These claim Garland conspired with the North Korean government in the 1990's to undermine the US economy by distributing forged near perfect  $100 bills, so called"Big head super dollars". This is despite a renowned currency expert, Klaus Bender, stating that the Asian country could not produce such notes. Bender's research shows the ink used in the sample notes provided by the US intellegence services, and the paper they are printed on, with microfibres marked 'USA100' is only available to the American government.(Mystery of the Supernotes,2007).

 

At no time is Garland suppposed to have handled these 'super dolars',the case against him is based entirely on alleged contacts with a UK criminal gang. A member of this gang, Terence Silcock (62)  publicly claimed the US secret service have attempted to pressureise him into implicating Garland in circulating forged notes.(Sunday Mercury, August 26 2007).

 

Sean Garland's supporters among them many elected representatives, believe that the case against the Dubliner emerged from a  black propaganda campaign driven during the 1990's by the United States Intelligence Agencies (The China Threat Page 1

 

Garland has devoted most of  his adult life to political activity. In January 1957 aged 22,he led a legendary, but ill fated, IRA operation in which his young comrades Sean  South and Fergal O''Hanlon died..

 

Since 1962 Sean Garland, along with the late Tomas MacGiolla and Cathal Goulding, sought to transform the republican movement into a socialist political force that would  unite Protestants and Catholics. During the Northern Irish troubles Garland was an outspoken critic of terrorism, from which ever quarter it came. As a leader of the  Workers' Party he has been a relentless critic of US Foreign policy. Hre was seriously wounded in an attemped assassination in 1975 because of his opposition  to the Ultra Leftist terrorist group the INLA. He recovered after a number of months and resumed his political activity.

 

He was appointed General Secretary of the Workers' Party in 1977 a position he held for 14 years during which time the party consolidated its position as a leading party of the left in Ireland.The party from the early eighties succeeded in winning seven seats in the  Irish Parliament, An Dail, and also many seats on city and county councils. In 1989 the party topped the poll in Dublin City European  elections winning a seat in the European parliament. A faction which sought to divert the  party from its socialist principles and objectives. led by  the six parliamentarians and including its MEP split the party in 1992. The split caused serious damage to the party organisation, never the less, the party has continued to actively campaign, nationally and internationally, on the slogan of Peace. Work and Class Politics.

 

On May 19th 2005, a US grand jury court based purely on information provided by the US intellegence services, issued a secret arrest warrant for Garland. This process was overseen by Kenneth L.Wainstein, then a US Government Attorney,  later George W. Bush's Homeland Security Adviser. With the govermnet of Tony Blair and George W Bush having agreed in 2004 a near automatic right to extradition between their two states the US intellegence services waited until Garland was visiting Belfast on October 5th 2005 to activate their arrest warrant.Alloweed to return to the republic for medical tests. Garland was diagnosed with bvowel cancer. He remained at his Navan Home for treatment forfeiting  twenty seven thousand pounds bail.

 

In the last days of lthe Bush government on November 20th 2008, Condoleezza Rice issued a new warrant. On January 30th 2009 Gardai arrested Garland. He is currently on €100.000 bail raised by supporters with four securities of 25.000 euro each. to surrender the deeds of the family home, to sign at local Garda station four days a week and must carry a mobile phone with him at all times so he can be tracked and also to surrender his passport.

 

Sean Garland's supporters believe that the source of the charges against him make a fair trial in the US impossible. They are calling on President Barrack Obama to recognise Sean Garland's contribution to peace and Irish society and withdraw the threat of extradition.  Over the course of his involvement in seeking to secure an end to terrorism he met with leaders of all political parties. North and South many members of nationalist and loyalist ter.rorists organisations and he also met with a number of Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland. John Reid, jPeter Mandelson, jPaul Murphy and also with a number of Chief Constables of the RUC, the late Sir Jack Harmon,Sir Ronnie Flanagan.

 

 

Funds are urgnetly required to organise an effective campaign as this fight is  expected to be long and expensive. We face the might of the United States and Sean Garland has been denied legal aid and we are receiving no support from the Irish government legal department which has in effect acted as an agent of the United States in Justice Depatment. Please send what you can now to the above address or to Defend Sean Garland Fund Permanent TSB 12-13 Lower OConnell Street Dublin 1. Account Number 14534210. Bank Sort Code 99-06-058.