Bahama Journal Editorial denounces USA for Posada's release
Please read this excerpt from The Bahama Journal's editorial on 11th June, 2007
U.S. Self- Deception Revealed
Most right-thinking people around the world are agreed that Luis Posada Carriles presence on U.S. soil has presented that country with a dilemma; namely that of reconciling its sympathy for politically influential Cuban exiles with its tough stance against terrorism suspects after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
In this regard, please note that the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has asked the Bush administration to extradite Posada to face trial for the 1976 bombing of the Cuban plane off Barbados.
We note also that Venezuelan Interior Minister Jesse Chacon has called on Washington to honor a bilateral extradition treaty and deliver Posada. Chacon puts it this way, "This person is a terrorist, there is no other name for him ... the ball is in Mr. Bush's court."
And so it remains as the world watches and waits.
Closer to home we note a related dimension of this story. It concerns Felix Wilson who is the Cuban Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
This fact is widely known in those circles – primarily diplomatic- where there is a need to know such a fact.
Truth is that Felix Wilson has also been tireless in his efforts to demonstrate to all who would hear and listen that his country has suffered much as a consequence of a U. S. embargo that has succeeded in distorting his country’s development.
But as we also know and appreciate, Cuba has played and continues to play a major role in providing development assistance to a number of countries. On at least one occasion that now comes to mind, this embattled country offered the hand of assistance to the New Orleans victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Sadly, that offer was spurned.
But as we revert to today’s commentary concerning Ambassador Felix Wilson, we would also wish to remind our audience that this man has been tireless in his efforts to educate the world concerning the issue of terrorism and what his country is doing about it.
We also note that Ambassador Wilson has made it his business to acquaint the Bahamian people with some of the issues that have arisen concerning the Cuban 5 who are locked up in the United States, accused of espionage. We may add that opinion around the world seems to be agreed that the charges were trumped up.
What is interesting and in a sense absolutely revealing of a rank duplicity on the part of the United States of America is its farcically biased treatment of the legal matter involving Luis Posada Carriles, a man who is regarded world wide as a real and totally dangerous terrorist.
Having decided that it would aid, abet and encourage Luis Posada Carriles in his deadly work as a terrorist fighting Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution; the United States of America now seems as if it does not know what to do with him.
We believe that this great nation should do the right thing; that being to have Mr. Posada Carriles extradited to Venezuela where he is wanted to face charges in the matter involving the deaths of some seventy three innocent men, women and children; all lost when a Cubana plane was shot down over Barbados in October 1976.
Today Luis Posada Carriles is living free somewhere in Miami, Florida, courtesy the government and people of the United States of America.
We are told that the US government on Tuesday made an appeal before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans asking for a revision of a decision made last May by Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso, Texas. On May 8, Cardone dismissed the case against the Cuban-born terrorist, who was only facing charges of immigration fraud.
We are led to believe that this is a hoax.
Jose Pertierra who represents Venezuela in its Posada's extradition petition is of the view that the U.S. government took so long to make the appeal because "the main interest is to delay the process as much as possible to try to hide the protection that Washington is giving the terrorist."
This attorney has also noted that, even if the prosecution wins the appeal and they eventually condemn Posada Carriles for the charges of immigration fraud, the criminal would remain free as the maximum penalty for that offense is 12 months and he was in prison in El Paso for more than a year.
And so we agree with him when he concludes that "This appeal is another effort to try to deceive public opinion with a justice farce. The United States government has enough legal resources and evidence to try Posada Carriles as a terrorist."
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are also so agreed.
Sadly, the United States of America remains self-deceived.
U.S. Self- Deception Revealed
Most right-thinking people around the world are agreed that Luis Posada Carriles presence on U.S. soil has presented that country with a dilemma; namely that of reconciling its sympathy for politically influential Cuban exiles with its tough stance against terrorism suspects after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
In this regard, please note that the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has asked the Bush administration to extradite Posada to face trial for the 1976 bombing of the Cuban plane off Barbados.
We note also that Venezuelan Interior Minister Jesse Chacon has called on Washington to honor a bilateral extradition treaty and deliver Posada. Chacon puts it this way, "This person is a terrorist, there is no other name for him ... the ball is in Mr. Bush's court."
And so it remains as the world watches and waits.
Closer to home we note a related dimension of this story. It concerns Felix Wilson who is the Cuban Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
This fact is widely known in those circles – primarily diplomatic- where there is a need to know such a fact.
Truth is that Felix Wilson has also been tireless in his efforts to demonstrate to all who would hear and listen that his country has suffered much as a consequence of a U. S. embargo that has succeeded in distorting his country’s development.
But as we also know and appreciate, Cuba has played and continues to play a major role in providing development assistance to a number of countries. On at least one occasion that now comes to mind, this embattled country offered the hand of assistance to the New Orleans victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Sadly, that offer was spurned.
But as we revert to today’s commentary concerning Ambassador Felix Wilson, we would also wish to remind our audience that this man has been tireless in his efforts to educate the world concerning the issue of terrorism and what his country is doing about it.
We also note that Ambassador Wilson has made it his business to acquaint the Bahamian people with some of the issues that have arisen concerning the Cuban 5 who are locked up in the United States, accused of espionage. We may add that opinion around the world seems to be agreed that the charges were trumped up.
What is interesting and in a sense absolutely revealing of a rank duplicity on the part of the United States of America is its farcically biased treatment of the legal matter involving Luis Posada Carriles, a man who is regarded world wide as a real and totally dangerous terrorist.
Having decided that it would aid, abet and encourage Luis Posada Carriles in his deadly work as a terrorist fighting Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution; the United States of America now seems as if it does not know what to do with him.
We believe that this great nation should do the right thing; that being to have Mr. Posada Carriles extradited to Venezuela where he is wanted to face charges in the matter involving the deaths of some seventy three innocent men, women and children; all lost when a Cubana plane was shot down over Barbados in October 1976.
Today Luis Posada Carriles is living free somewhere in Miami, Florida, courtesy the government and people of the United States of America.
We are told that the US government on Tuesday made an appeal before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans asking for a revision of a decision made last May by Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso, Texas. On May 8, Cardone dismissed the case against the Cuban-born terrorist, who was only facing charges of immigration fraud.
We are led to believe that this is a hoax.
Jose Pertierra who represents Venezuela in its Posada's extradition petition is of the view that the U.S. government took so long to make the appeal because "the main interest is to delay the process as much as possible to try to hide the protection that Washington is giving the terrorist."
This attorney has also noted that, even if the prosecution wins the appeal and they eventually condemn Posada Carriles for the charges of immigration fraud, the criminal would remain free as the maximum penalty for that offense is 12 months and he was in prison in El Paso for more than a year.
And so we agree with him when he concludes that "This appeal is another effort to try to deceive public opinion with a justice farce. The United States government has enough legal resources and evidence to try Posada Carriles as a terrorist."
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are also so agreed.
Sadly, the United States of America remains self-deceived.
posted by teekoe at 11:37 AM
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