Free Republic

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...

Police raid farm of IRA 'chief of staff' By Tom Peterkin, Ireland Correspondent (Filed: 10/03/2006) The farm owned by the man suspected of being the Provisional IRA's chief of staff was raided yesterday in the largest police operation mounted against suspected organised crime on the Irish border. Thomas "Slab" Murphy's property, which is alleged to be at the heart of the IRA's smuggling empire, was among those searched by police, soldiers and customs officials. Fuel tankers were driven from Murphy's farm after the raid More than 300 British and Irish police officers carried out raids simultaneously on both sides of...

When Palestinians revealed their true colors electing Hamas to 74 seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Arab world was dumb-struck. An Islamist terror group had finally snatched power from the ruling old guard and woke up the world to a new Middle East reality. But does Hamas' victory really represent the decisive shift where Palestinian politics began going down-hill? Historians and students of current affairs often compare the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to that between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republican Army (IRA), in which an organization claiming to represent Catholics took up arms against Irish Protestants and the British. For...

Gerry Adams will face a barrage of criticism here next month over the alleged IRA murder of Dubliner Joe Rafferty. Senior political figures have indicated that Sinn Fein is at its lowest ebb in the US in the light of ongoing accusations of IRA criminality. Congressmen and senators who met Mr Rafferty's family in Washington DC this week are appalled at the stance of Sinn Fein and determined to put the party under pressure during Mr Adams' visit. The recent campaign tour of the Rafferty family and the publication of the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) report has further tarnished the...

The Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, has said no link has been established between last night's pipe bomb attack and another bomb that exploded near in Coolock two days ago. The Garda Technical Bureau has spent the day examining the scene of last night's explosion in the driveway of a house. The device was placed under a car parked in the driveway of a house on Roseglen Avenue in Kilbarrack exploded. The spare wheel of the Renault Clio bore the brunt of the explosion, which seriously damaged the car and also blew in the front window on the ground floor of...

In this war freedom should come first not after! In New Hampshire the Motto is Live free or Die! I don't need Bush spying on law abiding americans and taking our freedoms. Anyone who surrenders a square inch of freedom to the government in the name of saftey is a traitor and should be treated like one! Let the Bush Fashists all drop dead! Filthy Commys! LET FREEDOM RING!

US PRESIDENT George Bush's special envoy to Ireland is to meet the family of a Dublin man who they say was murdered by republicans. Ambassador Mitchell Reiss said yesterday that there were a number of "serious concerns" about the killing in April last year of Joseph Rafferty and similarities with the death of Robert McCartney who was killed by the IRA. The 29-year-old was murdered after leaving his home near Clonsilla in west Dublin after what that family said was a long running row with republicans. He was shot twice by a gunman disguised as a construction worker as he...

IRA in link to £70m property empire Garda specialist units seize documents in series of raids By Tom Brady 01 February 2006 An IRA link to a massive £70m-plus property empire in the Republic is being investigated by several Garda specialist units. A series of raids on businesses, houses and the offices of professional advisers has been carried out in four counties in the past week. A huge dossier of documentation, seized in the searches which began a week ago and ended yesterday, will now be analysed to establish if any of the businesses were used to launder IRA monies....

The Independent Monitoring Commission is due to hand its latest report on paramilitary activity to the British and Irish Governments later today. Ahead of the public disclosure of the contents of the report on Wednesday, NIO Minister Shaun Woodward said that he had "absolute confidence" in the Commission. However, Sinn Fein Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness said that he did not consider the IMC to be an independent body. The report is likely to reflect favourably on the lack of Republican paramilitary activity, but may also reflect the PSNI's expressed view that paramilitaries are involved in organised crime. Set up in...

I would like to express my sadness at the death of my heroes that I had the good fortune to meet only a couple of years ago. This man had defenders, grown men and women gasping in awe at his skill, talent and good looks as he dazzled defenders and others who watched him apply his trade down the years. When I met him at Borders books during a signing of his book "Blessed" I told him that this was one of the happiest days of my life indeed it was only beaten by getting married and the birth of...

Closely watched by two police forces, the quiet farmer who calmly looks after the IRA's millions By David McKittrick 07 October 2005 Thomas "Slab" Murphy, the IRA leader suspected of having millions of pounds invested in property in Manchester, has for most of his republican career led a charmed life. He has never been convicted of any offence, despite the fact that for more than two decades every Northern Ireland secretary, every chief constable and every general has spent long hours pondering how to put him behind bars. In his home area of South Armagh and further afield, everyone knows...

One year ago, I wrote a piece exposing radical Islam within Florida Atlantic University (FAU). My goal was twofold: [1] to bring awareness concerning a growing problem within FAU [2] to push the university to take action so that this problem ceases to exist. Unfortunately, only the first part of my goal was accomplished, as FAU is continuing to allow radicals on its campus, the latest being this Saturday'S (Jan.22, 2005) return engagement of potential co-conspirator to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, Siraj Wahhaj. The Enemy Thrives at FAU In recent times, a fairly large list of...

<p>Is this thing on? Plug in that cord over there. Yes that one. NO NOT INTO THAT PLUG yes that one. Thanks. Testing 1 2 3.</p> <p>Hi everyone. Your friendly neighborhood AM here.</p> <p>Keywords. You've seen them. You love them. Maybe you have even abused them.</p> <p>Please don't abuse keywords. There are children in China doing without keywords.</p> <p>1) Having who added what keyword be revealed at the whim of sadistic moderators, such as myself.</p>

October 5 Today is the Anniversary of Monty Python's Flying Circus! The Flying Circus debuted this day, 35 years ago, on television at 10:50 PM on BBC-1. The world was never the same. (October 5, 1969)

Hi! My name is John Martineu. Im 18 and a student of Dover high School in Dover Delaware. I have been assigned a final term project. We are to do a 20 page turn paper on different subjects. I am doing one on the collapse of communism. Since you coservatives know alot about this, I was wondering if you could help me out. First Id like to know what communism is and how it is different from socialism? Second I would also like to know about why Russia collapsed. Third could you tell me why you refer to certain people...

<p>Wherever Administration Moderator went, he was greeted by huge, enthusiastic crowds of cheering people – people as far as the eye could see - reaching out to Administration Moderator and he reaching back at every opportunity. Administration Moderator has got the right stuff, he loved being with the FReepers and the FReepers loved being with Administration Moderator. There is a genuine connection between the Moderator and his message and the FReepers. Administration Moderator could capture the presidency in 2004!</p>

Through the federal government, President Bush has been able to declare WAR in a "foreign" country. Unlike Viet Nam, Bush jump started the war with Iraq. With all of this diversion going on, WHY doesn't the media report on the real truth? That being that the de facto unlawful government state of Hawaii isn't a "STATE" at all and never has been. The fraud, lie and coverup has been all along that Hawaii has been militarily occupied for the past 110 years. There lives today 274 men/women that are of the true nationality of being Hawaiian. They never signed the...

How do you know if you're a Democrat? If you've ever met someone down on his or her luck, and you wanted to help, then you're a Democrat. If you have ever seen the look in a child's eyes of fear, of hunger, or of aspiration, and wanted to help, then you're a Democrat. If you have ever wanted leadership that had common sense, that cared about the future, and that wanted progress over partisanship, then you're a Democrat. If you believe that we are better off working together than apart, then you're a Democrat. If you believe in community,...

Nobody Knows Details On Michael Moore’s New Film!! Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab. Michael Moore is fearless. If I was pissing people off with the same power and resources as he is right this moment, then I’d be worried sick about what might happen. Not him, though.