Luis Posada Carriles is back in hot water. He was set to be tried on immigration fraud charges in 2007, but the indictment was dismissed when the judge found fault with the prosecution’s work. Another court ordered a new trial, and Posada’s lawyers tried to block it – but last month the U.S. Supreme Court agreed that the new trial should proceed.
Now the charges will be different. An indictment handed up yesterday charges Posada again with lying in connection with his citizenship application, but it also charges him with obstructing a
I’ll leave it to legal minds to figure out how, and in which country’s courts, Posada might be held to account for those actions.
But it was an odd situation for this man, whom the Bush Administration’s Justice Department called an “admitted mastermind of terrorist plots and attacks,” to have been charged only with immigration violations – by a government that was conducting a “global war on terror,” at that. Yesterday’s indictment is a step forward.
Background materials on the case (not updated to include the text of new indictment, unfortunately) are on the El Paso U.S. District Court’s website. Some of my earlier comments on the case are here and here. Coverage from AP here and from the Herald here.
12 comments:
The US needs to honor its extradition treaty with Venezuela, open and shut. The excuse that Venezuela will torture old man Posada is a piece of garbage, supported by exactly zero evidence. Extradition will go a long way to improve relations in the region and relieve this Administration from dealing with a prickly problem. The sad truth is that Posada was OUR TERRORIST - working for the US Government - and therefore we can not let him be questioned by anyone else but us for fear that some dirty laundry will be aired in public. That is all that is going on here - the continued US protection of one of the worst terrorists in the hemisphere's history.
Peters, I'm surprised you haven't noted the Washington Post's lead editorial today, which slams the CBC's obsequious behavior in Havana, not to mention a major slapdown of your little trip to Cuba with Lugar's staffer Carl Meacham.
Anything on the WaPost editorial page regarding Latin America comes from Jackson Diehl. And anyone following Diehl knows that he tries his best to be to the right of even the Wall Street Journal. Not only did Diehl support the war in Iraq but he worked hard to assuage blame from falling on the Bush Administration for the failures there. Like the best blowhards commenting on the region, he finds it necesary to lie constantly about Venezula and Hugo Chavez - persisting in calling him a Dictator (after a nearly dozen elections supporting him) and went after Bush for not taking more of a hard line action against Chavez. Then he often goes out of his way to minimize real human rights abuses in places like Colombia.
posada carriles and orlando bosch; the two masterminds of the worst act of air terrorism in the americans before 9/11. both walk free in miami.
there is NO other matter that brings american hypocrisy re dealing with cuba into sharper focus than this. two terrorists, pure and simple, and nothing is being done. even george bush said 'there is no political cause to justify the killing of innocent civilians. there is no such thing as a good terrorist.'
the anti-castroites will be silent on this thread, for they have no defense. what they will also be silent on is the effect the thousands of terrorist attacks against cuba has had on the government. this is why the Cuban 5 are in jail. this issue transcends almost all other disputes between the two countries. this unknown war of terror against cuba is something you never hear of from the anti-castro types. i wonder why.
for carriles to be tried on immigration charges is an insult. he needs to be turned over to Venezuela, where he plotted the bombing of Cubana air and where he hired lugo and ricardo. nazi hunting didn't end because of age, and here are two terrorists alive and well and living freely in the nation fighting a war against terrorism. disgusting.
anonimo
posada was not 'connected' to hotel bombings. he admitted them. the bomber testified posada was the mastermind. no question. but we have to 'allege' cause no one wants to get sued. but heck, lets call a spade a spade.
still waiting for anyone to try and defend or justify posada (nearest attempt was posada didn't hit civilian targets at first. somewhat pitiful)
awaiting someone (cricket noises here)
anonimo
why don't the Italians ask for his extradition? After all, it was an Italian citizen killed in one of the bombings and Italy has a serviceable judicial system, unlike Venezuela and the other banana republics.
his brother lives in canada and recently asked international judges to move on posada for the bombings. the americans will NEVER let posada out, he carries too many secrets of the war of terror against cuba. and he's already said like the true coward he is, that if the US don't continue to protect him he'll spill everything. que clase de comer mierda.
anonimo
what could Posada possibly say that isn't known already? if he was involved in the Havana bombings then he should face an impartial judicial system. The problem is, what serious court is going to find credible "evidence" collected by a police state?
anon 642
what an absolutely ignorant statement. posada admits he was involved in the bombing, the man who planted the bomb testifies to the same thing the evidence is overwhelming but you say it wouldn't be credible. what a maroon.
yeah there's a credibility concern, yours.
so let the terrorist go because of your ridiculous charge that cuba is a police state. interesting concept, maybe you could justify your rational for supporting a known terrorist a little more. im sure osama would like to use it.
anomino
so the people who lost their lives in Cubana Airlines, those who were killed in boca de sama, the ones who died from Dengue 2 -- none can claim justice because of your perspective. man that's just sick.
the evidence against posada was collected by the US government, documents available on the web; and collected by venezuela which was US friendly then, by barbadoes and trinidad cuba offered information but little evidence on the bombing.
so what's your point???
anonimo
i'd be surprised if there is any response to the last few comments.
Post a Comment