Not unexpectedly Martin Callinan was forced to stand down as head of the Gardai on 25th March 2014. Throughout 2013 I have written a number of articles concerning malpractices within the Garda organisation and particularly the questionable management style of (former) Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan. While Callinan was eventually forced from office, the ‘mess’ created during his term will take years to cleanse, indeed if ever. That will only happen when there is accountability. Amongst the outstanding bad practice issues are multiple claims of Gardai mishandling of a number of serious cases involving abduction, assault and murder that are being presently looked at by a Senior Barrister and now we are told that people have been maliciously prosecuted previously, it is frightening. However, if former Garda Wilson or others are in possession of such detail he must divulge it to the relevant authority.
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Friday 14 March 2014 marks the one year anniversary of the kidnapping and imprisonment of five Palestinian teenagers (at the time aged 15-17) for alleged stone-throwing, following a settler car accident that took place close to their village of Hares in Salfit district (West Bank), Palestine. read full story / add a comment

It was suspected that offices of the GSOC (garda siochana ombudsman commission) were being bugged. Shrouded in secrecy, they brought in specialists from the UK under advice from their equivalent body in the UK, the IPCC. These specialists did a high tech sweep of their offices under cover of darkness and a report was created which suggests that it was extremely likely that highly sophisticated bugging of the office had occurred. Government and high ranking gardai have closed ranks and are trying to spin this as a problem with GSOC instead of addressing the strong possibility that GSOC was bugged and who would want to do that and have access to do so except the gardai themselves. If true this is a grave issue. It is believed in some circles that this bugging may be related to investigations by GSOC into the case of large scale heroin importer Boylan who it is alleged has been working with gardai and has "magically" evaded conviction in the face of overwhelming evidence of trafficking huge amounts of drugs. This affair may go right to the top and has the potential to sink this government read full story / add a comment

NO INNOCENT IRISH PEOPLE WERE FRAMED FOR THE MURDER OF AIREY NEAVE, THE MOST SENIOR BRITISH POLITICIAN EVER TO BE ASSASSINATED.
The case remains ‘unsolved.’
‘Unsolved,’ in 1970s parlance, means no innocent people were framed for it.
But why? Why this departure from standard procedure in 1970s England?
What was so special about Airey Neave - that they made an exception in his case? read full story / add a comment

International Parental Child Abduction is not a new trend as globalization bring people into a social setting normally not experienced in previous years . Relationships develop of course and love ,children and break ups are also to be expected. The removal of an Irish infant from Ireland is a crime under International law and the Non Fatal Offences Against the person Act under the Irish Statute book. There is also an international agreement called the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Parental Child Abduction which the Irish State signed in 1980.

The issue surrounding this legal instrument outside of the EU is vague with countries such as the USA providing little or no support to victims of this cruel crime and Irish Department of Foreign Affairs complete reluctance to challenge the USA whom citizens are responsible for the abduction of Irish infants born in Ireland. read full story / add a comment

Recently appointed Judge Faughnan presided over this month's district court session at Belmullet. Two Shell to Sea related cases were finalised resulting in one campaigner avoiding conviction by receiving the benefit of the probation act and another - local Shell to Sea spokesperson Terence Conway - being convicted and fined E200.
When the Belmullet District court session opened on Wednesday morning there were seven campaigners due to appear in court on charges arising from the ongoing imposition of, and protest against, the Shell Corrib gas project in North West Mayo.
Shell Santa also made an appearance at court bearing gives of alcohol but the Gardaí didn't seem too happy for him to visit them in such a public setting. read full story / add a comment

Last Saturday week (23rd Nov) in Inver Community Hall, the 2013 Peoples' Forum was held entitled "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? - Who Polices the Police?.

The speakers at the event were Clare Daly TD and Mick Wallace TD, who spoke about the recent penalty points controversy and efforts to reform policing accountability. While Hilary D'Arcy who is doing a doctorate in policing focusing on Corrib spoke on policy accountability and politicisation of the police force and argued that increases in police accountability mainly arise from pressure from social movements. The days events were chaired by Sue Gogan
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The Attorney General for Northern Ireland John F Larkin QC had called for an end to inquires into the Troubles and the death of civilians. However, this is not the first time the so-called rebel has refused to support an inquiry into innocent deaths. I transcribe below two letters I got from him. This man wrote these letters - fully aware that the several solicitors in Belfast took who took on this case would do nothing - and the last one Norman Shannon sat on it until it became Statute Barred.

How can the legal system, both in Belfast and Dublin get away with this cover up. read full story / add a comment

This article examines a recent request to the International Criminal Court asking for an investigation of alleged war crimes by Canada in relation to complicity in torture and complicity in illegal extraordinary rendition of detainees. The article appeared in the Canadian Civil Liberties newsletter Rights Watch, and can be found at the address at the bottom. The original article contains hyperlinks which access the full request to the ICC and all attached documentations. read full story / add a comment

I am involved with a number of groups that focus on opposing animal cruelty and from time to time I receive details of what people involved in controversial practises are getting up to. In particular I receive occasional information concerning what appears on a website called "Greyhound Nuts", a site that deals with aspects of Ireland's greyhound industry but specialises in promoting hare coursing.

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In the afternoon of the 2 November, the peasant leader César García, president of the community association (Junta de Acción Comunal) of Cajon La Leona, was killed in cold blood by a shot to the head as he returned to his homestead with his wife and son [1]. García had become visible through his participation in the Environmental and Rural Committee of Cajamarca for the defence of life, water and food (Comité Ambiental y Campesino de Cajamarca por la Defensa de la Vida, el Agua y el Alimento), an organisation which has been leading the community´s struggle against the large-scale extractive project La Colosa. This open-cast mine has been denounced in Tolima because of the disastrous impact it would have on the community and the environment. The community of Tolima has expressed its rejection of the project through a series of massive demonstrations in defence of water and life, as well as through a popular consultation which took place in the municipality of Piedras on 28 July. On that occasion, 99.2% of the population rejected the mega-mine, with participation of approximately 60% of the electorate [2]. read full story / add a comment

The U.S. Supreme Court decided not to take the landmark debt case between Argentina and bondholders led by NML Capital, a hedge fund that buys the debt of countries in financial crisis. Argentina is expected to file a second petition in the coming months that the Supreme Court will review and decide again if it will hear the case. read full story / add a comment

Judge Gibbons presided over this months district court in Belmullet. The courtroom was packed with supporters of the 8 Corrib defendants, but none of their cases were heard on the day. read full story / add a comment

Eight campaigners are due to appear in Belmullet District Court this Wednesday (11th Sept) charged in relation to protesting against the Corrib Gas project.

Included among the eight campaigners are both Shell to Sea spokespersons Maura Harrington and Terence Conway along with Pobail Chill Chomáin spokesperson John Monaghan.

Also due to appear in court is Gerry Bourke, the farmer who provided the field for the Rossport Solidarity Camp for the last two years. [1] read full story / add a comment

The British and Irish governments are facing fresh demands for a new inquiry into their police and intelligence agencies including the involvement of the FBI in the withholding vital information on the Omagh bombing. One of the most disturbing pieces of information to emerge refers to an e-mail sent between David Rupert and his MI5/FBI handlers which warned of a bomb attack in Omagh. read full story / add a comment

Unfortunately, it appears that Ireland has become increasingly more interested in hanging onto the shirt tails of the US than ever before, allowing agents from that country to work within the boundaries of this ‘state’ without adequate clearance. For years, this so called ‘neutral state’ has continuously been abused by the covert activities of the British Security Services and now we have additional interference by the US, impinging here at will. The rendition flights at Shannon are one typical example, another case in point was the involvement of US agents in the McKevitt trial in 2003, where it emerged that MI5 and the FBI were running an informer within the jurisdiction for up to a decade. read full story / add a comment

The proof that Britain's Secret Services MI5 in British Occupied ireland, are hell bent on undermining the Irish Peace Process, can be found in the contrasting treatment of Orange Order Loyalist Stephen Irwin, perpetrator of the Greysteel Massacre and the internment without charge or trial of traditional irish Republican, Martin Corey. If the Irish Peace Process works, MI5 will be out of their multi-million pound, State of the Art Palace Barracks in Holywood, County Down, minus their multi million pound budget, the prize of their turf wars with competing Secret Service MI6. read full story / add a comment

Pat Rabbitte is the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has walked away with a pension more than those working 30 years could save up for..

4 years service in the dail,means pat rabbitte of labour will walk away with a staggering 150 k pension per year,at a low 5% rate of tax,and he had the cheek to call us freeloaders when it came to the television license.

This man gets a whopping 150k a year -for a measly 4 years service in the dail,which begs the question how many other ministers are availing of overblown pensions like these and under what wafer thin conditions?

If we are to talk about people taking cuts,surley ministers pensions should be also laid out on the table,like nurses pay,teachers pay and garda pay and those on the state pension and welfare.

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those who oppose the take over of republicanism by 'former' pia men of newco are being threatened and shot. soe of those shot were involved in crime, crime that was supported by those who now claim the are involved in a 'clean up'. those being shot and threatened also not coincidently oppose the take over by outside forces. thos ebeing threatened include a mother of a fallen volunteer. read full story / add a comment

Switch care-homes with prisons read full story / add a comment