Posted on 03/24/2006 6:20:45 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite
He is not a criminal, says Adams Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams yesterday stood by alleged former IRA chief Thomas "Slab" Murphy. The businessman, whose farm is at the centre of a police probe into a multi-million pound smuggling operation, has been wrongly demonised, he claimed. Mr Adams said: "Tom Murphy is not a criminal. He is a good republican."
Murphy's sprawling estate, straddling the Irish border, was among 15 properties searched yesterday during police raids planned in Belfast and Dublin.
Around £200,000 in cash, 30,000 cigarettes, 8,000 litres of fuel and weapons were all seized in the offensive against organised crime.
Two men and a woman arrested during swoops in north Louth and south Armagh were questioned and released last night by gardai.
Murphy, the one-time alleged IRA chief of staff, who is already under investigation by the Assets Recovery Agency probing house sales in the greater Manchester area, was not detained.
But police, Customs officials and soldiers were all involved in a major operation on his land at Hackballscross.
Murphy, 62, insists he is a legitimate farmer with no involvement in crime.
And Mr Adams offered his total support following raids which were months in the planning.
"I read his statement after the Manchester raids and I believe what he says," the West Belfast MP said. "He is also a keen supporter of the Sinn Fein peace strategy."
Asked if Murphy was a member of the IRA Army Council, Mr Adams said: "If he denies being a member of the IRA then I accept that."
Mr Adams was critical of the scale of the huge cross-border operation, but backed its objectives.
"We support the pursuit of criminal assets," he said. "Anybody who is involved in criminality should face the full rigours of the law.
"That includes the right to a fair trial and the right not to be vilified in the media."
I don't know how the Hell you came to that conclusion - it's ridiculous because I am a Catholic who opposes the IRA.
Whereas you arrive on this thread assuming it was an innocent Catholic the British security forces were harassing, when in fact he is the IRA top brass - and the Irish police force concur.
No one here is pro-IRA.
Some of us are honest enough to recognize that the US was right about the RUC and SAS abuses of the citizenry.
I'm sorry that you believe that terrorism in support of our ideals is right. It isn't.
You were making a moral equivalent of the IRA and the British Army - it's the same thing as supporting the IRA.
...IRA jackass.
Now let me offer something of use to you. Many of us post here so that we can logically think out our problems. Ireland has problems!
My solution is that they don't have soldiers doing the job of civilian police force.
Second, in order for a freedom-loving society to succeed I truly believe that you must arm its citizenry. British "subjects" should not blame us for the problems they created by being so heavy handed for the last few hundred years.
Let the Irish clean-up their own problems and leave the Army out of it. Arm the people and the the people of Britain will have a more civilized society. No more IRA thugs with guns running the street.
LOL!
Arm the people and the the people of Britain will have a more civilized society. No more IRA thugs with guns running the street.
I actually agree - it's part of the trouble, I've said it here before that gun control just gives the IRA a monopoly of power - both north and south.
Actually, there are a lot more PIRA defenders on the Protest Warrior forums, believe it or not.
Apparently you don't realize that our side has to do right for us to hold the moral high ground. When criminal elements are applauded by our side, we sink to the level of the IRA terrorists.
While you might be OK wallowing in the filth with them, you needn't try to bring other conservatives down to the level of the terrorists.
Damn, I was going to suggest to you that Protest Warriors protest against NORAID... that's the end of that idea!!
The debates over there are kind of like the flame wars here, only there are more people from the UK chiming in.
I was discussing the recent legal troubles involving "Slab" Murphy with a socialist from Ireland the other day.
This was his response to the article I had posted:
Adams is full of shit Slab is in it up to his neck.
I agree! Unfortunately for our side, we (non-Marxists) have elements who are acting just as bad as the terrorists. This eliminates the possibility of taking the moral high ground.
Our side needs to be better to prove to the world who the terrorists really are. (The same could be said re: Hamas and Al Fatah)
Anyway, don't be upset/pissed off/angry about your fellow FReepers supporting the IRA. Other than Liberal Larry (the token Lib) and the occasional troll, we are all vehemently anti-Marxists.
Our side - the western democracies, they police their failings, the other side don't give a damn.
You're not the worst, but there are some here who are blatantly pro-IRA - hence my tendancy to flame people on these threads.
O.K. I give up...
What is the back-story to your FReeper Name?
I was reading up on the division between the Official IRA and the Provos last night, which was kind of interesting.
I'm actually surprised by how accurate the entries on Northern Ireland are, e.g. the wikis on Enoch Powell, Ian Paisley, the INLA, IRA, David Trimble, Michael Collins, etc...
Usually you don't expect accuracy or balance from Wikipedia, but I guess that subject is one of those rare exceptions.
I think it's because one of the main Wikipedians over there is actually from Ireland.
My heart and mind is with the British Army, as they cleanse Ulster of the IRA Mafia.
When are they going to clean out the rogue elements in their own organization and the RUC?
I'll say it again, we (anti-Marxist conservatives) can't hold the moral high ground while we support "allies" who are terrorists in their own right. Anything less is showing support FOR terrorism.
If you are a conservative, you should know this...
For Sein Fein and Gerry Adams, US readers...just substitute Raza (sp.?) Aztlan...and Fox, the mayor of LA and pals. Same thing. Now you get it.
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