Gonzales justice department will allow a terrorist to be set free on bail

By Mary MacElveen

April 11, 2007

What would you say if a known terrorist was about to be freed on $350 thousand dollar bail? Would it anger you? Of course it would if this country truly believes in capturing and punishing terrorists. What would be your reaction if this was the last recorded message made by a pilot of a downed air plane, “We have an explosion aboard, we are descending immediately! ... We have fire on board! We are requesting immediate landing! We have a total emergency!"... just before all on board perished?

I hope it would be one of outrage. By the way, those were the last words of this pilot before Cubana flight 455 went down on October 6th, 1976 taking the lives of 73 innocent people. It was downed by this terrorist whose name is Luis Posada Carriles.

I have written of this terrorist for over a year now. It has come to my attention that Judge Kathleen Cardone, a federal judge, will more than likely issue this bail amount for Carriles. I am still trying to come to grips that a terrorist that took the lives of 73 people would even get bail.

As all eyes are on Washington, D.C. concerning the actions of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, this is what International Answer reported the impending release from custody of Carriles by the federal judiciary; “The responsibility for freeing Posada lies with the Bush administration. Acting on behalf of Bush, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who refuses to classify Posada a terrorist, or as a danger to the community, which is required for his continued detention. Gonzales and Bush are refusing to honor Venezuela’s extradition request so he can be tried there for the Cuban plane bombing, where he plotted the heinous crime. If he is not extradited he should be prosecuted for his crimes in the U.S.”

This is where I disagree with Answer that he should be tried here in the United States since we do not have any legal jurisdiction to try him for these crimes. Also he was already tried for the downing of this air plane in Venezuela. Then again, the rule of law means nothing to the Bush administration.

AFP reported of his impending release from custody, “The US judge ordered the Cuban-born Venezuelan national released on $US350,000 bail on condition that he remain confined to his Miami home and submit to "electronic monitoring," according to the text of the order by the Federal Court in El Paso, Texas.” As alleged terrorists are being held in Guantanamo Bay without due process; this terrorist will reside in a home wearing an electronic monitoring device?

Posada Carriles was tried and convicted of this bombing by the Venezuelan courts, but fled before sentencing was handed down in 1985. Under Venezuelan law any defendant cannot be sentenced in absentia.

AFP also reported, “US officials refuse to release Posada Carriles to Venezuela or Cuba, claiming he might be tortured.” The only country that is demanding his extradition is Venezuela and under the Venezuelan Constitution, torture is prohibited. If anyone is found to commit any act of torture under Venezuelan law, they face punishment.

Now this is where I do find the stupidity of our judicial system when AFP reported, “But they have also refused to free him, calling him a threat to national security.” In my opinion anyone deemed such a threat to national security should not be released and subject to house arrest wearing an electronic bracelet.

Forget the firing of eight U.S. attorneys at the hands of Alberto Gonzales since the actions of one of his judges is more of a threat to all of us. In this war on terror every single senator should grill him on this one specific issue especially when Carriles was convicted of killing 73 innocent people. This one act of terrorism amongst other heinous acts at the hands of Carriles makes our case against Gonzales pail in comparison.

Peter Kornbluh once opined of Carriles, "no doubt that Posada has been one of the world’s most unremitting purveyors of terrorist violence"

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials even stated in a letter to Carriles, "because of your long history of criminal activity and violence in which innocent civilians were killed, your release from detention would pose a danger to both the community and the national security of the United States".

As both Kornbluh and ICE officials opined that, the Alberto Gonzales justice department is allowing one of their judges to release this terrorist into an unsuspecting community in Miami? Carriles is an unrepentant terrorist and ranks right up there with Osama bin Laden. Would we even allow for Osama bin Laden if he were in U.S. custody to be released into any community subject to house arrest wearing an electronic bracelet?

While I hold out little if any hope of justice for those 73 innocent passengers of Cubana flight 455 who have all but been forgotten, I will pass along to you who read this column International Answer’s plea for justice, by going to this link in which they urge all to contact their congressional members demanding his extradition back to Venezuela.

Be the voice of these victims of terrorism.

The passenger’s list of Cubana Flight

Cuban citizens

• Ernesto Machín Guzmán, 40, flight engineer

• Ignacio Martínez Gandía, 25, saber trainer for the national fencing team

• Miriam Remedios de la Peña, 24, stewardess, international flights

• Enrique Figueredo del Valle, 19, national fencing team competitor

• José Pestana González, 41, Cubana de Aviación department head

• Tomás Joaquín González Quintana, 41, supervisor with the Cubana de Aviación network’s General Control division

• Guillermo Valencia Guinot, 53, international flight attendant

• José A. Fernández Garzón, 19, junior fencing team competitor

• Valentín Ladrón de Guevara, 39, member of Cubana de Aviación’s technical staff

• Ramón Infante García, 27, national fencing team competitor

• Julia Rosa Torres Álvarez, 46, wife of the manager of Cubana de Aviación’s Barbados office

• Carlos M. Leyva González, 19, junior fencing team competitor

• María Elena Rodríguez del Rey Bocalandro, 28, stewardess, international fights

• Lázaro Serrano Mérida, 32, international flight attendant

• Luis A. Morales Viego, 45, fencing Technical Committee member

• Ramón J. Fernandiz Lefebre, 39, senior flight attendant with Cubana de Aviación

• Martí Suárez Sánchez, 30, international air-traffic supervisor

• Demetrio Alfonso González, 44, National Commissioner for Shooting

• Cándido Muñoz Hernández, 20, national fencing team competitor

• Julio Herrera Aldama, 25, national fencing team competitor

• José A. Arencibia Arredondo, 23, national fencing team competitor

• Orlando López Fuentes, 34, national épée team trainer

• Jesús Méndez Silva, 30, national foil team competitor

• Domingo Chacón Coello, 21, field agent with the Home Affairs Ministry

• Jesús Rojo Quintana, 33, Cubana de Aviación official

• Santiago E. Hayes Pérez, 30, national foil team trainer

• Ermilio Castillo Castillo, 33, Cubana de Aviación route inspector

• Inés Luaces Sánchez, 21, national foil team competitor

• Lázaro Otero Madruga, 34, Cubana de Aviación route inspector

• Jesús Gil Pérez, national fencing team armourer

• Nelson Fernández Machado, 22, national fencing team competitor

• Juan Duany González, 18, national sabre team competitor

• Wilfredo Pérez Pérez, 36, pilot. National Worker-Hero.

• Angel Tomás Rodríguez, 36, Technical Training Manager, Cubana de Aviación.

• Miguel Espinosa Cabrera, 47, DC-8 co-pilot.

• Magaly Grave de Peralta Ferrer, 33, stewardess, international flights.

• Moraima González Prieto, 21, stewardess, international flights.

• Marlene González Arias, 23, stewardess, international flights.

• Carlos Cremata Trujillo, 41, Cubana de Aviación flight dispatcher.

• Armando Ramos Pagán, 38, Cubana de Aviación pilot.

• Argelio Reyes Aguilar, Manager of the Caribbean shrimping fleet.

• Leonardo Mackenzie Grant, 22, national foil team competitor.

• Carlos T. Coquero Perdomo, 43, air-safety inspector.

• Roberto G. Palacios Torres, 27, Cubana de Aviación navigator.

• Armando E. Armengol Alonso, 58, Cubana de Aviación pilot.

• Virgen M. Felizola García, 17, national foil team competitor.

• Manuel Permuy Hernández, 40, Party Leader, INDER.

• Ricardo Cabrera Fuentes, 23, national sabre team competitor.

• Sonia Coto Rodríguez, 33, Caribbean shrimping fleet worker.

• Alberto Mario Abréu Gil, 38, Supply Manager of the Caribbean shrimping fleet.

• Alberto Drake Crespo, 18, national sabre team competitor.

• Silvia Marta Pereira Jorge, 28, stewardess, international flights.

• Nancy Uranga Romagosa, 22, national fencing team competitor.

• Jorge de la Nuez Suárez, Party Secretary, Caribbean shrimping fleet

• Eusebio Sánchez Domínguez, 25, international flight attendant.

• Manuel A. Rodríguez Font, Cubana de Aviación official in Barbados.

• Milagros Peláez González, 21, national fencing team competitor.

 

Korean citizens murdered

• Kim To Yun, 42, Director of the Foreign Cultural Relations Committee.

• Juang Ne Ik, 50, Vice Chairman of the Foreign Cultural Relations Committee.

• Pak Je Chin, 40, Specialist on the Foreign Cultural Relations Committee.

• Ki Bong, 30, Official of the Foreign Cultural Relations Committee.

• Jan Sang Kyu, 41, cameraman.

 

Guyanese citizens murdered

• Eric Norton, 18, student.

• Ann Nelson, 18, student.

• Seshnarine Kumar, 18, student.

• Jacqueline Willians, 19, student.

• Rawle Thomas, 18, student.

• Raymond Persaud, 19, student.

• Margaret Bradshaw, 22, wife of Guyanese diplomat in Havana.

• Gordon Sobha.

• Harry Paul

• Violet Thomas

• Rita Thomas

(The girl Harry Paul, Mrs. Violet Thomas and Mrs. Rita Thomas were members of the same family)

Author’s note: Should you wish to contact me, my email address is, xmjmac@optonline.net

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