US May Free Terrorist Posada Carriles
Washington , Jan 4 /2006 (Prensa Latina ) Having frozen his deportation to Venezuela , the US government is now considering releasing terrorist Luis Posada Carriles on parole.
The Miami Herald Spanish edition informed of the January 24 hearing at the Immigration Services detention center in Texas to rule on his status, citing his attorney who claims they will decide whether Posada would be a threat to the community and whether he will report to court.
"It means the government will check through the entire case: his past, services to the US Army, his life in Venezuela , his future residence and sponsor," said lawyer Eduardo Soto.
Soto will submit documents claiming the reliability of the 77-year-old terrorist, in detention since May 17, 2005. The Herald says the verdict may take up to 60 days.
Twenty congress people and the US media have asked President Bush to deny Posada Carriles asylum and deport him to Venezuela as the latter requested based upon a bilateral extradition accord.
The legislators recalled the Bush August 26, 2003 address when he said "if you shelter a terrorist, support a terrorist, and feed a terrorist, then you are as guilty as a terrorist."
On May 10, seven days before Posada's detention, a New York Times editorial said that for credibility, consistency and justice the government should arrest and extradite this felon.
"The White House would offend national principles and set a bad precedent by making special exceptions for a confessed terrorist," stressed The Times.
The daily even suggested that the US government try Posada for the mid-flight bombing of a Cuban airliner in 1976, killing all 73 people aboard.
The NYT also recalled Posada's involvement in the 1997 attacks against hotels in Havana , one of which killed Italian tourist Fabio Di Celmo.
USA Today also lashed at the administration's double standard by comparing the manhunt for a black activist believed guilty of murder to the little interest in bringing Posada Carriles to justice.
Instead of sending FBI agents to search for Carriles in Florida , the government merely recognized that he requested asylum, noted the paper.