Posada

I am disgusted but not shocked that U.S. district court judge Kathleen Cardone has thrown out all charges against Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles. Posada, who has admitted to blowing up a Cuban airplane in 1976 that killed 73 people and who masterminded a series of hotel bombings in Havana, is now a free man in the United States.

I cannot really comment on much of why the judge threw out the charges. She claims Posada was treated unfairly in his immigration hearing. Maybe, but I doubt she is so concerned with the thousands of other, non-terrorist, immigrants who are also not treated fairly by the United States. Cardone wrote in her decision, "This court finds the government's tactics in this case are so grossly shocking and so outrageous as to violate the universal sense of justice." More shocking and outrageous than blowing up an airplane and killing innocent people?

Whether or not the government had a legitimate case against Posada for immigration violations, there is no question that they should immediately deport him to Cuba, Venezuela, or perhaps a third Latin American nation. By keeping Posada in the United States, we are telling the world that we only denounce terrorism when that terrorist has not received CIA training and is not doing what the U.S. desires. We are hypocrites to the rest of the world and we deserve to be fully denounced for giving Posada asylum.

Of course, the fact that Cardone was nominated for her position by Texas Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson and John Cornyn gives us a pretty good idea about why she threw out the charges against Posada, regardless of the actual merits of the case.

How Can We Be Taken Seriously On Terrorism?

The recent release of Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles from a U.S. jail makes me wonder if the Bush Administration even takes themselves seriously anymore on the issue of terrorism.

Posada is a full-blown terrorist. I have a friend who has personally seen declassified CIA documents where operatives say he is crazy and highly recommend cutting all ties with him. He was bragging about blowing up the plane in 1976 that killed 73 people and Havana hotels in the 1990s before he did it. Yet the U.S. (or perhaps I should say the Republican Party) continues to support him both because they want the votes of the Miami Cubans and because they don't actually believe their own anti-terrorism rhetoric. Sure, they support crushing terrorists, but only if those terrorists don't work for U.S. interests. If they do, great!!!

Just Wondering posts an article by journalist Robert Parry explaining Posada's history. Check it out.

During the Cold War, U.S. governments paid very close attention to how the nation was seen by people around the world. We were fighting the Cold War and therefore needed to win over the new nations of the developing world. The Soviet Union was taking advantage of America's racism to influence these nations against us. Therefore, the Kennedy and Johnson administration starting supporting the civil rights movement in no small part for Cold War reasons. The Bush administration has learned nothing from this. They don't care at all what the rest of the world thinks. They only care about the next election cycle.

Most of the world doesn't take us seriously on terrorism anyway. That we allow a terrorist to roam virtually free within our own borders because he targets his hatred against Cuba just ensures that it will take a long time for the world to look to the U.S. for leadership again.