Accused Cuban Exile to Face Texas Charges (airline bomber)

[Judi Lynn]

Accused Cuban Exile to Face Texas Charges
Immigration Proceeding for Cuban Exile Accused of Planning Airline Bombing Will Remain in Texas
The Associated Press

EL PASO, Texas Jun 20, 2005 — Immigration proceedings for an anti-Castro exile accused of masterminding the deadly bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976 will not be moved to Florida and will remain in El Paso, a judge ruled Monday.

Luis Posada Carriles, 77, was arrested in Miami last month after slipping into the United States. Posada is wanted by Venezuela for his alleged role in the bombing that killed 73 people, and his presence in this country has opened the U.S. government to accusations it is harboring a terrorist.

U.S. officials charged him with illegally entering the United States, in a case that could lead to his deportation.

Posada's lawyer had asked that the case be moved to Florida, where Posada was staying before his arrest and where his lawyer lives. Florida has a powerful community of Cubans vehemently opposed to Fidel Castro.
(snip/)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=865205

[IChing]

1. I'm so glad he didn't get a change of venue to Florida

But still, I think , I read that his case will not be heard for a year.
Meanwhile the State Dept. has not replied to the formal letter from Venezuela sent
last week for extradition, so the next stop is the world court.

He's a political hot potato for the administration.

[Village Idiot]

2. Unfortunately, he is charged with only relatively minor infractions...

of IMMIGRATION LAWS.

I believe that they will reduce his bail, for starters.

Once he gets out, he is GONE. Period.

Do you actually believe the CIA is going to let ANYONE question this guy about Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, etc?

Extradition just IS NOT going to happen. Disappearance will...

On the bright side, he may just get "two behind the ear" for all the trouble and embarrassment he has caused ShrubCo...

[MGKrebs]

3. How did he end up in Texas?

He shouldn't be tried in either Texas OR Florida. Too many political connections with an interest in both places. Change of venue to....
New York?

[Judi Lynn]

4. I think it's because he has claimed he came across the border from Mexico

into Texas. I'll have to find out.

A good location for Posada Carriles would be back in jail in Venezuela, where he belongs. That's where he was before the CANF in Miami bribed authorities and got him spirited outta there. (He divulged this in an interview to two reporters from the New York Times.)

[Say_What]

8. Claimed to cross in TX, that was BULLSHIT. He sailed on

the "Santrina" from Isla Mujeres near Cancun, MX.

<clips>

The former mayor of Isla Mujeres (<*>) saw him, as well as the president of the fishing cooperative of the island. He was wearing white bermuda shorts, a guayabera shirt of the same color and sandals. Other people also identified him.

The subject of Posada Carriles’ entry into the United States is still an issue of interest; it is controversial and possibly could complicate the legal process due to the involvement of other people in the crime of smuggling of illegal aliens. For his part, Posada Carriles claimed at a press conference that he entered U.S. soil by land, from Mexico. Yet, Havana officially insists that he came to the U.S. by sea on the Santrina.

The newspaper that has closely investigated the issue is Por Esto, a daily published in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Renán Castro is the journalist who has led the team of several colleagues that did the research for a series of reports on the matter.

The following exclusive interview was broadcast by Radio Progreso Alternativa on Friday, June 2, and which Progreso Weekly publishes in this written version.

http://www.progresoweekly.com/index.php?progreso=Ramy_ant&otherweek=1119243600

[Mika]

15. Interesting that both the US gov & his lawyer (Soto) play along..

.. with the Mexico --> TX fabrication in order to protect certain MiamiCubano BushCrimeNazi exiles.

There is just too much US taxpayer money (for so called anti Castro activities) at stake for either side to risk exposure. Posada will disappear into the bowels of the US "justice" system.

[Say_What]

17. I kinda/sorta agree, but there's

a part of me that things that since this is getting so much attention around the globe that they might hang him out to dry. I'm not holding my breath though ;-)

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. Posada is getting old and useless

plus he was running his mouth too much. Shouldn't have given that interview, asshole. They had no choice but to stuff him away in a safe place and shut him up. I bet he's due for a heart attack soon anyway.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Oh, nooo. A heart attack? Such a nice man, too.

"Just go with that man, Luis. He will help you."

[Mika]

7. Miami Herald: Posada WAS NOT aquitted twice in Venezuela!!

Debate focuses on escape
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/11931130.htm

Did Luis Posada Carriles escape from a Venezuelan prison in frustration after twice being vindicated on terrorism charges? Or did he cut and run before justice had run its course?

--

Amid worldwide publicity about the case, the media -- including The Herald, which based its reporting on earlier articles -- have reported that Posada was acquitted twice. But a review of the case, which has been clouded by politics and nearly 30 years' time, shows the truth is more complicated than that.

What's now clear:

A Venezuelan military court acquitted him, but a higher court ordered a new civilian trial. A first set of prosecutors in that case recommended against charges, but they were replaced and a second set took the case to trial. In the midst of that trial, after nine years in prison, Posada escaped in 1985.

Much more here (reg req), but VERY interesting that the Miami Herald would even print this..
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/11931130.htm

[Say_What]

9. Progreso Weekly: Posada Carriles: The double acquittal myth

<clips>

CARACAS - The mass media repeats – in radio spots, television reports, wire services, and newspapers stories – the same news that “Luís Posada Carriles was twice acquitted in Venezuela.” We get the impression that Venezuela still persecutes an innocent man.

Google’s search engine yields 1,229 references to the terrorist's supposed double acquittal – 953 of these in English. A lie, if repeated often enough, turns into truth – the only truth.

A fallacious conclusion always follows from a false major premise. Does it matter that the premise is unsupported by the court files in Venezuela? Does it matter that recently declassified documents from the CIA and the FBI leave no doubt that Posada Carriles is guilty of the murder of 73 people aboard a civilian airliner – including an unborn child in a mother’s womb?

Posada Carriles’ own attorney, Eduardo Soto, fans the fallacy and says to the Miami Herald: “My client was acquitted twice in Venezuela.”

Hardly a coincidence, the State Department repeats the fallacy in a May 27 diplomatic note to the Venezuelan Embassy, when it rejected Venezuela's first request for the preventive detention of Luís Posada Carriles. “There is no mention,” says the State Department in the diplomatic note “of the fact that Posada Carriles was acquitted by a military tribunal in Venezuela in a previous prosecution, and the legal effect that that decision will have under Venezuelan law.”

Why is this false premise used so cavalierly by lawyers and the government alike? Why does the press today accept as gospel truth something that can so easily be shown to be false? What really happened in Venezuela in the case of Luis Posada Carriles?

http://www.progresoweekly.com/index.php?progreso=Jose_Pertierra&otherweek=1119243600

[Say_What]

10. and FINALLY they're referring to him as aTERRORIST rather than militant

could it be they're gonna hang him out to dry?? I won't hold my breath, but my fingers are crossed that they send the pr*ck back to Venezuela to spend the rest of his life in prison.

[Judi Lynn]

12. Some of the truly overfocused right-wingers INSIST both he and Bosch

have never been found guilty. What on earth does it take to get their heads back where they belong?

How can a great part of an entire town live in such alarming denial? It must drive people crazy!

It is good to see the Herald lowered itself enough to admit, partially, the earlier story wasn't quite on the mark. (I noted that they confess the first time the "double acquital" was published anywhere was in THEIR OWN PAPER. Congratulations to the Herald!

(You note that one of the contributing reporters named at the bottom of the article was Phil Gunson, a wildly anti-Chavez, barely conscious opposition propagandist. Makes you wonder why they used him, doesn't it?)

[Say_What]

11. Europe Demands Posada Carriles Extradition

<clips>

Göteborg, Sweden, Jun 20 (Prensa Latina) Several European organizations met in this city to demand that the US government extradite infamous Cuban-born terrorist Posada Carriles to Venezuela, according to a release broadcast Monday.

Representatives from organization members of MediCuba-Europe denounced the double standard of US policy and impunity of terrorists like Posada Carriles, who are still requesting political asylum there.

They also request all of Europe and European Parliament to press the US government and demand extradition of that criminal, fulfilling international legislation, in defense of human rights and against international terrorism.

Criminal Posada Carriles is responsible for the mid-air explosion of a Cuban airplane killing 73 people off the coast of Barbados in October 1976, and of a series of bomb attacks in Havana hotels in 1997, in which Italian tourist Fabio Di Celmo was killed.

http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7BCA68A47F-2364-4108-AA73-F1E625B0EDE8%7D&language=EN

[Judi Lynn]

13. Now that's a splendid idea. The countries which are losing citizens

to _Bush's "war on terror" (:eyes: ) are suggesting _Bush puts his money where his mouth is.

He'll probably tell them to buzz off, just the way he handles all other critics, but at least it will contribute to the growing spirit of disgust and contempt the world feels for him.

[Judi Lynn]

14. This is getting crazy. Maybe someone here can make sense of this...

Looks like his lawyers are going to try some TRULY devious plays on the court system:

Tuesday 21st June 2005 (02h14) :
What Will US Do With The Terrorist Carriles?
1 comment(s).
http://www.watchingamerica.com/juve...
What Will US Do With The Terrorist Carriles? Jose Pertierra June 20, 2005

The author, a Cuban lawyer, explains the case of Luis Posada Carriles, who entered the United States illegally in March. He also predicts the outcome of legal proceeding against him in the U.S. Carriles is a former CIA operative who is suspected of masterminding the bombing of a Cuban passenger aircraft, killing 73 people.

Luis Posada Carriles’ lawyer insists his client is not an undocumented alien. He has told an El Paso, Texas court and the mass media that Posada Carriles is a permanent resident of the US, and on Aug. 29 he will demonstrate the truth of his client’s status to the court.

Luis Posada Carriles’ asylum request will not be contested that day, for the simple reason that the judge must first prove his true legal status. If the magistrate concludes that Posada Carriles is not a resident he will then proceed with the asylum case. This will not be necessary of course, if it is determined that Posada Carriles is a resident.

What do press reports says about the proceedings that took place in El Paso this past Monday? The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has recognized that Posada Carriles became a legal resident of the US in 1962, but the charges presented to Judge William Abbot allege that the defendant lost his residency and entered the country illegally without presenting a green card; that is to say, his residence or reentry card.

We know that Posada Carriles arrived in Venezuela in 1967 and was made a Venezuelan citizen two years later - with identity card number V-5.304.069 - when he was named head of the Department of Intelligence Security and Prevention under the pseudonym "Commissioner Basilio." According to declassified CIA and FBI documents published by the National Security Archive at George Washington University, the CIA transferred Posada Carriles to Venezuela, after which point he worked simultaneously for the secret services of that country, in Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile and Argentina.
(snip/...)

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=6557

http://www.indybay.org.nyud.net:8090/uploads/posada_7__2___2_.jpg

[Say_What]

16. Escaped on the eve of the appeals court's descision...

that tells me that he had word the decision was not going to favor him.

From the article: When he escaped from prison in 1985 on the eve of the appeals court’s decision, he established residence in San Salvador , where he worked at Illopango Air Base helping the CIA channel money, arms and equipment to the Nicaraguan Contras.

[Judi Lynn]

18. More info. on "accomplishments" from the life of Luis Posada Carriles

From: The Bloody Face of “Bambi”
A Brief Dossier on Luis Posada Carriles


By Luis A. Gómez
Special to The Narco News Bulletin
June 21, 2005

.....Let’s just take a look at some important dates:

A young Luis Posada, in an undated photograph.
Photo: Wikipedia.org: Fair Use Doctrine
April 17, 1961: The day of the failed Bay of Pigs landing in Cuba. Dozens of mercenaries and anti-Castro Cubans hope to carry out an invasion of the island and create a “guerrilla war” against Fidel Castro’s government. They fail, infamously, and despite funding from Miami-based Cuban businessmen and the United States government. Among the participating groups is “Brigade 2506,” led by Félix Rodíguez. Rodríguez, another Cuban CIA, agent is famous for having been in Bolivia just after “Che” Guevara’s capture and cutting off the revolutionary’s hands after his execution. Posada Carriles, a member of Brigade 2506, does not participate in the landing, though he does in its organization and in logistical support from the United States. The reason? “Bambi” was recruited by the CIA, and also worked for the FBI, as he admitted to the New York Times in July 1998.

1961 to 1967: Posada, aside from raising suspicions of his involvement in the Kennedy assassination, receives military training in explosives and other skills at Fort Benning (later home to the School of the Americas), where he graduated with the rank of lieutenant. He, in turn, goes on to train anti-Castro mercenaries and dedicates himself to various terrorist operations while the CIA provides him a salary. Cuban exile leader Jorge Mas Canosa occasionally finances his activities, as declassified FBI documents have now shown. He operates during these years out of other Latin American counties, such as Mexico and Guatemala.

1967 to 1975: The CIA taps him to work with the General Directorship of the Venezuelan Police, and then later with that county’s intelligence service, the DISIP. From Caracas, until 1975, he works in the service of several intelligence agencies, always as a high-ranking DISIP official. He also has time to help organize torture sessions of Venezuelan guerrillas during this period. At this point in his career, according to the declassified CIA documents, Posada Carriles seems to have begun worrying his bosses with his extreme propensity for violence. From then on, his “actions” are no longer openly linked to the CIA and U.S. government (though this is merely because there are still not enough documents available to prove it).
(snip)

Posada and his henchmen were sent to the United States by plane, courtesy of Moscoso, but “Bambi” got off in Honduras and took a long tour of Central America and Mexico, by land, sea, and plane, until he finally arrived in Miami… where he was arrested on May 17, as we said earlier (see Al Giordano’s report of today for more details.) This señor, with his angelic face, is without a doubt the most soulless terrorist of our times: he has killed and tortured in Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba, Argentina, Portugal, and in the United States. But for the moment, Washington is only pressing hypocritical charges of “illegal entry” into U.S. territory.
(snip/)

http://www.narconews.com/Issue38/article1353.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

People in the region did spot and report him walking around boldly on the Isla Mujeres after _Bush's friend,President Moscoso in Panama pardoned him after he was imprisoned for the attempted murder of Fidel Castro in Panama.



Panamanian PresidentMireya Moscoso sitting
between Condoleeza Rice and Laura _Bush at a concert.

[Mika]

19. Funding was switched from the CIA/US gov to Bacardi

That's why no Bacardi product will touch my lips.


click the pic to find out why