Cuba Reiterates Offer to Swap Alan Gross for Three Cubans
After US and Taliban achieve prisoner exchange
HAVANA TIMES — A virtual spokesperson for the Cuban government reiterated today the Castro administration’s willingness to swap US citizen Alan Gross for the three Cuban Five members still imprisoned in the USA.
His remarks came as the US and the Taliban made public an exchange that freed a US soldier in Afghanistan for the release to Qatar of Taliban militants held at the US Naval Base at Guantanamo, reported dpa news.
“From the US perspective there is little to prevent a similar exchange,” said Fernando Gonzalez in Havana. Gonzalez is one of the two Cuban Five members released from prison in the US after serving out their term.
Gonzalez was arrested in 1998 along with four other Cubans as part of a larger spy ring in the United States. Of the remaining three prisoners, one, Gerardo Hernandez, has a double life sentence.
The government of Raul Castro has repeatedly offered to begin negotiations with the Obama administration on a possible exchange of their agents for Gross, imprisoned since 2009 for endangering Cuban national security. Thus far the US has refused to link the two cases.
On Saturday, the Obama administration announced the release of a soldier detained five years ago by the Taliban. He was reportedly the only US prisoner of war in Afghanistan. In return, Washington extradited five of its hapless Guantanamo prisoners to Qatar.
“This latest development” said González, “is proof that the only thing missing is the political will from Obama to resolve this situation,” after the release of the soldier Bowe Bergdahl in Afghanistan.
“My question is why not?” Gonzalez insisted in a press conference at the International Press Center of the Cuban Foreign Ministry.
“I’m optimistic,” he said of possible negotiations between Washington and Havana. At the same time, Gonzalez denied knowing about possible approaches. “I have no knowledge (of possible talks),” he said.
Fernando Gonzalez returned in February of this year to Cuba after serving his sentence in the United States. Another Cuban Five member, Rene Gonzalez, returned to Cuba in May 2013.
The case of the Cuban Five, considered by many as national heroes at home, is one of the greatest obstacles to improving the difficult relations between Washington and Havana. Cuba promotes frequent international campaigns demanding their release. A new 5-day push to influence the White House to release the Cubans begins later this week, including a march to the White House on Saturday, June 7.
Alan Gross, 65, was arrested in December 2009 in Havana for smuggling illegal telecommunications equipment into Cuba and related activities. A court sentenced him to 15 years in prison on charges of encouraging “acts against the integrity” of the state.
Gross, a well paid employee of Development Alternatives Inc., a USAID contractor, denied the charges and said that the equipment was only designed to facilitate Internet access to the Jewish community in Cuba.
Indeed. Gross was arrested in Cuba for breaking the law and should be expected to serve time there for it. US citizens should not be given special rights to escape justice.
Oh Moses you’re such a big baby Huey. I have things to do. I would love to just follow one (1) topic but it requires too much time when I can be reading about 10 current events topics (not just this one). Feel free to visit me and insult me at my site. 🙂 You’re always welcome – and bring Humbi along! The most enjoyable part of this site is to discuss them with you. And by the way, I’m not upset with Yoani. Now that I’ve read much more material, I realize they were all duped. She’ll be fine, she can well afford a brisk legal defense.
Fair enough. If later we find out that he did not desert but was abducted while having been AWOL, I would hope that you are as forthright to admit you were wrong.
My comment about executing the Taliban prisoners was not a recommendation for current policy. It was intended to provide historical context to those who decry the practice of holding them prisoner in the comfortable detention centre in Gitmo. It also serves to contrast Bush’s policy of capturing these men alive, and Obama’s policy of vaporizing them in drone attacks.
I acknowledge the authority of the Commander-in-Chief to execute his policy in matters of war. However, he did agree to give Congress 30 days notice before releasing anybody from Gitmo, which he did not do in this case. It’s hard to see an urgent war-fighting reason to accept the necessity of Obama’s decision not to notify Congress. It has become clear that his primary motivation was to empty Gitmo, and that the Bergdahl deal was a convenient excuse. The released Taliban were not members of the Haqqani network and the Haqqani don’t want them back. They had to get something to induce them to give up Bergdahl. Money or weapons are the only currency they would recognize. The details of the deal keep getting worse and worse, and the excuses and lies which the White House puts out to cover up the deal collapse within hours.
There are now reports of Stinger missiles showing up among Taliban and that these weapons have been traced back to the missiles the CIA provided to Qatar to distribute to the anti-Khadafy jihadis in Libya. Oops!
http://nypost.com/2014/06/08/how-the-taliban-got-their-hands-on-modern-us-missiles/
The Bergdahl deal has infuriated a large number of Americans in the military. This is not some sly GOP campaign to attack Obama. Patriotic soldiers are truly disgusted at the idea of giving up 5 top Taliban to get one deserter back and they are incensed that the search for this guy resulted in the deaths of several of their brothers in arms.
Finally, you mistake a blog comment section for a court of law. I am free to pass my opinions of Bergdahl and based on what I have read, he deserted.
Hahaha! The truth smarts a little, doesn’t it. Okay, I can imagine the three keystrokes it would require to visit HT. (1) Favorites (2) HT (3) Disqus comments. Exhausting! Cheers
I truly enjoy our back-and-forth chatter. Feel free to come argue your points on my site. It’s just too much work
to go back and forth and since I’m already posting it there. I’m always available by email or cell.
Feel free to come argue your points on my site. It’s just too much work to go back and forth and since I’m already posting it there – if you don’t like it – feel free to “tear” your hair out a-la-Yoani. Do well and may you be extremely successful with classical music. Great endeavor!
I looked for a direct quote and could not find it. Let’s take your comment as gospel. That still does not support the wacko claim that Yoani was a regular visitor to the home of Parmley. Can you help me understand why one internet blogger has attracted such vigorous opposition? Why is the Castro regime so thin-skinned?
So what if the parents of this soldier had a beard, spoke Pashto and seemed knowledgeable of Afghan culture? This is America and we accept all cultures and creeds. It was not too long ago that we elected our first African-American President. It seems that for every step forward we take towards a society that doesn’t discriminate, we take two steps backward by making ridiculous observations and comments regarding cultures and religion.
You would seem less stupid if you did your homework and researched the military definition of ‘desertion’ and ‘absent without leave’. Unless you are a mind reader, you have no idea why Bergdahl left his post and even less information as to why he did not or was not able to return to post thereafter. Why not wait until the facts come out? Your rush to judgment is very un-American. In this country the tradition is to assume innocence until proven guilty.
How many letters have you written to the parents/wives/husbands of fallen soldiers. How many warriors have you, in your role as Commander-in-chief, sent into harm’s way in order to secure America’s freedom. How dare you accuse Obama of lacking sympathy for any soldier that has died on the battlefield. You are way out of line on this.
The quote from Parmley is from an interview about wikileaks (I’m not sure where or when) in which he says “I would be very distressed if the many
conversations I have had with Yoani were disclosed. She could suffer the
consequences her entire life.” Though one could be critical about the cosy relationship she has with the US government this doesn’t mean she is an agent. In fact wikileaks pretty much exonerates her by saying that she refuses financial help from foreign governments and anything with strings attached.
In his speech yesterday at the festivities celebrating the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, President Obama remarked how if D-Day were to take place today, its planners would be excoriated in the social networks and in the blogosphere within hours and days of the landing and would-be military experts would decry what a “fiasco”. Ten thousand Americans died in two days and only 20 miles of beachhead was won. Yet today, historians roundly agree that D-Day was a turning point in the war for the Allied forces. Europe is free today because Churchill and Roosevelt made the unpopular and widely criticized decision to go ahead with the invasion. I am not expecting you to wait 70 years but ya’ think that even with all your knowledge of the Taliban and diplomacy and military strategy that you could wait more than a week to criticize this hard choice that Obama had to make?
Let me check….yep, sure did. I believe it too. Since it reads pretty clearly and you are the one who had doubts about what you read, I’d say the bong is on your coffee table, not mine.
Ruth, are you delusional? The first link you provided covers a secret USINT survey taken of Cubans seeking refugee status. The second link describes the poor and declining condition of the Cuban healthcare delivery system. The third link is an article on a extreme left wing website debasing Yoani Sanchez with unfounded and baseless accusations. Why would assume that I would not read them? Who are you accustomed to? Nothing you presented support three accusations you made. One, you say Yoani and her husband visited Parmley’s home on numerous occasions. Nothing in your links supports that. Two, you say that Yoani’s popularity among US politicians is on the wane. Again, nothing your cite supports that. Third, you allege that the CIA is using Yoani. Again, no smoking gun in the links you provided. Bald face lying is hard to get past me. Next time come with facts.
Poor “journalist” Ruthie DiTucci!!! She comes all the way here to Havana Times trying to convince me that Yoani Sanchez is “greedy” and a bad person so I should NOT support her! je je je! Pobrecita, she is also mad that I refuse to go on her online “radio show” so she attacks and attempts to denigrate me! She should know by now that I take great honor in her “attention” and wear it as a badge of honor! Ruthie, tell your friend Lupi that he did not do his homework when he mentioned that Yoani has not been arrested and beaten for there are videos and audio of just that! And as far as Yoani being allowed in and out of Cuba because she is a Castro “spy”, remember that she was refused the right to leave Cuba 20 times dear! Here is the video! You need to do your research Ruthie dear!!
YOUTUBE: Yoani Sánchez’s passport is full, but she still can’t leave Cuba / El pasaporte de Yoani Sánchez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDWKa7L6NjQ
Ruth, don’t get senile on me. None, not one, nada, zippo of the links you provided present A DIRECT QUOTE OF PARMLEY stating the Yoani and her husband visited his Cuban home on many occasions. Likewise, nothing you site speaks directly to your assertion that Yoani is a pawn of the CIA. The most you should infer from these Wikileaks documents is that dissidents are not well known, Cubans don’t bother learning the titles of government officials and everybody knows who celebrities are. You infer a whole host of suppositons not supported by the documents. Your suppositions are clearly a result of your biases because you are way out there based on very little fact. For example, the study done on Cubans seeking refugee status was a reasonable way to extract an opinion without biasing that opinion with fact that a study was being conducted. Not at all uncommon in taking studies. Yet, you call it LYING. A bit harsh don’t you think?
The facts don’t support your extreme views. All we know for sure at this point is Sgt. Bergdahl seems to have opposed the war and held anti-US sentiments. Treason is a serious charge and there is no proof as yet he gave information or comfort to the enemy. What Obama did is what every Commander-in-Chief has done as war winds down. Prisoner exchange is nothing new. If you don’t think that American servicemen didn’t not already have a price on their head, you are either naïve or ignorant. Yoani is a simple blogger. Her writing talent and her bravery in the face of repression is worth acknowledging. Why she give you and other Castro sycophants such fits is amazing.
I had not heard or read of the Haqqani network’s specific demand for money until your comment and I did a bit of research. Nothing I could find credibly supports this claim. Only rumors and innuendo at this point. At this early stage of the investigation of events, it is hard to discern what is fact and what is fiction intended to impugn the Commander-in-Chief’s responsibility to execute war policy. As has been said before, these 5 Taliban leaders would ultimately have to be released at the end of the war. Your comment regarding executing them wasn’t serious was it? Obama inherited Gitmo and has vowed to close it. It will clearly demand that some bad guys be set free somewhere. The soldier Bergdahl seems to have had anti-US and anti-war beliefs. The definition of a deserter requires that the soldier leave with the intention to not return to his post. We still have no proof of what Bergdahl’s intentions were. At worst, he was AWOL and was abducted while he was off post. To call him a deserter is un-American (or in your case un-Canadian) as we believe people are innocent until PROVEN guilty.
You are probably well-accustomed to overwhelming lesser intellects who think differently than you with a barrage of meaningless words and nearly convincing quips that collectively seem to make your point. But upon dissection, you have said next to nothing. I read the links you provided and none of them support your original claim the US politicians are running away from Yoani. None. On behalf of religious people, many of which are my friends and good people, you are fooling only yourself with your babble and you certainly have no right to demean people of faith because of their faith.
Unproven? Unproven? He should have been tried for treason. There are other deserving men being held by these factions that weren’t even mentioned and now Obama made sure to tell the world that any captive soldier being held by the enemy ARE ALL FOR SALE! The only thing left to negotiate is how much they’re worth individually. Obama just put a price on every one of their heads – meanwhile you guys are crying over Yoani. Stop worrying about her… she’s milked this like a Jersey cow.
And who is responsible for this fiasco? Our man Barack!
Moses, don’t be an child, please. I’m enjoying this banter. I’ve brought you everything you’ve asked for and I did the same for Humbi. You guys just don’t want to hear it that’s all. You just don’t want to hear it… That report detailed there, became the magazines she’s had until today. What she herself did not know was that they had their mission set and were going to try to go through with no matter who fit the bill. She even got one of the lowest scores in the testing. They lied to her… go read it yourself…
What the hell… Let’s see now… EVERYBODY Moses – Everybody!
https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08HAVANA542_a.html
https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/08HAVANA103_a.html
http://www.globalresearch.ca/yoani-maria-sanchez-blogger-on-state-department-and-cia-service/5325806
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CU – Cuba | PGOV – Political Affairs–Government; Internal Governmental Affairs | PHUM – Political Affairs–Human Rights | PINR – Political Affairs–Intelligence | PINS – Political Affairs–Internal Security | PREF – Political Affairs–Refugees | PREL – Political Affairs–External Political Relations
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1. (C) SUMMARY: FROM MAY 20 TO JUNE 20, USINT REFUGEE UNIT CONDUCTED AN UNOFFICIAL AND UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF 236 CUBAN ADULTS (OVER AGE 21) WHO WERE PRINCIPAL APPLICANTS FOR REFUGEE STATUS.
RESULTS REVEALED THAT OVER HALF OF THOSE
SURVEYED COULD NOT IDENTIFY ANY OF SEVEN PROMINENT CUBAN DISSIDENTS/OPPOSITION FIGURES, AND THAT EVEN PERSONALITIES
TOUTED IN GOC PROPAGANDA ARE NOT WELL KNOWN.
THE LACK OF NAME RECOGNITION IS EMBLEMATIC OF A SOCIETY THAT HAS BEEN ALTERNATIVELY STARVED AND FORCE-FED INFORMATION FOR YEARS. WE REPORT THIS INFORMATION FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH AS ONE INDICATOR OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH CUBANS REMAIN UNINFORMED
ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND THEM.
END SUMMARY.
2. (C) RESPONDENTS WERE TOLD THE SURVEY WAS ANONYMOUS AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR REFUGEE APPLICATION. THEY FILLED
OUT THE SURVEY IN THE PRIVACY OF AN INTERVIEW ROOM. THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED ONLY AMONG REFUGEE APPLICANTS, AND THUS WAS NOT A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE CUBAN POPULATION.
RATHER, THOSE WHO APPLY TO THE REFUGEE PROGRAM BELIEVE (AND USUALLY CAN DOCUMENT) THAT THEY HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF
HARASSMENT, REPRESSION, AND PERSECUTION AT THE HANDS OF THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT. VIRTUALLY ALL CLAIM THAT THEY OPPOSE THE
GOVERNMENT AND THE PRESSURE IS SO GREAT THAT THEY MUST LEAVE CUBA.
ONE MIGHT ASSUME, THEREFORE, THAT REFUGEE APPLICANTS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN THE AVERAGE CUBAN TO BE AWARE OF AND
RECEPTIVE TO THE MESSAGE OF CUBAN DISSIDENTS/OPPOSITION FIGURES FOR CHANGE.
TO TEST THE AWARENESS OF THE DISSIDENT
MOVEMENT IN CUBA, HAVANA REFUGEE COORDINATOR DEVISED A NAME RECOGNITION SURVEY, CONTAINING A LIST OF 20 INDIVIDUALS (WITH SEVEN DISSIDENTS MIXED IN) AND ASKING THE RESPONDENT TO STATE WHO EACH PERSON IS.
BELOW IS THE LIST OF NAMES ON THE SURVEY, THE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS WHO CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE NAME, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS WHO ANSWERED CORRECTLY.
A. OSCAR ESPINOSA CHEPE (INDEPENDENT ECONOMIST AND DISSIDENT, ONE OF THE 75 DISSIDENTS ARRESTED, TRIED AND CONVICTED IN 2003 TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. SERVED 19 MONTHS BEFORE BEING RELEASED FOR HEALTH REASONS. FOR OVER FIVE YEARS, HOSTED A
WEEKLY RADIO SEGMENT ON RADIO MARTI). NUMBER WHO ANSWERED CORRECTLY: 42/236, OR 18 PERCENT.
B. MARIO CESAR KINDELAN MESA (TWO-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNING BOXER (SYDNEY 2000 AND ATHENS 2004). BOXING IS A VERY
POPULAR AND IMPORTANT SPORT IN CUBA.): NUMBER WHO ANSWERED CORRECTLY: 62/236, OR 26 PERCENT.
C. MARTHA BEATRIZ ROQUE: (ONE OF CUBA’S MOST PROMINENT, VOCAL, AND RECOGNIZABLE DISSIDENTS, IMPRISONED 1997-2000 FOR
HER PAPER TITLED “THE HOMELAND BELONGS TO ALL” CALLING FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC REFORMS. ALSO IMPRISONED IN 2003 AS
ONE OF THE 75 DISSIDENTS, FOR DEMOCRACY RELATED ACTIVITIES. RELEASED IN 2004 FOR DECLINING HEALTH. MBR WAS FRONT PAGE
NEWS IN GRANMA, CUBA’S OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER, AND ON TELEVISION ON MAY 20/21, 2008 WHEN THIS SURVEY COMMENCED, FOR SUPPOSEDLY
RECEIVING MONEY FROM CUBAN “TERRORISTS” IN THE UNITED STATES.): NUMBER WHO ANSWERED CORRECTLY: 102/236, OR 43
PERCENT.
D. RICARDO ALARCON (PRESIDENT OF CUBA’S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SINCE 1993): 176/236, OR 75 PERCENT. NOTE: FEW RESPONDENTS SEEMED TO KNOW ALARCON’S TITLE. MANY RESPONDENTS SAID HE WAS A “GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL,” OR “POLITICIAN,” OR “VICE PRESIDENT.”
E. JOSE RAUL CAPABLANCA (WORLD CHESS CHAMPION 1921-27.): 151/236, OR 64 PERCENT.
F. ROBERTO DE MIRANDA (ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE “75”, SENTENCED TO A 20 YEAR TERM IN 2003 FOR COLLECTING SIGNATURES FOR THE VARELA PROJECT, WHICH WORKS FOR DEMOCRATIC REFORMS AND THE RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN CUBA. PRESIDENT OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT TEACHERS, WHICH SEEKS TO KEEP POLITICAL IDEOLOGY OUT OF SCHOOLS. FOUNDER OF THE FIRST
INDEPENDENT LIBRARY IN CUBA): 12/236, OR FIVE PERCENT.
G. ALICIA ALONSO: (MOST RECOGNIZABLE FIGURE IN CUBAN BALLET. BALLET IS HUGE IN CUBA.): 218/236, OR 92 PERCENT.
H. JOSE LUIS PEREZ GARCIA AKA ANTUNEZ: (ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT DISSIDENTS IN CUBA, JAILED FOR 17 YEARS, RELEASED 2007. ANTUNEZ IS EXTREMELY COURAGEOUS, HAVING STAGED
MULTIPLE HUNGER STRIKES MAKING DEMANDS FOR HIS FELLOW POLITICAL PRISONERS, AND ALWAYS CHALLENGING THE REGIME. ANTUNEZ CURRENTLY FACES NEW CHARGES THAT COULD LAND HIM ANOTHER JAIL TERM. ALONG WITH MBR, DENOUNCED IN CUBAN MEDIA MAY 20/21, 2008 FOR ALLEGEDLY RECEIVING MONEY FROM CUBAN “TERRORISTS” IN THE UNITED STATES.): 51/236, OR 22 PERCENT.
I. CARLOS LAGE DAVILA: (VICE PRESIDENT): 180/236, OR 76 PERCENT. LIKE ALARCON, MANY RESPONDENTS IDENTIFIED LAGE AS “POLITICIAN,” OR “GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL,” WITHOUT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONING HIS ACTUAL TITLE.
J. LAURA POLLAN: (WIFE OF IMPRISONED CUBAN ACTIVIST HECTOR MASEDA, LEADER OF THE DAMAS DE BLANCO – LADIES IN WHITE,
ORGANIZATION OF SPOUSES OF GROUP OF 75. VERY PROMINENT CUBAN OPPOSITION FIGURE WHO REGULARLY LEADS ANTI-GOC MARCHES IN THE STREETS OF HAVANA, DEMANDING RELEASE
OF POLITICAL PRISONERS): 38/236, OR 16 PERCENT.
K. REINALDO ARENAS (1943-1990. CUBAN POET, NOVELIST, AND PLAYWRIGHT FAMOUS FOR SUCH WORKS AS “BEFORE NIGHT FALLS” (ON
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST 1993 AND MADE INTO A FILM STARRING JAVIER BARDEM IN 2000). AFTER SERVING TIME IN PRISON FOR COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY VIEWS, FLED CUBA IN 1980 MARIEL BOATLIFT. NOVELS BANNED IN CUBA. 9/236 OR 4 PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS RECOGNIZED ARENAS.
L. LIVAN HERNANDEZ AND ORLANDO HERNANDEZ: (CUBAN BROTHERS AND PITCHERS WHO BOTH FLED TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL IN
THE UNITED STATES IN 1995 AND 1997 RESPECTIVELY. BASEBALL IS THE NUMBER ONE SPORT IN CUBA AND WIDELY PLAYED AND WATCHED): 44/236, OR 19 PERCENT.
M. ALBITA RODRIGUEZ: (CUBAN SINGER, LIVING IN MIAMI SINCE 1988): 127/236, OR 54 PERCENT.
N. OSCAR ELIAS BISCET: (CUBAN DOCTOR AND PROMINENT CHRISTIAN ANTI-ABORTION ACTIVIST, AND A NOTED ADVOCATE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
AND DEMOCRATIC FREEDOMS IN CUBA. ONE OF THE GROUP OF 75, DR. BISCET IS SERVING A 25-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE. IN RECOGNITION
OF HIS ADVOCACY EFFORTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY, PRESIDENT BUSH BESTOWED UPON BISCET THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF
FREEDOM IN 2007): 45/236, OR 19 PERCENT.
O. LUIS POSADA CARRILES: (CUBAN ANTI-CASTRO FIGURE PRESENTLY IN THE UNITED STATES. APPEARS ON BILLBOARDS IN CUBA AND
FREQUENTLY IN THE GOC-CONTROLLED MEDIA. LABELED AS A TERRORIST AND ACCUSED OF BOMBING A CUBAN AIRLINER THAT RESULTED IN 73 DEATHS.): 149/236, OR 63 PERCENT, RECOGNIZED POSADA. NOTE: RESPONDENTS IDENTIFIED POSADA AS “TERRORIST,” “FREEDOM FIGHTER, OR BY MANY OTHER TITLES. RECOGNITION OF HIS NAME WAS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN 63 PERCENT, BUT CREDIT WAS
NOT GIVEN TO A NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS WHO IDENTIFIED POSADA ONLY AS “CUBAN-AMERICAN” OR “CUBAN LIVING IN EXILE.”
P. OSWALDO PAYA. (ALONG WITH MBR, CONSIDERED CUBA’S MOST PROMINENT DISSIDENT. AUTHOR OF THE VARELA PROJECT, WHICH AT LEAST 25,000 CUBANS HAVE SIGNED, CALLING FOR POLITICAL REFORMS AND HUMAN RIGHTS): 68/236, OR 29 PERCENT, RECOGNIZED
PAYA. NOTE: MANY REFUGEE APPLICANTS CLAIM TO HAVE SIGNED THE VARELA PROJECT, BUT NOT ALL ARE AWARE OF THE AUTHOR OF THE
DOCUMENT.
Q. JOSE FUSTER: (ONE OF THE MORE FAMOUS CUBAN ARTISTS, WHO HAS PAINTED, SCULPTED, AND MADE CERAMIC TILES FOR 40 YEARS.
HAS TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD, HAS HIS OWN WEBSITE, REGULARLY HOLDS EXHIBITIONS IN CUBA, AND HAS DECORATED HIS ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD IN HAVANA WITH HIS TILE WORK. WIDELY KNOWN AMONG FOREIGNERS, WHO, UNLIKE CUBANS, CAN AFFORD HIS WORKS. ONLY 1/236, OR .4 PERCENT, OF THE RESPONDENTS
RECOGNIZED FUSTER.
R. YOANI SANCHEZ: (CUBAN BLOGGER WHO PASSES FOR A FOREIGNER AND THEREFORE IS ABLE TO SLIP INTO HOTELS AND USE INTERNET
COMPUTERS TO WRITE FACTUAL STORIES ABOUT LIFE IN CUBA. RECENTLY LABELED BY TIME MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN THE WORLD and awarded the prestigious Ortega y Gasset prize by the Spanish newspaper El Pais): 4/236, OR 2 PERCENT.
S. RAMON LABANINO: (ONE OF FIVE CUBANS LABELED “HEROES” BY THE GOC, WHICH FREQUENTLY ACCUSES THE UNITED STATES AS HAVING CONVICTED AND JAILED THEM IN 1998 UNJUSTLY FOR SPYING. POSTERS AND SIGNS FOR THESE “FIVE HEROES” ARE EVERYWHERE IN
HAVANA, AND THEIR NAMES AND FACES ARE DEPICTED IN MANY BILLBOARDS): 112/236, OR 47 PERCENT.
T. MICHAEL PARMLY: (THE FORMER CHIEF OF MISSION AT USINT): 26/236, OR 11 PERCENT.
——–
Will this do Moses or do you need me to change the type face or the font size? Is the black ink acceptable or do you want another shade? Charcoal grey perhaps?
And notice, that this is a report Parmley wrote to his superiors in Washington, D.C. where he is basically saying here is that he has fooled all the people present (Yoani included) in order to get them to agree to be tested.
It shows you that from the very beginning – the U.S. has been using her. They did the same type of testing they do in reality shows when they want to determine which protagonists the public accepts more readily than others.
They chose her the same way television producers choose “performers” from audience members. And also notice what a low rating she received. That’s why she upped her game and got foreigners to translate her work. But she couldn’t keep the game on long term, she slipped and they all caught it.
So if anything Humbi and Moses, I’m doing Yoani a public service because she doesn’t even know she was a guinea pig. She doesn’t realize she was groomed like a Stepford Wife with as much aplomb.
Once they were done with her – game over.
Read it right there – it says they were “testing candidates”. That’s where they got their pool to cull from. Get it Humbi? Get it?
It says, and I quote… ‘conducted an unofficial and unscientific survey’
“…. USINT REFUGEE UNIT CONDUCTED AN UNOFFICIAL AND UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF 236 CUBAN ADULTS (OVER AGE 21) WHO WERE PRINCIPAL APPLICANTS FOR REFUGEE STATUS….”
How did Yoani go from the back of the line to the front of the line? Can you spell hummer?
Go back and read 2C – it tells you clearly that they (the USINT and Parmley) lied to the survey applicants whom were desperately trying to please because their exit depended on it.
2 (C) read between the lines…
_____________________
2. (C) RESPONDENTS ‘WERE TOLD’ THE SURVEY WAS ANONYMOUS AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR REFUGEE APPLICATION. THEY FILLED
OUT THE SURVEY IN THE PRIVACY OF AN INTERVIEW ROOM. THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED ONLY AMONG REFUGEE APPLICANTS, AND THUS WAS NOT A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE CUBAN POPULATION.
_____________________
That means that they were lied to so that they would take the test and then USAID would choose from that group. Yoani failed and they had to regroup her and groom her to play the part they needed her to play.
Do you want to know how pissed off she’s going to be when she realizes that the whole world knows she was fooled before she did?
As proud as she is, she’ll want to eat her own liver!
Humbi dude… you’ve got to take it easy. You’re getting all upset again. Why don’t you take a break and come back when you’ve cooled off. It would be a shame for you to die on us from an infarct while Yoani was debuting her movie. And did you see her voguing? It was fabulous!
Humbi… tu estas sufriendo calenturas ajenas. Girlfriend (Yoani) is sitting in her Havana apartment with a cash counting machine and dollar wrappers while you’re in California trying to make your light bill.
Moses did you really write:
…The government of Quatar has given the US the best assurances possible that these men will be monitored for a year….
Moses, put the bong down buddy.
Oh Moses, screw the Revolutionary War… you don’t have to reach that far back in history. When this country wants to do something they just do it. We had no legal business invading Grenada, remember that or are you too young?
How did Pres. Reagan put it? He said, “we have deployed an early morning insertion…” I was worried our soldiers were over there screwing somebody.
And when the U.S. wanted to control the drug trade, did we or did we not go all the way into the depths of Nicaragua, drag Noriega out of bed and bring him the the U.S. in his God damned pajamas and held him here in a U.S. prison for 20 years until 2011?
Those are but 2 examples that the U.S. does whatever the hell the U.S. wants to do whenever and wherever that U.S. wants to do it. Do you need me to bring you a notarized statement from a member of Congress that was in office when that happened? Or can you just go look that up on your own?
And to make matters worse, every single member of the platoon has signed a notarized statement identifying themselves clearly and individually that Bergdahl left his position and that they searched for him for months and not one or two soldiers claim that 6 died in the process of searching for him – every single member states so.
What did the administration do then? They’re trying to convince the public that Bergdahl was sick. It’s true – he may be very sick but at the very least, Obama could have brought on the families of the six men who died looking for him. Nope – he didn’t bother. Perhaps that would have looked too compassionate.
Instead he only brought Bergdahl’s parents to the rose garden ceremony whom by making the Arabic statement he made, basically “claimed” the White House for Allah and he wore an outfit suitable for religious Islamic ceremonies not a western tradition outfit in keeping with western traditions whether nationalistic or religious.
It’s that lack of tact and international protocol that Obama is often facing. The families of the 6 dead soldiers that died looking for him weren’t even mentioned as though they didn’t exist. Why? Because to Obama they don’t exist to him.
But I guess now you need me to drive to your house and bring you a linguist, a body language expert and a textile professional to prove the thread count in his middle eastern shirt don’t ya?
Chupate esa hombre en lo que te mondo la otra… (Ask Humbi what that means). And try to keep your sense of humor. Remember that we’re here to discuss this not to pummel each other down. Am I a little sarcastic with my humor? You betcha… but you and Humbi are both men, you can take it. This is banter and enjoyment. Anyone feeling the need to insult or bang someone over the head, just stop for a couple of days, cool off and come back when you’re feeling civil again.
You need not rely on me. I’ve posted the irrefutable corroboration, the wikileaks reports in their entirety but when a person’s mind is “all made up”, none of the proof will satisfy you because what you are experiencing is the realization that ‘Yoani’s gig is up’ meaning that you’ll soon be embracing the reality – THAT WE WERE ALL DUPED AND WORLDWIDE – GAVE HER ALL SORTS OF MONEY!
Don’t be pissed off at me – the wikileaks reports are plentiful and Michael E. Parmley is quoted in numerous documents (several provided here repeatedly) that you don’t want to read because they don’t support your continued fantasy. And none of it will satisfy you because you’re like a religious person that wants to believe in the ethereal. Lazarus being raised from the dead, immaculate conception, Jahi McMath is sleeping, etc. Did you ever try convincing one of these people otherwise? Try it… It’s no different than talking to you is right now. When you stop being upset because of the reality and recognize that I didn’t create it – I only repeat it – you’ll come to terms with it.
I am not responsible to repeatedly provide you with documentation that is open and available everywhere. I’m not your employee. Go find it yourself. Humbi had the same problem. He fights with me and attacks me personally because he’s upset that while he’s been breaking his ass building his business, the powers that be were handing her millions. I know he’s not angry with me. He’s angry at being made a fool of and so too will you be ‘when it finally hits ya’.
We have already read some of Berfdahl’s emails in which he professed his loathing of the US and the military and of his intention to walk away.
Now the news is that the Haqqani network who held Bergdahl were not interested in getting the 5 Taliban back. The only thing the Haqqani wants is money. Somebody must have paid them random for Haqqani, probably Qatar. In exchange for the payment, Obama released the 5 Taliban to Qatar. So the net result is the US has now helped fund Haqqani for years to come, 5 senior Taliban commanders have rejoined the fight, and the US gets one messed up deserter back.
People can disagree with ObamaCare or the GM bailout based on a differing political point of view. Those policies were exactly what they are & either you like them or not. But the Bergdahl deal was not anything like what the Obama administration tried to say it was. The whole point to the deal was to help empty Gitmo. If it meant paying terrorist millions of dollars to create a cover story, so be it. This deal is especially appalling to millions of Americans.
Pardon my tone. I take umbrage with false and unfounded comments clearly intended to sway the opinions of the uninformed. I searched several pages of the link you provided and could not find a direct quote from Parmley even implying that Yoani had fallen out of favor with any of her politician friends. In as polite a tone as I can muster, I ask you a second time to provide me with a direct link to the source of that comment. As far as your ‘personal’ exchange with Ms. Sanchez, well, in as much as your credibility has suffered with me I am less willing to accept these quotes as gospel. But even if she did lie to you, so what? Cubans are forced to lie all the time. Especially if she perceived that you might be an agent of the regime. I wish it were not so but that is the reality wrought by a regime that makes lying a national pastime.
In your comment you write, “Yoani, whom both countries give her the liberties of a spy, spent most of her evenings with her husband and the Chief of US Affairs (Parmley, at the time), wining and dining in his home in Havana.” Yet, the Wikileaks site you source speaks of only one visit and only in passing. The report is a background on the now defunct online magazine, Consenso started by Yoani and her husband. Why lie chica? In your zeal to support the regime, are you really ready to compromise even your online integrity?
Humberto, You know you’re not angry at me. You’re angry at yourself and embarrassed beyond measure because you backed the wrong horse. That’s really what this is all about.
You’re pissed off because you’ve come to realize that while you were defending Yoani’s saintlike persona, she was making bank. And while you were defending her right to wear the phoney outfits and hillbilly hair and the peasant blouses to milk money out of so many poor people, you’ve come to realize it was carefully orchestrated by a Madison Avenue Public Relations firm. She doesn’t really dress like that at all.
You’ve been working your ass off to try to keep your classical music business afloat while she was building a massive bank account. You should be pissed off – but you should direct your anger where it belongs – to the “Advertising Agency Saint” that fooled you – not at me.
I’ve never fooled you and I’ve never lied to you. When you ask me to prove something, I immediately give you the source. When you asked me to show you a photo instead of a logo, I immediately changed it.
Yoani did fool you – she fooled us all. She has made a fortune on the backs of Hispanics foolish enough to throw money at her. She’s an operative. She’s not an icon to emulate. If you feel bad now – wait until she’s completely unmasked. That’s when you’re really going to feel bad.
Instead of being pissed off at me, as a business person, you and I should be working together to help build up your business. Instead, you choose to focus on this millionaire gal whom doesn’t give a good God damn about you.
Why am I here? Porque puedo. Soy una mujer retirada con suficiente recursos para poder hacer y deshacer como me requete-de-la-gana. Tu, al contrario, no debes estar aqui porque todavia estas atendiendo un negocio que seguira sufriendo mientras tengas tus atenciones aqui.
Atiende tu negocio en ves de estar aqui peleando conmigo. Yo estoy aqui porque puedo. Tu no puedes. Largate y atiende tu negocio y deja de estar peleando con una mujer en publico so necio. El publico se esta riendo de ti. Haciendo el papel d’el gran macho contra una mujer.
La rabia que tienes no es conmigo, tienes rabia porque tienes que aceptar que la tal operativa Yoani Sanchez te uso como un limpea mocos. Cuanto dinero le mandastes?
I bet you wish you had that money now don’t you! Now that’s what you’re really pissed off about!
Now stop trying to act like a sulking reality TV star and snap the hell out of it. When you gather yourself and realize you’ve made a mistake, contact me. I will happily help you build your business up to where it should be.
I think it’s a feat in itself that you’ve focused on classical music. It’s a virtuous effort and a wonderful choice. Don’t throw everything you’ve built away by fighting to defend someone who doesn’t give a flaming f*ck about you.
Instead, you should be respectful to me instead of insulting me on Yoani’s behalf because I am someone that is willing and able to help you.
P.S. forgive my Spanish spelling errors – it’s not my first language!
Yes, you are a “bobolon”.
Of course, here it is… https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/07HAVANA622_a.html
By the way Moses Patterson, HumbertoCapiro made it a point to call me out because he felt I was hiding behind my company logo so I had to swap it for a photograph in order to shut him up. I noticed he didn’t ask the same of you.
Humbi, no seas hipocrita. A mi me dices que cambie mi avatar pero a este chulo no le dices un carajo. Que te pasa Humbi, tu solo te fajas con las mujeres? Porque no le dices algo a el? Porque no te a..t..r..e..v..e..s!
Whoa amigo mio… We’re here because we enjoy open discussion. Stop taking that tone with me… When you walk with your nose in the air, you’re bound to trip because you can’t see where you’re headed. Save that tone for people in your employ.
I don’t say/publish anything I can’t corroborate. Michael E. Parmley was quoted personally, saying those words. They came right out of “his” own mouth and are quotes from his own written reports to his boss in Washington, D.C.
Here’s the link but I also realize that you’re not really looking for proof and documentation. That’s the last thing you want to see – you’re interested in “being right”. Well you chose the wrong subject to be right about because all her hangers on are all taking cover.
Google offers “multiple” versions and opinions with the direct link to Parmley’s statements in wikileaks and the contradictions themselves. Here is the search link results for that query:
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=michael+e.+parmley+wikileaks+statements
And here is the link I use that proves that what she said to me directly contradicts what Parmley reported to his boss in Washington, D.C. Now either Yoani is lying about Parmley or Parmley is lying about Yoani and her husband to Washington, D.C. Which is it? You decide!
I asked her directly if she knew any Americans, USAID people, NGO folk, etc. working in Havana.
She said “absolutely not, I have nothing to do with any of the people working in any American organizations and don’t even know where their offices or homes are located”.
She said this to me while I was watching video of herself and her husband entering Michael E. Parmley’s home in Havana. A home I might add she denied knowing its location since as she put it “she’d never been there, didn’t know it, didn’t know him, didn’t know his wife and didn’t know anyone at USAID”.
Ruthie DiTucci!! Dont want to get myself dirty with your type of “journalism”! Get it thru your head dear!!
FYI, this person writing under “syndicatednews” is
actually the “journalist” Ruthie DiTucci! Dont know if is ethical or
legal for her to accuse Yoani Sanchez of all these things without proof
on these comment sections! Seems very “yellow journalism”! Ruthie, dont
worry documenting all of this in case Yoani Sanchez ever needs it!
“Yellow journalism, or the yellow press, is a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers”
These are not times past. Obama critics would never abide the execution of terrorists no matter how deserved. There are those who criticize the killing of Osama Bin Laden and insist he should have been brought back for trial. There is no debating that these were bad guys. Your criticism fails to offer an alternative however. At the cessation of combat operations, international law requires that enemy combatants held in Guantanamo or elsewhere be released. The government of Quatar has given the US the best assurances possible that these men will be monitored for a year. There is likely no better deal possible. Critics like you would have pounced on this administration had no deal been reached and Bergdahl been left in Afghanistan, possibly executed. We have not heard Bergdahl’s side of the story. At this point, all we know is he went AWOL. Desertion charges are specific and hard to prove. The accusations leveled by his fellow soldiers seem heartfelt but are so far, unproven. Secretary Hagel, head of the Pentagon signed off on the trade. Obama decision to approve this trade, like many of his decisions, have attracted fast and furious criticisms. Like the his GM bailout decision, his Obamacare program, his Syria actions, and now even his efforts in Ukraine, the early critics end up with egg on their face because after the passage of a little time, his decisions have proven to be correct. I would suggest that before you pass judgment on this decision, you should wait to hear from Bergdahl.
The baddest of the bad don’t actually have to be released. In years past, such terrorists were executed.
One of the men Obama released is a wanted war criminal. They will certainly all return to jihad and contribute to the deaths of more innocent men, women & children. The government of Afghanistan are angry these men were releaesed. The soldiers who served with Bergdahl before he deserted are furious. The Taliban are delighted and have declared that it has encouraged them to kidnap more Americans.
The Pentagon objected to releasing these men, but Obama insisted on doing it because it is his goal to close the prison at Gitmo before he leaves office. It was a poor decision made for the wrong reasons and poorly executed by a weak President.
Please cite your source regarding the Parmley comments.
What a wacko comment! Yoani is a blogger and Gross was a contractor paid to give away technology equipment. Both activities are perfectly legal nearly everywhere in the world except places like North Korea, Iran, and of course, Cuba. What ‘records’ have you seen that put Yoani at the top of any list of customers? Likewise, which politician, specifically, doesn’t want to hear her name. Where are you getting this stuff? Comments like these appear to be written by the knuckleheads in Cuba since they have a similar ring of making accusations without backup or source.
BINGO Humbi – BINGO! You finally hung yourself with your own words. Alan Gross is NOT A SPY and even the Castro Regime recognizes that; yet he’s in prison serving a 15 year sentence and Yoani Sanchez was given a passport to come and go as she pleases.
Yoani, whom both countries give her the liberties of a spy, spent most of her evenings with her husband and the Chief of US Affairs (Parmley, at the time), wining and dining in his home in Havana.
Parmley brags to his boss that Sanchez and Escobar are there regularly (a home I might add she said she didn’t know where it was located since she never frequented American’s homes).
The only persons Parmley bragged about was Yoani Sanchez and her husband Escobar. Parmley tells his boss in Washington, D.C. that she’s well groomed for “the job” and that she’s ready to fulfill her “duties”. What exactly does that mean to you Humbi?
Parmley is the one that clearly identified Sanchez and Escobar as the ones that will turn Cuba on its head and manage Cuba in the future and “do what we want”.
Yoani knew she needed press so she has always insisted on having a blog, paper or magazine so that she doesn’t have to pay political advertising fees.
And if she can fool people into following her around like dopes because she looks so “campesina-like” with the hillbilly hair and the little peasant blouses, The entire phoney outfit was deliberately meant to deceive the public. The people that “prepared” her wanted her to emulate a cross between mother Theresa and Joan of Arc. Go find Joan of Arc and Mother Theresa photos and look at how she positions her arms – it’s called mirroring. It is deliberate, it is staged and it is well paid.
She clearly sees herself as Cuba’s “new deal” and Obama’s administration was grooming her as Raul’s replacement. You don’t want to read the wikileaks because it is too hard for you to see the words that identify everything I’ve been telling you all along. That she is a “purpose” and a political strategist not a freedom promoter or just a blogger.
By the way, let’s talk about her other “German husband”. Shall we? She told her relatives that she had married the German. Then when did she divorce Escobar? She never did. Or were her relatives lying? Do you want me to drag them out one by one and get them on the record Humbi like I did with her brother in law? Because by now you know I’ll do it.
https://soundcloud.com/syndicatednews/yoani-and-ed?utm_source=soundcloud&utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=twitter
She used the German like she uses everyone else. And where is Obama regarding Yoani now? Do you see him bringing her to the Whitehouse? Where are all the politicians that were breaking their necks trying to get their pictures taken with her? They won’t even mention her by name!
The tweets welcoming Bergdahl home as a “hero” have been quickly removed and deleted around the world. Everyone here is making believe they don’t know who she is.
Obama doesn’t need Yoani anymore and he’s proven again and again that when he’s finished with someone, he tosses them off like a used kleenex. And what about the magnificent Secretary of State? The response was “let’s move on to new business”. You get it now?
http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=07HAVANA622&q=parmly%20sanchez%20yoani/cable.php?id=07HAVANA622&q=parmly%20sanchez%20yoani
Instead of further making a fool of yourself because you want to believe in the ethereal, it’s time you put this nonsense down and attend to things you’ve been neglecting. This broad is loaded and she doesn’t need your help Humbi. Don’t further neglect your business in order to kiss Yoani’s butt. She’s been extremely well financed for decades while you were struggling to get your business on its feet.
Do you see that half ass mona lisa smile and that smirk she’s got on her face all the time? It means what it is – stop trying to make it into something it’s not. She’s a megalomaniac and all these “do good” organizations kept feeding her mental illness by giving her more and more money.
And Humberto, what are you talking about? Telling DC1945 “why haven’t they put the evidence online” You too are getting full of yourself. Who in hell do you think you are to demand that a government, any government give you proof of anything. You’re nobody to them babe. They don’t have to explain themselves to anyone, especially to you.
You won’t even read the documentation that clearly identifies Yoani as an operative. You’re like trying to convince a staunch religious person that Maria got pregnant by Jose and had a baby they named Jesus and that it all happened through immaculate conception instead of intercourse.
Open your intellectual mind to the reality of what’s on the table and stop trying to make it something less painful. There are people Humbi, and I mean, really good looking people, whose babies are a horror to look at. We don’t tell them their kids are ugly. No matter how ugly the kid is, we go to the home, eat their food, drink their liquor and when we leave, we all pile in the car and split our sides laughing our asses off.
This situation is Humbi, is similar to visiting an ugly baby. This is a very sad situation and there’s no amount of makeup or lying or spying that is going to help make it into something virtuous and honorable.
This baby is ugly Humbi – face it. The kid howls at the moon and there’s nothing you can do about it. Accept it and stop banging your head against the wall.
Let’s all just laugh it off and keep our eyes open for the next time they try to fool us.
When arrested, Alan Gross was doing the same work that Yoani Sanchez was doing. Both were working with the authorization, approval and sign off of the Obama administration.
Yoani was well aware of the project’s true purpose. Alan Gross was a patsy that didn’t know any better. He was just trying to make a few bucks for his retirement.
The right thing to do is to let him go. It’s cruel to hold a sickly 65 year old in prison for doing exactly what Yoani did when she was rewarded handsomely paid for it.
All ZunZuneo records show that one of the first users and supporters was Yoani Sanchez. She was being paid very well by multiple sources.
US politicians that were elbowing each other out of the way to get their pictures taken with her don’t even want to hear her name. They’re making believe they never heard of her. “Yoani who?”
You don’t have to swap Alan Gross for three men – take Yoani – she’ll qualifies for 3.
The reality is that these 5 detainees and many others like them still housed in Guantanamo will have to be released eventually. There are those of us who believe that Obama’s decision to use them in a trade for an American soldier is better than getting nothing for them. There are many detainees who will never face trial because the evidence against them is classified. After nearly a decade in detention, most of them, despite their views, are of little use to their former comrades and, in truth, are not likely to be trusted easily by their fellow Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists. I heartily agree that the chances that Obama would risk a trade with the Castros at this point are nearly zero.
DC1945!! Why has the Castro “government” not allowed international or independent journalist to interview Alan Gross? Why have they never put the evidence photos online? Why have they never release trial or appeal transcripts?? Why so many “why’s” if such a “open-and-shut” case??
NBC NEWS: American jailed in Cuba wants US to sign ‘non-belligerency pact’ to speed release – By Michael Isikoff
The Cubans so far have denied all news media requests to meet with him.) He said Gross was most upset about being unable to return home to see members of his family who are ill, especially his 90-year-old mother in Texas who has cancer.
http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/02/15620342-american-jailed-in-cuba-wants-us-to-sign-non-belligerency-pact-to-speed-release?lite
The trial of the Cuban 5 was clean.
Their co-spies confirmed they had spied or ordered others to spy on military installations.
At this point, it’s not so clear Obama did the right thing at all in trading 5 top Taliban terrorists for a deserter who cost the lives of several of his fellow soldiers who were sent out to look for him.
When the trade for Bergdahl was announced, White House sources hinted that this was a test run for Obama’s intention of releasing many more detainees at Gitmo, with the goal of closing the prison camp (not the whole naval base) by the end of his term. But judging by the way this Bergdahl fiasco has blown up in Obama’s face, it is now very unlikely he will get very far in releasing any more terrorists from Gitmo.
Not even one of your favourite sources, Amnesty International, is buying into your BS, Humberto. They have repeatedly condemned the “trial” of The Five as a travesty. But they have never questioned Gross’s conviction or called for his release. They will have nothing to do with those prisoners fairly convicted of espionage.
So the supporters of the “Cuban five” – Cuban agents sentenced for counter-intelligence activity within the US, are to have a march to the White House. I hope that when they do so, they reflect upon the free society which permits such marches and demonstrations and upon the Castro regime which bans such expressions of opinion. when will Socialist Cuba similarly become the “home of the free”?
The exchange of Sgt. Bergdahl for five high ranking Taliban terrorists has turned out to be a potential political disaster for the Obama administration (he had recently pledged not to release any Taliban without giving 30 days notice to Congress, the five Taliban released include some very nasty men with plenty of American blood on their hands, and it has turned out that Sgt Bergdahl was not in fact captured by the Taliban, but rather, he deserted his post and joined the Taliban). Eight US soldiers were killed in action while searching for Bergdahl, and their fellow soldiers have no kind words for the deserter who cost the lives of these good men.
Given the resulting fiasco of the Afghan prisoner exchange, it seems unlikely Obama will attempt any deals with Cuba, without approval from congress (which he won’t get) and to release 3 convicted spies for one innocent man.
Bergdahl is an American soldier. Since the Revolutionary War, the US has had a long tradition of never leaving our soldiers, dead or alive, behind on the battlefield. It is inappropriate to compare the private services Alan Gross provided as a subcontractor to USAID, an NGO, to the military service provided by Army soldier Bergdahl. Bergdahl was under orders from his commanders. Alan Gross, on his own initiative, chose to organize and deliver laptops and cellphones to members of the Cuban Jewish community. Given the firestorm of protests that Obama has received for doing the right thing for an American in uniform, it is not likely he will waste the political capital to do the same for Alan Gross.
Alan Gross is neither a spy nor a member of the armed forces! This is not apples to apples! Even the Castro “Government” has stated he is not a spy. And what is this about “Cuban 5”! There were over 12 members in the Wasp Spy Network!
N.Y. TIMES: Senators Urge Castro to Release American – By JONATHAN
WEISMAN – February 24, 2012
Cuban authorities “do not consider Alan Gross a spy,” Mr. Leahy said. Mr. Gross had traveled to Cuba five times in 2009 under his own name before his arrest.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/25/us/politics/senators-meet-with-raul-castro-seeking-release-of-alan-gross.html