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Should the Left Cheer the Dollar's Drop? How to make the bankers scream: Robert Pollin, world's best obituarist of Clintonomics, explains it all for you. Do police states make people feel safer? Vicente Navarro on Franco's Spain, Cockburn on Ireland in the Fifties under the Catholic Hierarchy, Alevtina Rea on growing up in Brezhnev-time. Capitalism's true utopia? St Clair on the Pentagon's no-bid arms contracts. How's the press doing in Iraq? Patrick Cockburn tells all to Omar Waraich. Get the answers you're looking for in the latest subscriber-only edition of CounterPunch... CounterPunch Online is read by millions of viewers each month! But remember, we are funded solely by the subscribers to the print edition of CounterPunch. Please support this website by buying a subscription to our newsletter, which contains fresh material you won't find anywhere else, or by making a donation for the online edition. Remember contributions are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now! or write CounterPunch, PO BOX 228, Petrolia, CA 95558 |
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Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison by KATHY KELLY ![]() Today's Stories May 21 / 22, 2005 David
H. Price May 20, 2005 Dave
Lindorff Kevin
Zeese Paul
de Rooij Christopher
Brauchli Mark
Engler Joshua
Frank Robert
Jensen Jeffery
R. Webber May 19, 2005 Bill
Forman Stan
Goff Neve
Gordon Michael
Dickinson Karyn
Strickler Andrew
Freedman Paul
Craig Roberts
May 18, 2005 Jean
Bricmont Laura
Carlsen Mike
Whitney Joshua
Frank George
Galloway Manuel
Garcia, Jr. Dwight
D. Eisenhower Dave
Lindorff May 17, 2005 Mickey
Z. Petuuche
Gilbert Paul
Craig Roberts Ramzy
Baroud Robert
Jensen / Pat Youngblood Stan
Cox Dave
Zirin Diana
Barahona Website
of the Day May 16, 2005 Michael
Gillespie Jason
Leopold Jesse
Muldoon Norman
Solomon Robert
Cray Patrick
Cockburn Website
of the Day May 14 / 15, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Saul
Landau Gary
Leupp JoAnn
Wypijewski Ben
Tripp Brian
J. Foley Tom
Barry Mitchell
Verter Mike
Ferner Dan
Smith Mark
Scaramella Don
Fitz Diane
Farsetta Michael
Dickinson Ron
Jacobs Fred
Gardner Farrah
Hassen Douglas
Valentine Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend May 13, 2005 Tom
Stephens Patrick
Cockburn Mike
Whitney Chris
Floyd Jenna
Orkin Dave
Lindorff Joshua
Frank Website
of the Day
May 12, 2005 Paul
Craig Roberts Uri
Avnery Greg
Moses Carolyn
Baker Pat
Williams William
S. Lind Jack
Random Gary
Leupp
May 11, 2005 Patrick
Cockburn Kevin
Zeese Christopher
Brauchli Zalman
Amit Robert
Shull Mike
Whitney Dr.
Teresa Whitehurst Norman
Solomon
May 10, 2005 Richard
Drayton Dave
Zirin Jackie
Corr Dave
Lindorff Michael
Donnelly Reza
Fiyouzat Scott
Parkin Stephen
Babcock Alan
Farago Michael
Neumann Website
of the Day
May 9, 2005 Louis
Proyect Robert
Fisk Kevin
Zeese Joshua
Frank Sasha
Kramer Andrew
Wimmer Jeffrey
Webber Jeffrey
St. Clair
May 7 / 8, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Gary
Leupp Saul
Landau Joe
DeRaymond Daniela
Ponce Heather
Williams Gregory
Elich Anis
Memon John
Chuckman Mike
Whitney Ron
Jacobs Colin
Kalmbacher Lance
Selfa Fred
Gardner Ben
Tripp Mickey
Z. Richard
Joseph Dr.
Susan Block Poets'
Basement
May 6, 2005 Patrick
Cockburn Erin
Yoshioka Sam
Husseini Dave
Lindorff Kevin
Zeese Joshua
Frank Dan
Bacher P.
Sainath
May 5, 2005 Carles
Mutaner Carl
G. Estabrook Farrah
Hassen Kevin
Zeese Michael
Leonardi Bennett
Ramberg Ray
McGovern Norman
Solomon Nicole
Colson Brian
Concannon, Jr.
May 4, 2005 Colin
Kalmbacher John
Walsh Greg
Moses Ali
Khan Chris
Floyd Linda
S. Heard Dave
Zirin William
S. Lind Gary
Leupp Website
of the Day
May 3, 2005 Dave
Lindorff Brian
Cloughley Ira
Kurzban Seth
Sandronsky Gilad
Atzmon Michael
Donnelly Alex
Sanchez Peter
Linebaugh
May 2, 2005 Ron
Jacobs Stan
Goff Karyn
Strickler Joshua
Frank Kevin
Zeese Vicente
Navarro
April 30 / May 1, 2005 Alexander
Cockburn Gabriel
Kolko Jennifer
Loewenstein Lee
Sustar Saul
Landau T.W.
Croft Nikolas
Kozloff William
Blum Dave
Lindorff Joshua
Frank Doug
Giebel Steven
Erlanger Fred
Gardner Mike
Whitney Kurt
Nimmo Joe
DeRaymond Michael
Dickinson Mickey
Z. Justin
Taylor Poets
Basement Website
of the Weekend
Hot Stories Alexander Cockburn Subcomandante
Marcos Norman Finkelstein Steve Niva Dardagan,
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Weekend Edition Send Posada Carriles to VenezuelaBeating Around the BushBy TOM CRUMPACKER The Bush Administration has done an excellent job of confusing the public about its plans regarding Luis Posada Carriles, former CIA operative who blew up a civilian Cubana airliner in 1976 killing 73 innocent civilians. He resurfaced in US a couple of months ago and is now being held in El Paso Texas on a minor illegal entry charge brought against him by Homeland Security. Numerous reporters of several newspapers and magazines have talked to unnamed Administration officials and quote them as saying US has decided Posada will not be deported or extradited to Venezuela because it has a policy not to do so to a country which "acts on behalf of Cuba." Indeed, Homeland has stated it does have such a policy and Venezuela is such a country. If such a policy exists, this is the first time Homeland has implemented it or made it public. In any event, it is Homeland's policy and has no relevance to extradition, and there is so far no official statement by the State Department that this policy would prevent extradition to Venezuela. If US honors its laws, Constitution and treaty obligations (as its President in January took an oath to do), it has to extradite Posada to Venezuela. Venezuela has an 83 year old extradition treaty with US which has always been honored by both countries. For years Venezuela has had a standing request under this treaty to extradite Posada for trial in the Cubana bombing. He apparently has visited Miami occasionally in the past. Venezuela renewed its demand two weeks ago. The crime started in Caracas, where Posada and his partner Orlando Bosch made the bomb, their two agents then got on the Cubana flight with it in Trinidad, at the Barbados stop they put it in the plane restroom and got off the plane, and the plane exploded after take off. The agents caught a flight back to Caracas which stopped in Trinidad where they were apprehended. One of them, Posada's employee, later confessed Posada made the bomb and he did it under Posada's direction. An immigration case is something entirely different from extradition. In immigration proceedings (handled by Homeland Security under supervision of its Director and the President), the question is the right to immigrate and where an immigrant should be sent to live (usually his home country) when he is removed for illegal entry or deported for certain conduct in the US. Extradition (handled by the State Department under supervision of the Secretary of State and the President) concerns the question where an alleged criminal should be tried for his crime, regardless of his immigration status. Venezuela is the only place where Posada could legally be tried for this crime, because of his Venezuelan citizenship and the fact that his crime was committed there. In fact he was being tried there when in 1985 he was allowed to escape and go to Nicaragua to work under Col. Oliver North in the Contra supply operation. Posada also has Cuban citizenship since he was born there. Once Cubans set foot in the US, whether the entry is illegal or legal, they have the right to stay here and work and apply for US permanent residency after a year. This is under the Cuban Adjustment Act and the so-called "wet foot, dry foot" policy. They do not need to file asylum cases, and usually don't. Homeland has charged Posada only with not reporting immediately to them on entry. This would normally not be worth filing on, in any event it's a simple matter which could be determined within a few minutes and a small fine. However it's been set for hearing on June 13 and Posada's Miami lawyers are talking about filing motions to move the case to Miami, filing asylum petitions, and other technical maneuvers. From Secretary Rice's statement today, one could surmise that the Homeland's case will go on for many months. Reportedly Posada is very ill and he may not be around much longer. Our CIA and State Department were at least very aware of the plans for the Cubana bombing, and neither (or anyone in our government) gave Cuba or prospective passengers any warning of the coming attack. Posada had been trained in the 1960s by the CIA in explosives. Posada was on the CIA payroll for many years up until about four months before the Cubana bombing (CIA now says). He went back on when he was sent to Nicaragua. Recently released CIA and State Department reports indicate that a few months beforehand, they were made aware that Posada and Bosch were planning to bomb a Cuban civilian airliner, and just a few weeks beforehand, they knew that Posada and Bosch were going to bomb a Cubana flight traveling from Panama to Havana. CIA also had reports about the planning meetings in Caracas and Santo Domingo. These reports were not made available to the Venezuelan officials who were prosecuting Bosch and Posada in the eighties. It would be interesting to learn if the CIA Director informed President Ford of the impending attack. George Bush Sr. was the CIA Director at the time of the bombing. He was Vice Present at the time when Posada was allowed to escape during his trial in Venezuela and report to Oliver North in Nicaragua. He was President when he pardoned Bosch against the recommendation of his Justice Department. There's no valid reason why Posada should not be extradited to Venezuela now. There's no necessity to wait while lawyers mess around with Homeland's insignificant illegal entry claim or any asylum claim. The case should be promptly submitted to the extradition judge. It seems like the Administration is using these immigration cases, with Posada's cooperation, to try to delay decision on the extradition request in hope of avoiding evidence of CIA's involvement in the bombing from becoming public in a Venezuelan proceeding. Part of its plan seems to be to make reporters and the public think the US can't extradite until the immigration proceedings are ended and they have some policy preventing extradition. Neither of which is so. Tom Crumpacker is a lawyer who works with the Miami Coalition to End the US Embargo of Cuba. He can be reached at: Crump8@aol.com
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