PSNI-RUC RAIDS TODAY (http://rsmforum.proboards23.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1130445266)

More that 20 homes and offices connected to alleged members of the IRSP and Teach na Failte were raided today in a concerted campaign by the British establishment in Ireland to disrupt the good work of both organisations. They haven't succeeded in thirty years of assassination and dirty tricks and they will not succeed in this instance. Up the Irps! Here's an IRSP response to the raids:

Belfast IRSP Press Statement 26th October 2005

The IRSP condemn without reservation the totally unwarranted searches of Teach na Failte and Republican Socialist offices and homes of our workers in Belfast and Strabane.

These searches are little more than a politically motivated fishing exercise and an attempt by the PSNI/RUC to blacken the good name of Teach na Failte, a well respected former prisoners association whose work is mostly welfare based, plus a conflict transformation and resolution project for ex-prisoners and their families.

IRSP spokesperson Paul Little said;

"The nature of these searches by the PSNI was aggressive with doors being smashed down and a disabled TnF project officer Eddie McGarrigle from Strabane who is confined to a wheelchair was thrown out of it by the PSNI and left lying on the floor.

There is absolutely no justification for these raids or their violent nature. The PSNI have demonstrated once again that they are not a new beginning to policing but rather a new politically motivated paramilitarist force, that excels in all the bad traits of the RUC.

New uniform, same old story

STATEMENT ENDS

Looks like the IRA shouldn't have given up their weapons...

I agree, but that's another story. The IRSP isn't connected to the IRA. Their armed wing, the Irish National Liberation Army, are still armed but have been at ceasefire since 1998.

Looks like they were just trying to provoke a reaction from the INLA by raiding these houses.

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‘Political fishing exercise’ criticised following raids
IRISH NEWS
By Bimpe Fatogun

MORE than 20 homes and business pre-mises in Co Tyrone and Belfast have been raided by police investigating a suspected republican criminal network.

The bulk of the searches by officers from the PSNI's Organised Crime Squad were in Strabane.

Police said they were part of an “ongoing investigation into an organised criminal network operating in the town”.

It is understood the operation was linked to suspected money-laundering activities.

The premises raided in-cluded the head office of Teach na Failte, an ex-prisoners organisation linked to the INLA.

Another Teach na Failte office on the Falls Road in Belfast was also raided, along with around eight homes of people employed by the group.

There were also searches in Castlederg in Co Tyrone.

The first raids began at around 11am yesterday morning and were continuing last night.

There were no arrests, although officers seized cash and cigarettes, computer equipment and “a large amount of documentation” for further examination.

Paul Little, spokesman for the INLA-linked Irish Republican Socialist Party (IRSP), said it condemned the “totally unwarranted searches” of party and Teach na Failte offices and homes.

“These searches are little more than a politically-motivated fishing exercise and an attempt by the PSNI/RUC to blacken the good name of Teach na Failte, a well-respected former prisoners association whose work is mostly welfare-based” he said.

Teach na Failte project manager Eddie McGarrigle, whose home was one of those raided, said the searches were not confined to the homes of members of the organisation.

“There seems to have been 25 houses searched and eight of them have some connection to Teach na Failte or the IRSP, the rest have no connection whatsoever,” he said.

“None of the houses connected to Teach na Failte or IRSP had any criminal papers taken from them. Most of those questioned had nothing to do with the IRSP.”

Mr McGarrigle also said he believed the searches were politically motivated.

“Three weeks ago I called for dissident republicans to call a cessation to their armed campaign,” he said.

“Since then I have been stopped every day going to work.

“I have been out of jail for 18 years and my house hasn't been searched for 18 years. Now the police have come bursting through the door.

“It is as if they want to try and get some response from the INLA. People on the ground here are furious.”