May 09, 2005

Terrorism? Communism? Terrorism?! Communism?!

Worth the read is a New York Times article on the potential for the United State to grant asylum to Luis Posada Carriles. As the article points out, this ought to put the administration between Scylla and Charybdis:

Mr. Posada's case could create tension between the politics of the global war on terrorism and the ghosts of the cold war on communism. If Mr. Posada has indeed illegally entered the United States, the Bush administration has three choices: granting him asylum; jailing him for illegal entry; or granting Venezuela's request for extradition.
A grant of asylum could invite charges that the Bush administration is compromising its principle that no nation should harbor suspected terrorists. But to turn Mr. Posada away could provoke political wrath in the conservative Cuban-American communities of South Florida, deep sources of support and campaign money for President Bush and his brother Jeb, the state's governor.
To jail Mr. Posada would be a political bonanza for Mr. Castro, who has railed against him in recent speeches, calling him the worst terrorist in the Western Hemisphere.
To allow his extradition would hand a victory to President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, Mr. Castro's closest ally in Latin America and no friend to President Bush.
"As a Cuban, as a freedom fighter myself, I believe he should be granted asylum," said Marcelino Miyares, a veteran of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion and president of the Christian Democratic Party of Cuba, which is based in Miami. "But it's a no-win situation for the United States government."

Posted by binky at May 9, 2005 01:15 PM | TrackBack | Posted to Florida


Comments

This is just sickening. Yet another example of the pick-and-choose moralism of the administration. If we are serious about being anti-terrorist this isn't even a close call. But then it's long been obvious to those paying attention that we don't dislike all terrorists. So I suppose it's both sickening and predictable. Lovely world we live in, no? I'm going to go outside, wander about in the beautiful weather, and try to forget about the hypocrites that run the country for a few minutes.

Posted by: Armand at May 9, 2005 02:04 PM | PERMALINK

UPDATE

Posted by: binky at May 19, 2005 03:18 PM | PERMALINK
Post a comment









Remember personal info?