richkid, male or female piece of shit I'd ever had the miserable misfortune to encounter in my life to that very point encapsulated in this individual breaking in through the gate, cracking my lock open, and making off with my bike. I wanted to find him. But more than anything, I wanted my bike. So off I went, on a mini adventure of sorts, to see if I could find the bike in the murkier parts of the city.

FROM THE COMMENTS:
On the 16th of June 2005, "Bloomsday" the 5 were still free, and protesting. That was the morning the Corduff's abandoned breakfast was photographed and we read of how Shell had illegally entered the lands in Rossport to begin illegal work on an illegal pipeline. Mr. Corduff's Bloomsday Brekkie will have gone cold by now. It would not be sexist to suggest Mrs. Corduff will make him another with cuddles on top.

20:00hrs 30/09/2005

We the Rossport 5 would like to thank our neighbours, friends and fellow Irish citizens for the loving support we and our families have received during these 94 traumatic days. In addition we would like to thank the incoming Norwegian government for their respect, support and assistance. We remind SHELL and their Irish government partner that imprisonments have historically and will always fail as a method to secure the agreement of Irish people.

We now call on our supporters to intensify the campaign for the safety of our community and families. We invite all citizens to join with us at a national rally tomorrow (Sat 1st Oct - Ed: Reports and Photos) Saturday, October 1st. The rally will depart from the Garden of Remembrance at 2pm and march to the Dáil. The campaign has now begun in earnest.

Micheál Ó Seighin
Willie Corduff
Brendan Philbin
Vincent McGrath
Philip McGrath
DUBLIN CITY