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ONLINE JOURNAL™ www.onlinejournal.com
Clinton pardoned an accused tax cheat, but Poppy Bush set a serial terrorist free
By Eileen Smith March 1, 2001—
In 1990, through the direct influence of President George Herbert Walker Bush, Orlando Bosch—fugitive from justice, undocumented alien, serial terrorist and airline bomber—was released from prison in Miami, at the urging of Bush’s son Jeb on behalf of Miami Republicans.
Jeb (the family Florida fixer) traded the unusual release from federal custody for the votes of Floridians and delivered Florida to his father’s electoral tally in the 1992 presidential election.
Orlando Bosch was not released because he was rehabilitated and repentant. He was not released because he had served out a sentence. He was set free by the Bushes for Republican gain with seeming disregard for public safety here and abroad and for the “Rule of Law.”
Thirty countries had refused Bosch asylum because of his criminality. An acting attorney general in Miami and the INS had refused to allow him to remain in the U.S. In January 1989 the acting attorney general wrote: “For 30 years Bosch has been resolute and unwavering in his advocacy of terrorist violence. . . . He has repeatedly expressed and demonstrated a willingness to cause indiscriminate injury and death.’“ Attorney General Dick Thornburgh described Bosch as an “unreformed terrorist.”
And yet the Bushes set him free.
Even more troubling than the release of a dangerous man in exchange for votes is the manner of adjudication. President Bush did not pardon Bosch. He apparently simply stepped in and exerted the influence of his office to release Bosch against the recommendations of the district director of the INS and the Department of Justice.
This was no penny ante lawbreaker. Not just a tax cheat or draft dodger. Bosch planned, participated in, or managed the following crimes:
With Poder Cubano (Cuban Power) 1968–69:
Bomb sent in a suitcase to Havana, Cuba.
Bombs placed in various commercial establishments in the United States.
Bomb against Mexican consul in Miami, United States. 1
Bomb placed at the residence of the British consul in Miami.
Bomb placed at a restaurant owned by Cuban emigrants in the United States.
Bomb placed (but did not explode) at the Chilean consulate in the United States.
Bomb placed at a pharmaceutical company in the United States.
Bomb placed at the Mexican consulate in the United States.
Bomb placed at the Spanish office of tourism in the United States.
Bomb against the British vessel “Greenwood” in the United States.
Bomb placed on board the Japanese ship “Aroka Maru” in the U.S.
Bomb placed at the tourist offices of Spain in the United States.
Bomb placed at the Mexican offices of tourism in the U.S.
Bomb explodes in the garage of the Mexican consul in the U.S.
Bomb placed at the Cuban consulate in Canada.
Bomb placed at the tourism office of Canada in the U.S.
Bomb explodes at the Japanese Office of Tourism in the United States.
Bomb explodes near the Cuban mission in the United Nations damaging the Yugoslavian mission.
Bomb placed on board the Japanese vessel “Michagesan Maru” in Mexico.
Bomb at the Office of Tourism of Mexico in the United States.
Bomb is discovered at an office of the French government in the United States.
Unexploded bomb is discovered at the Mexican consulate in the U.S.
Bomb is placed but left unused at the house of a Cuban dignitary in the United States.
Bomb placed in the French Office of Tourism in the U.S.
Bomb placed at the Shell Petroleum Company building in England. 2
Bomb explodes at the Japanese travel agency in the United States.
Bomb placed at Mexican tourism offices in the United States.
Bomb against British consulate in the United States.
Bomb placed at a branch of a British bank in the U.S.
Bomb placed at the headquarters of the Communist Party in North America.
Bomb placed on board the Bahamian ship “Caribbean Venture” while at a U.S. port.
Bomb against Mexican representatives in the U.S.
Bomb at the residence of the Mexican consul in Miami.
Bomb placed on British vessel docket at Mexican port.
Bomb explodes on board Spanish ship “Satrustegui” in Puerto Rico.
Bazooka attack against Polish ship in the United States.
Bomb placed on board a Mexican airliner in the United States.
Bomb placed at the home of the Mexican consul in the United States.
Bomb at a Canadian travel agency.
Gas bomb at a theater where a Cuban actress was rehearsing.
Assassination attempts against the Cuban ambassador to the United Nations.
Bomb at the Mexican Department of Tourism in the United States.
Bomb placed the offices of Shell Oil of England in the U.S.
Bomb at the offices of Air France in the United States.
With Chilean fascist leaders, after meeting with Pinochet, 1974–75: Assasination of the former commander of the Chilean Armed Forces, General Carlos Pratts, and his wife in Argentina. The gunning down in Rome, Italy of Bernardo Leighton (Vice President of the Chilean Democratic Party in Excile) and his wife.
Orlando Bosch is arrested by the Costa Rican police on charges of plotting the assassination of the exiled Chilean leader Andres Pascal Allende in Costa Rica.
Assassination of a former Chilean minister during the administration of Salvador Allende, Orlando Letelier, and his collaborator Ronni Moffit in Washington, D.C. in the United States.
With new terrorist group “Accion Cuba” 1974–75:
Bomb placed at the Cuban diplomatic mission in Canada.
Bomb at the Cuban diplomatic mission in Argentina.
Bomb at the Cuban mission in Peru. Bomb placed at the Cuban embassy in Mexico.
Bomb placed at the Cuban embassy in Madrid, Spain.
Placed bomb against members of the Latin Press in Mexico, but never exploded.
Bomb placed at the Panamanian embassy in Caracas, Venezuela.
Bomb at the Venezuelan-Cuban Institute of Friendship in Venezuela.
Bomb at the hotel where Cuban delegation was staying.
Shots fired at the residence of a Cuban functionary.
Assasination attempt against the Cuban Ambassador Emilio Aragones in Argentina.
Bomb placed at Venezuelan tourism firm in Venezuela.
Bomb at the Cuban Embassy in Venezuela.
Bomb against Soviet commercial office in Mexico.
With new group under his leadership in Costa Rica “Comandos de Organizaciones Revolucionarias Unidas” 1976–77: Bomb placed at Cuban mission in the United Nations.
Bomb at the Costa Rican-Cuban cultural center in Costa Rica.
Bomb at the Cuban mission in Spain.
Bomb at the luggage/freight department of the flight of Cubana Airlines in Kingston, Jamaica.
Bomb placed at the office of Cubana Airlines in Barbados.
Bomb placed at the offices of Air Panama in Colombia.
Kidnapping attempt of the Cuban consul in Merida, Mexico, killing D’Artagnan Diaz Diaz.
Kidnapping of two Cuban dignitaries in Argentina.
Bomb placed at the Embassy of Guyana in Trinidad and Tobago.
Bomb placed at the offices of Cubana airlines in Panama.
Sabotage in mid flight of a Cubana airlines flight, killing 73 passengers. (Arrested and imprisoned in Venezuela but continued directing terrorist activities toward Venezuela.)
Bomb placed at the Venezuelan consulate in Puerto Rico.
Bomb on board a Venezuelan airplane in Miami, United States.
Bomb placed at the office of the Venezuelan airline “Viasa” in the United States.
Bomb placed at the Venezuelan consulate in Puerto Rico. A
lso from prison, Bosch directed activities against the interests of Mexico, 1978: Bomb placed at the Mexican consulate in the United States.
Bomb placed on board the merchant vessel “Azteca” of Mexico at a Mexican port, resulting in 2 deaths and 7 injuries.
Targeting Cuba again, directing the following terrorist activities in conjunction with a group called Omega-7: Bomb placed at the Cuban mission in the United Nations.
Bomb placed in front of Madison Square Gardens where Cuban boxers where scheduled to fight.
Bomb placed at the offices of the tourist firm “Girasol” of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party.
Bomb placed at the offices of the tourist firm “Antillana” in Puerto Rico.
Bomb placed at the offices of the firm “Record Public Service” owned by a Cuban emigrant in Puerto Rico.
Bomb at the newspaper “La Prensa” in the United States.
Bomb threat against TWA airlines against flying into Cuba.
Bomb placed at the local offices of the travel agency “Varadero” in Puerto Rico, presided by Carlos Muniz Varela.
Bomb at the Cuban mission in the United Nations.
Bomb placed at Lincoln Center in the United States where Cuban artists were scheduled to perform.
Bomb placed at the local offices of TWA airlines at J.F.K. Airport in the United States.
Bomb placed at the firm Weehawken, New Jersey, presided by Eulalio J. Negrin, member of the Committee of 75 (Comite de los 75).
Assassination of Carlos Muniz Varela, member of the Brigade “Antonio Maceo” and director of “Varadero Travel” in Puerto Rico.
Assassination of Eulalio Negrin- a member of the Cuban community in the exterior and participant in talks and negotiations with the Cuban government- in New Jersey, United States.
Assassination of the Cuban diplomat in the United Nations Felix Garcia Rodriguez Source:
http://cuban-exile.com/doc_051–075/doc0057.htm
Here’s the story on Bosch: A pediatrician by education, Bosch secretly left Cuba for Miami the year after Castro took power. He immediately began violent actions with the terrorist organization “MIRR” (Insurrectional Movement of Revolutionary Recuperation) and with the “Movimiento Nacionalista Cubano” (Cuban Nationalist Movement).
In 1968, Bosch was arrested by U.S. authorities, tried and sentenced to 10 years in prison. In 1972 he was released, and made his way without permission and against the provisions of his U.S. parole to Venezuela where he was arrested for the bombing of the Cubana airliner in which 73 people were killed, including the entire Cuban fencing team. He languished in prison there, while still directing terrorist actions detailed above. He eventually was freed on humanitarian grounds after a long hunger strike, and in 1988 returned to the U.S. without papers, where he was arrested for parole violation and then eventually remanded to the custody of INS (U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service).
Cuba asked for the return of Bosch so that he could be tried for terrorist actions, but Bosch petitioned for asylum in the U.S., stating that he would not receive a fair trial in Cuba (a la Marc Rich’s claim!). The petition for asylum is available at
http://cuban-exile.com/doc_051–075/doc0055.htm
In January 1989, the request for asylum was denied. An acting deputy attorney general wrote: “For 30 years Bosch has been resolute and unwavering in his advocacy of terrorist violence . . . He has repeatedly expressed and demonstrated a willingness to cause indiscriminate injury and death.”
More than 30 countries refused to allow Bosch entry. The INS District Director in Miami excluded Bosch from remaining in the U.S. on the following grounds: * There is reason to believe he would seek to enter the United States solely, principally, or incidentally to engage in activities prejudicial to the public interest. (8 U.S.C. 1182 (a) (27)).
* That he is or has been an alien who advocates or teaches or has been a member of an organization that advocates or teaches the duty, necessity, or propriety of assaulting or killing officers of any organized government. (8 U.S.C. 1182 (a) (28) (F) (ii)).
* That he is or has been an alien who advocates or teaches or has been a member of an organization that advocates or teaches the unlawful damage, injury or destruction of property. (8 U.S.C. 1182 (a) (28) (F) (iii)).
* That he is or has been an alien who advocates or teaches or has been a member of an organization that advocates or teaches sabotage. (8 U.S.C. 1182 (a) (28) (F)(iv)).
* That there are reasonable grounds to believe that he probably would, after entry, engage in activities which would be prohibited by the laws of the United States relating to espionage, sabotage, public disorder, or in other activity subversive to the national interest. (8 U.S.C. 1182 (a) (29)).
In addition, the notice alleged that Bosch also is excludable on the grounds that he has been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude (other than a purely political offense), 8 U.S.C. 1182 (a) (9), and that he did not possess valid entry documents. 8U.S.C. 1182 (a) (20). See
http://cuban-exile.com/doc_051–075/doc0054.htm
Then began the campaign to use political pressure to free Orlando Bosch and allow him to reside in America.
Jeb Bush, who had ingratiated himself with the highest orders of power in the anti-Castro communities of Florida, was the campaign manager for right-wing Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Jeb arranged a meeting for her with his uncle, President G.H.W. Bush, to “negotiate” the release. (New York Times August 17, 1989)
In the same article the Times wrote “Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Republican who seeks the seat of the late Representative Claude Pepper and is the candidate for whom the president campaigned, wants the president to overrule the Justice Department’s deportation order.”
On July 18, 1990, Bosch was granted parole on the recommendation or order of George Herbert Walker Bush, and allowed to live under some temporary supervisory restrictions in Miami, although being allowed to walk the streets there and mingle with members of the community.
The circumstances of the parole don’t exactly pass the smell test.
According to The Washington Post of August 18, 1990: “In June, U.S. District Judge William Hoeveler asked government attorneys why nothing had yet happened on Bosch’s case. He gave them another month to find a suitable home country for Bosch, and on the eve of that court date, Bosch received the three-page offer for release into house arrest.
Justice Department spokesman Dan Eramian said the decision to release Bosch was made for ‘humanitarian reasons,’ but that the government will continue to try to deport him.”
That, of course, never happened. He’s still free. As is usually the case with the affairs of the Bushes, other Bosch trails lead to links with the CIA, the Mafia, and covert operations. There are claims that Bosch was a CIA operative. There’s even a tight connection to Frank Sturgis, the man thought to have killed President John Kennedy. Orlando Bosch was one of the Cuban nationals known to be traveling from Miami to Dallas with weapons on Nov. 21–22. (
http://www.aristotle.net/mstandridge/knollmen.htm). Bosch’s name shows up in the report of the Warren Commission as one of those investigated in the Kennedy assassination.
In The Nation magazine in 1990, author David Corn wrote: “In yet another parole violation Bosch is now, according to The Miami Herald, organizing a group to raise money to buy and ship arms to Castro’s foes in Cuba. Is anyone in U.S. intelligence watching his outfit today?”
Obviously, George Herbert Walker Bush’s need to be re-elected trumped any concerns for public safety and national security. Bottom line: This case makes the hysterical G.O.P. attention to the Clinton pardon of a fugitive tax cheat look like a political diversion. And it makes Bill Clinton look like Solomon the Wise and Judicious, compared to the apparent abysmal judgment and integrity of the Bushes.
And whenever you see the Bush clan purse their lips and speak haughtily of their patrician familial honor and tradition and integrity, remember Orlando Bosch. Talk about sleaze. Note: More information about Orlando Bosch is available at
http://www.consortiumnews.com/archive/lost13.html Copyright © 1998–2002
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