4-03-06, 9:55 am
A Venezuelan Embassy press release issued in Washington D.C., Friday states that in a document entitled 'Interim Decision to Continue Detention' dated March 28, 2006 and sent to Mr. Luis Posada Carriles, the United States has admitted for the first time that Posada Carriles is a terrorist.
According to the Immigration & Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) decision, Posada Carriles has a “long history of criminal activity and violence in which innocent civilians were killed.”
His release from detention concludes ICE in its letter to Posada, “would pose a danger to both the community and the national security of the United States.”
In support of its decision, ICE cites Venezuela’s pending extradition case against Posada and the fact that Posada fled from a Venezuelan prison while his trial for the downing of a passenger plane in 1976 was pending. “Your past also includes your escape from a Venezuelan prison which was accomplished after several attempts utilizing threats of force, explosives and subterfuge,” says ICE in its decision.
ICE goes on to cite Posada’s own statements to link him to the “planning and coordination of a series of hotel and restaurant bombings that occurred in Cuba ... in 1997.”
These bombings resulted in the murder of an Italian tourist and the wounding of several others. ICE also cites Posada’s conviction in Panama for “crimes against national security,” in reference to his attempt to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro in 2000 with C-4 explosives as President Castro was to speak to an auditorium with full of students.
The attorney that represents Venezuela in the Posada case, Jose Pertierra says that “this is something that the government of the United States should have said and done since Posada was detained in Florida in May of 2005. The government has always had the evidence to conclude that Posada is a terrorist ... it is in recently declassified documents from the CIA and the FBI, and it is also in the documentation presented by the government of Venezuela as part of its extradition request.”
However, Pertierra explains “Washington has always tried to avoid using the term terrorism in relation to Posada Carriles and has instead treated him as a simple undocumented immigrant. However, the truth and the immigration laws now require that the US faces up to the truth: its “detainee” is not an innocent undocumented immigrant, but is instead a terrorist.'
“If he were not a terrorist,” Pertierra adds, “ICE would have to release him.”
Pertierra pointed out that 'although ICE avoids using the specific term 'terrorism' in its Decision, the actions it attributes to Posada represent the very essence of terrorism.'
On being consulted about the extradition request made by Venezuela on June 15, 2005, Pertierra said that “just as immigration laws and the facts obligate the government of the United States to recognize that Posada is a terrorist, extradition laws and the facts of the case obligate the United States to admit the truth.”
Pertierra added that the “truth is that Posada is a terrorist, and he is the mastermind of the downing of the plane in 1976, as well as the assassin of 73 defenseless passengers aboard the plane.”
“He must be extradited to Caracas to stand trial for murder. If the US does not extradite him, then it is obliged to try him in Washington on 73 counts of first degree murder.”
Pertierra recalls that US president George W. Bush has said that those who shelter a terrorist are also terrorists.
“To shelter or deport Posada to a third country in order to avoid prosecuting him for murder are not legal options for the United States!”
--Arelis Paiva, apaiva@embavenez-us.org.
