Six Cubans on trial for alleged plane hijacking

[Osolomia]

Wed, Dec. 10, 2003
BY ANN W. O'NEILL
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - (KRT) - A federal prosecutor urged a Key West jury to convict six Cubans of charges they hijacked a passenger plane, saying the men ``took a whole planeload of people someplace they didn't want to go.''

``This case is not about Castro,'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Wallace said Tuesday, summarizing seven days of testimony from 14 witnesses, including two of the accused hijackers.

``This case is not about Cuba,'' Wallace continued. ``This case is not about communism. This case is about what these six defendants did.''

And what they did March 19 as the aged DC-3 approached Havana, the prosecutor said, was break down the cockpit door, hold a foot-long knife against the pilot's throat and order him to fly north to Miami. They forced crew members, including the flight attendant and engineer, at knifepoint to the back of the plane and tied their hands behind their backs, Wallace added.

... This morning attorneys for the other five defendants will briefly argue their cases. Then, U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King will instruct the seven men and five women on the law and send them to the jury room for deliberations.

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/7461546.htm

U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King has a long history of letting Miami's Cubano terrorists caught red handed off the hook.
If these hijackers are convicted it will be the first time in US history that the US didn't give such exiles preferential treatment.

[Judi Lynn]

1. Can't wait to hear the verdict on this one.

All cases concerning Cuban citizens should be taken out of Miami to be tried, wouldn't you think?

Not only do they go really lightly on them, they keep the boats, planes, etc. which were used in the armed hijackings, and SELL the damned things and keep the money! Just like pirates.

[Mika]

2. Cuba's complaint re: another Cuban hijacker release by the USA

http://www.un.int/cuba/Pages/terrorismoavionetas201102-ing.htm

Letter dated 20 November 2002 from the Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to transmit to you herewith information on the events surrounding the hijacking of a Cuban aircraft on 11 November 2002 and the decision by the United States Government to release the hijackers, in flagrant violation of its obligations under bilateral agreements and international treaties (see annex).


I should be grateful if you would have this letter and its annex distributed as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 160, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

More..

[Judi Lynn]

3. A bitter shame, Mika.

Knocking out the Cuban Adjustment Act, and rescinding the offer of so many benefits to Cubans who arrive here illegally, benefits not allowed to any other illegals from any other country, would take the big enticement out of hijacking altogether.

Funny, isn't it, that at one time, the U.S. had a hijacking problem with Cuba, when many of our criminals went there to hide out. For a period, the U.S. and Cuba had an agreement, with NO ONE hijacking anything to anywhere.

Of course, all bets were off when _Bush moved into the White House. :sigh: :shrug:

[Mika]

4. Clinton started the "wet foot/ dry foot policy"

In 1994.

Its this policy that lets Cuban illegal entrants who touch US soil to stay in the USA and be made instantly legal. Cubans only.

All it took was a little payola in the right pockets.


CANF founder and Clinton fundraiser Jorge Mas Canosa & Bill Clinton

And Bush continues it,

http://www.cubainfolinks.net/Articles/wet_dry.htm

``We will analyze all policies with Cuba, but right now, the same policy that my predecessor had in place stands,'' Bush said during a wide-ranging interview in the White House with The Herald and seven other newspapers.