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Insane in the Mainframe : Politics.ie under FF attack or not?

category national | arts and media | other press author Monday March 31, 2008 16:51author by skinningthecat

This is a very interesting 'theory' about the events concerning Politics.ie and Fianna Fail.
http://skinflicks.blogspot.com/2008/03/politicsie-consp....html

More Info on the situation here:
http://www.stalltheball.com/index.php/2008/03/30/irelan...h_hah

Have looked around and I would say this is having a significant chilling effect on public discussion of the tribunal on the web. Can't talk about it on politics.ie or boards.ie anymore

Significantly the cache is still available on google of the original thread which staryed this off. Search: 'Grainne Carruth politics.ie'

Gene Kerrigan article available here which puts the whole thing in a stark light: http://www.politics.ie/viewtopic.php?t=33229

Democracy or soft dictatorship? You decide.

Excerpt from the 'theory': "It has further been suggested, even in the comments on my post below, that a 'false flag' poster could possibly have gone onto Politics.ie with the express intention of creating a libel, which was then coincidentally spotted almost immediately by a prominent Fianna Fail-supporting poster on the site.
Then the General Secretary of Fianna Fail somehow becomes aware of this alleged libel of a legal firm, who happen to represent the leader of Fianna Fail, and brings it to their attention. They immediately initiate action against Mr Cochrane and Politics.ie.
In addition to the poster alleged to have committed the libel, the firm also demands the identities of others who posted on the topic, but NOT the Fianna Fail supporter who identified the post as potentially libellous.
Instead, they seek the identities of individuals who did not refer to the firm at all in any form, but who are in general noted critics of Fianna Fail. "

Comments (2 of 2)

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author by IT READERpublication date Mon Mar 31, 2008 17:49author address author phone

Ahern solicitors force website to censor claims

MARK HENNESSY

THE TAOISEACH'S solicitors Frank Ward and Co last week successfully demanded that a website drop comments by a contributor concerning the firm's representation of Bertie Ahern's former secretary, Gráinne Carruth.

Politics.ie accepted that the comments posted on Thursday night were "inaccurate, untrue and were malicious", "unreservedly" apologised, and closed down its section dealing with the Mahon tribunal "until further notice".

In a letter, Liam Guidera for the solicitors said the remarks were "entirely untrue and grossly defamatory", and he demanded to know the identity of six contributors.

The website's editor David Cochrane has refused: "Under no circumstances can I be in a position to disclose the identity of any user on this website, and I will not be doing so."

Mr Cochrane said that he had always attempted to "maintain the idea of free speech" by following a "very light moderation policy".

"Any time such comments are posted, they are always removed when pointed out to us, either by users of the site, or by solicitors acting on behalf of a client."

author by Mariellapublication date Tue Apr 01, 2008 21:22author address author phone

Ironic that David Cochrane should be under pressure from the Taoiseach's solicitors:

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85989



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