News: Will International Terrorist go Free?
May 25, 2005
Luis Posada Carriles, a well-known international terrorist, who secretly entered the United States via Mexico, is now in U.S. custody pending a hearing for his illegal entry into the country. A Cuban exile and former Venezuelan intelligence officer, Posada Carriles is personally responsible for a number of terrorist acts, including his alleged involvement in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner that killed all 73 passengers onboard. The Venezuelan government has officially submitted an extradition order for Posada Carriles in connection to the 1976 bombing.
Posada Carriles, who has dedicated his life to the illegal and violent overthrow of Cuba�s government, �has admitted to plotting attacks that damaged tourist spots in Havana and killed an Italian visitor there in 1997. He was convicted in Panama in a 2000 bomb plot against [Cuban President Fidel] Castro,� according to the New York Times.
The U.S. State Department has not determined whether or not Posada Carriles will be deported, and they are not expected to comply with Venezuela�s extradition request, despite a reciprocal treaty to that effect. The U.S. delay is widely viewed as hypocritical given that Posada Carriles is a confirmed international terrorist. He is expected to make every effort to gain asylum status in the U.S.
However shocking to the rest of the country, the Bush administration may be considering a brutally expedient grant of asylum to Posada Carriles in order to appease Cuban exile groups in Miami. Such cynicism is sure to damage U.S. credibility in the so-called war on terror.
