Harboring a ‘terrorist’
How could a wanted fugitive sneak unnoticed into the U.S.?
'œHow embarrassing' for the U.S., said Pascual Serrano in Havana's Tribuna de la Habana. At the very moment that the Americans are self-righteously condemning Cuba for failing to uphold human rights, a 'œnotorious terrorist' suddenly turns up in Miami. Luis Posada Carriles, a Cuban-born Venezuelan citizen, was convicted in Venezuela of blowing up a civilian Cuban plane in 1976, killing all 73 passengers. After he escaped from prison, Posada was caught in Panama in 2000 with 40 tons of explosives; he planned to detonate them at a summit there and kill Fidel Castro. The Panamanian president inexplicably pardoned Posada, and from August 2004, until last month, authorities didn't know where he was. Now it transpires that Posada, 77, has been in Florida for several weeks. This 'œmonster' has just applied for political asylum in the United States.
President Bush has a lot of explaining to do, said Havana's Granma in an editorial. As our leader Fidel asked this week, how could an internationally wanted fugitive sneak unnoticed into the U.S.? Hasn't the country spent 'œhundreds of billions of dollars on Homeland Security?' And if the intelligence agencies did know Posada had entered the U.S., why didn't Bush have him arrested? 'œAll indications' are that the U.S. government was trying to cover up Posada's presence so it could try to claim the moral high ground and bash Cuba at the U.N. Human Rights Commission. Well, the truth is out. Even The Miami Herald and The Washington Post have reported that Posada is in Florida. It's time for Bush to remember his admonition to the world in 2003: 'œIf someone protects a terrorist, if someone feeds a terrorist, that person is just as guilty as the terrorists.'
The U.S. didn't just help Posada, said Freddy Perez Cabrera in Santa Clara's Vanguardia. It created him. The CIA gave him his initial training as a terrorist and assassin in the 1960s, specifically intending him for missions against Cubans. That so-called escape from a Venezuelan prison 'œwas no escape'—Americans bribed the prison guards to let Posada out, because they needed him in Lt. Col. Oliver North's covert mission to arm the Contras. The U.S. has always supported terrorists who want to kill its enemies. The first President Bush, for example, gave Posada's close cohort, convicted anti-Castro terrorist Orlando Bosch, 'œa full pardon.'
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Alfredo Garcia
Por Esto!
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Selfies ban in art galleries: a sign of the times?
Talking Point Priceless art has been damaged by visitors desperate to take a snap with star attractions, leading some galleries and museums to start fighting back
-
Quiz of The Week: 21 – 27 June
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
The Week Unwrapped: How do you turn plastics into paracetamol?
Podcast Plus, what is the Wagner Group doing now? And why is it so hard to find a job after university?
-
Saudis want action on Syria
feature The Syrian conflict “has tested the Saudi-U.S. pact as never before.”
-
NSA spy scandal divides Europe
feature Spy agencies are supposed to protect their nations’ interests, but with this scandal the NSA has only harmed them.
-
Any takers for a war on Syria?
feature Despite David Cameron’s pleas, the British Parliament says no to Syria, while François Hollande, in a surprise move, provides French backing.
-
Turkey wants our help with Syria
feature Turkey can’t take any more—it’s time to tell our closest ally, the U.S., that “it is past time to do something.”
-
Afghans worry about U.S. pullout
feature Is an internal meltdown all but inevitable after the U.S. withdraws its troops?
-
The world’s biggest free-trade zone
feature An “economic NATO” has been proposed before, but President Obama is the first leader to give it such an unequivocal endorsement.
-
Should Canada keep U.S. deserters?
feature Last week, Canada for the first time deported a female Iraq War resister.
-
How they see us: Calling the Haqqanis terrorists
feature After two years of “spirited debate,” the U.S. has declared the Haqqani network a terrorist group.