In a remarkable decision, a federal judge issued a stinging rebuke to the federal government’s tactics in a case against an anti-Cuban militant. A militant, btw, who was trained by the CIA . The judge went so far as to charge the government with using tactics that “violated the universal sense of justice.”
Our nation, btw, is the only one where a judge can make a proclamation like that and not fear for her life.
Judge throws out charges against anti-Castro militant
(CNN) — A federal judge dropped charges against former CIA operative and anti-Castro Cuban militant Luis Posada Carriles on Tuesday, blasting what she called government “fraud, deceit and trickery” in an interview with Posada that led to the charges. Posada, 79, was charged with seven counts of immigration fraud. He was arrested in Miami in May 2005 after entering the country illegally. [Well, it looks like the Feds can figure out how to prosecute someone on immigration charges when they really want to–ed.]
U.S. district judge Kathleen Cardone ordered Posada’s electronic bracelet cut off in the courtroom Tuesday and cleared the way for him to return to Miami a free man…”As with each and every defendant who comes before this court, defendant in this case is entitled to certain rights under the United States Constitution,” Cardone wrote in her 38-page ruling. “This court will not set aside such rights nor overlook government misconduct because defendant is a political hot potato. This court’s concern is not politics, it is the preservation of criminal justice.”…“In light of the fact that the indictment in this case is based upon statements made during the naturalization interview, this court finds that the interpretation is so inaccurate as to render it unreliable as evidence of defendant’s actual statements,” she wrote.
“This court finds the government’s tactics in this case are so grossly shocking and so outrageous as to violate the universal sense of justice,” Cardone wrote. “As a result, this court is left with no choice but to dismiss the indictment.”
Posada was jailed for nine years in Venezuela in connection with the airliner attack, but was never convicted and escaped in 1985. In Panama, he was convicted of plotting with three Cuban exiles to kill Castro while the leader was visiting Panama in 2000. [That sort of act is exactly what the CIA trained him for–ed.] He later received a presidential pardon and surfaced in Guatemala and Mexico before heading to the United States.
This is the sort of story that gives steam to the perpetual moonbat argument that our government is corrupt. You know how I feel about government–it should never be trusted, but stories like this should embarrass us all, and do serve as a warning about what an unchecked system is capable of. Fortunately, we have judges who aren’t afraid to speak the truth, and a nation where judges can do so without fearing for their lives.
This sort of act, like the jailing of our border agents Ramos and Compean and the apparent political firing s of federal prosecutors, expose an extremely troubling trend in President Bush’s administration. It’s interesting how Bush seems to allow homeland security elements to run wild, while overseas in the WoT, he refuses to let the Marines do their job and dispatch the enemy. If he wants to apply a no-holds-barred strategy against someone, it should be the enemy abroad, not our own citizens, or a former CIA agent who dares to continue to try to rid this world of a mass murdering dictator.
UPDATE from the webmaster:
The following is posted in Comments from dugsubmisd. This is one of the best arguments why President Bush should continue to be supported despite his mistakes.
Tammy, I appreciate your defense in all that is difficult and refusing to let political games interfere with your commentator. It is what makes you great! However, I differ with your increasing distance from the Bush administration (which you call the Bush Machine). America’s founding fathers owned slaves, Lincoln toyed with the idea of colonizing blacks, FDR allied with Stalin, and Reagan allied with Saddam Hussein. But these leaders are remembered for their selfless duties on behalf of freedom and equality, whether it be establishing the world’s first democracy in the American Revolution, freeing the slaves, enduring the Great Depression and winning World War II, and freeing the American economy and liberating the world from communist oppression.
And as for George W. his presidency is enduring 30 percent approval ratings because of the Left, who hates Bush more than radical Islam, and tenacious Islamist (both Iranian and al-qaedist) resistance to a democracy in Iraq. So much is at stake in this battle … democratic government, American credibility, American exceptionalism, victory for al qaeda in Iraq, etc. President Bush needs all the support he can get at this point, not because he is perfect, but because politicians have to deal with an imperfect world and have to choose their fights. Don’t go to the point of which you oppose Bush completely because you don’t get everything you want and as a result get NOTHING that you want.
Um, I agree with the basic premise of the article, but there’s no real problem with the firing of the US prosecutors for any reason, political or otherwise. They are his employees that serve at his leisure. If it’d come out that he fired them because they were the only ones in the justice department who could beat him at 5 card stud, that’d be stupid…but still completely within his rights.
That he fired them for not sharing his political views, and for gonig after Republicans like Delay for questionable behavior while ignoring outright criminal actions of Democrats like Jefferson…it certainly makes it one of his better calls.
Tammy, I appreciate your defense in all that is difficult and refusing to let political games interfere with your commentator. It is what makes you great! However, I differ with your increasing distance from the Bush administration (which you call the Bush Machine). America’s founding fathers owned slaves, Lincoln toyed with the idea of colonizing blacks, FDR allied with Stalin, and Reagan allied with Saddam Hussein. But these leaders are remembered for their selfless duties on behalf of freedom and equality, whether it be establishing the world’s first democracy in the American Revolution, freeing the slaves, enduring the Great Depression and winning World War II, and freeing the American economy and liberating the world from communist oppression. And as for George W. his presidency is enduring 30 percent approval ratings because of the Left, who hates Bush more than radical Islam, and tenacious Islamist (both Iranian and al-qaedist) resistance to a democracy in Iraq. So much is at stake in this battle … democatic government, American credibilty, American exceptionalism, victory for al qaeda in Iraq, etc. President Bush needs all the support he can get at this point, not because he is perfect, but because politicians have to deal with an imperfect world and have to choose their fights. Don’t go to the point of which you oppose Bush completely because you don’t get everything you want and as a result get NOTHING that you want.
Tammy makes it quite clear why she feels the way she does about Bush and expresses herself in a way we all know and love. She’s far from alone.
What do you mean by “support”? No criticism? I defend the President’s innate decency against vile, political hatred. I know it’s damning to be criticized by your own so I held off for a long time. I’m regularly asked to participate in the Zogby poll. I lie every time on the favorability question, giving him a better mark than I think he deserves. I argue for the President’s policies when I believe they are good for the country, but will not support him on things such as immigration for the sake of political loyalty.
Years ago I was in a Michigan Republican women’s organization. John Engler, the Republican governor, wanted to increase taxes and was going about it in a heavy-handed way. I voiced my objections to my fellow members and said I’d be voting against the tax. I nearly had my head bitten off. Their argument—we have to support John Engler. I couldn’t believe it!
I’m not a worker bee in a political hive. I’m an American citizen, an individual. I support America. I vote for Republicans because Democrats are lunatics. When I see a political leader doing something, or more particularly in Bush’s case, NOT doing what is necessary and putting everything I cherish in jeopardy, I won’t keep quiet and go along.
The reason you’re begging for support at this late stage is precisely because Bush has failed as a leader. After six years, it’s pointless to go on pretending. I know the arguments about a vicious press, etc. True enough. Nevertheless, Bush deserves serious criticism for squandering opportunities to make cogent arguments to solidify support; for his willingness to relinquish his strong position in favor of a misguided belief in the good nature of his political enemies; for a mediocre, politically correct effort in facing barbarians. Sure we have to keep the Democrats out of power. The best we can do from here is to look forward and come up with something darn quick to get us out of the mess we’re left in. Thank you for trying Mr. Nice Man. It wasn’t good enough.
While I agree with the gist of what you said, I have to take issue with this:
“Our nation, btw, is the only one where a judge can make a proclamation like that and not fear for her life.”
That’s simply not true. I believe there’s such a thing as too much judicial independence, and that what this judge did was idiotic and completely unjustifiable, but some robed would-be philosopher-king moron could do and say the same in many countries and rightly have no expectation of violent repercussions.
Excellent comment by “dugsubmisd”