Who is Sean Garland?

dublin | anti-capitalism | news report Tuesday October 11, 2005 21:02 by Where do you stand?

Sean faces 20 years imprisoment in the US. He charged with attempting to undermine that state economically.

Who is Sean Garland?

Sean Garland the leader of the Workers Party faces extradition over claims by the CIA that he is involved in undermining the US economy in conjunction with the North Korean regime. If extradited Sean faces four years detention before he is even brought to trial. Sean is 71 years of age and has been an outspoken enemy of the IRA and INLA armed struggle since the 1970‘s, which he has opposed because he believed the sectarian nature of at least aspects of the campaign was putting back the chance of real Irish unity.

However his outspoken opposition to Anglo-American Imperialism goes back to 1953 when he joined the IRA.

And it includes:

- joining the British Army in 1954 in order in infiltrate the crown forces and seize arms for use in the upcoming IRA campaign. Sean stayed within the British Army after the raid - his greatest concern during the raid was than not of his working class colleagues either within the ranks of the IRA or British forces were injured.

- Sean was appointed the leader of an IRA flying column which was active in Armagh and Fermanagh in 1956. At the launch of “Operation Harvest” which became known as the “Border Campaign 1956- 62 Sean’s column was involved in a number of successful attacks. Whoever due to the IRA leadership and Sean’s own strong believe that members of the paramilitary B-Specials should not be attacked, due the growth in sectarianism this would lead to, they called off many attacks.

- Sean led his column against Brokebough barracks in January 1957. This attack was repulsed by the heavily armed forces they encountered. Two of Sean’s comrades, Sean South and Fergal O’Hanlon where fatally wounded n the encounter. Sean carried the injured South to a nearby barn. During there escape Sean was shot a number of times. According to Sean’s comrades, many of whom would latter support the PIRA, Sean asked to be left behind with the body of his fallen comrade armed with his bren gun, this they refused and he was helped back over the border. Prior to this encounter the column had been given the sacrament by a sympathetic Priest, Sean refused, he remains outspokenly anti clerical to this day. After crossing the border Sean was arrested by Gardai, he was hospitalised for his severe injuries and missed the funeral of his fallen colleagues - South’s was attended by over 100,000 people.

- after being released from hospital Sean returned to active service. He was latter arrested in Belfast in the garb of a Glasgow University student while attempting to organise volunteers there. He was imprisoned in Crumlin road jail.

- On his release in 1963, Sean returned to the ranks of the IRA, something which Joe Cahill, Sean Kelly and many others who would latter become Provo leaders did not. He became a core member of a group of the leadership group which consisted mainly of Working Class Dubs.

- Sean was arrested with IRA documents in 1966 and once more imprisoned.

- In 1969 when the IRA split at a convention n Boyle, Sean remained loyalty to Chief of Staff Cathal Goulding who was accused of dragging the movement to far Left without preparing militarily for the Northern states reaction, by the militarists who would latter become the Provisional IRA leadership.

- Sean was a leading figure within the official IRA which called a ceasefire in 1972. Since then it is believed to have acted mainly as a fund raising, through armed robberies and other actions, and defensive force, mainly against PIRA attacks, for the Workers Party.

Sean throughout his time in the WP has remained an outspoken critic of capitalism and armed struggle as a root to achieve a united Ireland. The OIRA was silent after it’s ceasefire however an attack on its members in 1975 by the PIRA, which was condemned by the then imprisoned Gerry Adams, led to a feud which took 11 Republican lives. This and actions such as Teebane, where 10 Protestant workmen where lined up and shot by the PIRA for being Protestants and Enniskillen where 11 Protestants where killed at a commemoration service led to the Worker Party eventually taking the opinion that the greatest threat to working class unity came from the PIRA. This led to a number of strange political alliances by the party with right wing forces.

Sean has stood for socialism throughout his life and believes in open dialogue with the north Korean government in order to bring that country into the world community. He completely opposes the strategy of aiming nuclear missile at the North Korean people in order to overthrow the regime.

People should read this and decide where they stand on his extradition to the US. It is incredible that someone in an earlier threat thought it amusing to laugh at Sean in a orange jump suit - has this person taken numerous bullets and served long prison sentences for his beliefs?

Sean is accused by the US government of conspiring with North Korea in forging the dollar. He faces detention under terrorist legalisation. Sean suffers from Diabetes, he is separated from his family and can not return home. In a time when the Provo’s have now accepted that unity will not come from armed struggle who will stand with the CIA and British government and see this man extradited.

There are to be rallies organised to highlight Sean’s plight.