Luis Posada Carriles

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Arrest photograph of Luis Posada Carriles

Luis Clemente Faustino Posada Carriles (born February 15, 1928) is a Cuban born Venezuelan national, an anti-Fidel Castro militant, anti-communist para-military and former CIA operative who has confessed to participating in a number of terrorist plots against Cuba. Posada was active in Operation 40, a CIA anti-Castrist operation in the early 1960s. He has been condemned for his involvement in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner which killed seventy-three people. Despite requests for extradition by Venezuela to face charges, and calls for Posada to be prosecuted in the United States for terrorism crimes, Posada is presently being tried by authorities in Texas on the charge of illegally entering the U.S.^[1]

Posada, nicknamed Bambi,^[2] is also said by Manuel Contreras, head of the Chilean DINA secret agency, to have been involved in Operation Condor, namely in Orlando Letelier's murder in Washington, D.C., a few weeks before Cubana de Aviación's explosion ^[3]. Posada has denied involvement in the airliner bombing, but has admitted being part of a plot to bomb Havana hotels, which led to the death of an Italian tourist. In addition, he was jailed for an assassination attempt on Castro in Panama in 2000, although he was later pardoned by the Panamanian authorities.^[4][5] After flying away to Honduras, he arrived in the US in 2005, and is currently held by US authorities in Texas on the charge of illegal presence on national territory ^[6]. Washington has refused Venezuela's demands for extradition. Journalist Ann Louise Bardach, author of Cuba Confidential (2003), recently declared to Amy Goodman on Goodman's radio program, Democracy Now, that the FBI had destroyed in 2002 its documents and proofs (including Western Union originals) concerning Posada Carriles. At that time, Panama had a case opened against Carriles. ^[7].

[edit] Early years

Luis Posada at Fort Benning, Georgia, 1962

Posada was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba. He studied medicine and chemistry at the University of Havana, and worked as a supervisor for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.^[8][9] As a student he had come in contact with Fidel Castro, who had become a visible figure in student politics. Misgivings about the Cuban revolution of 1959 led Posada to become an activist in open opposition to the new government. After a spell in military prison Posada sought political asylum in Mexico. By 1961 Posada had relocated to the United States where he was trained in sabotage and explosives at the CIA's School of the Americas for an invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs.^[10] Though his squadron failed to see action, Posada made a number of contacts and lifelong friends, including future president of the Cuban American National Foundation, Jorge Mas Canosa, who was stationed in the same platoon.^[11]

After the failed invasion, Posada worked closely with the CIA in Miami and was active in the CIA's Operation 40. He later described his role as that of the agency's "principal agent", informing the organisation about political movements within the exile community and operating anti-Cuban activies.^[11] In Florida, Posada also trained members of the JURE, Junta Revolucionaria Cubana, a group which aimed to infiltrate Cuba.^[12] CIA files indicate that Posada was involved in a 1965 attempt to overthrow the Guatemalan government. The same year, the CIA reported that Posada was involved in various bombing plans in association with Jorge Mas Canosa. In 1968, relations frayed with the CIA when Posada was questioned about his "unreported association with gangster elements". Posada relocated to Venezuela, taking with him various CIA supplied weapons including grenades and fuses.^[12] He became a naturalized citizen of that country where he began his association with fellow Cuban exile Orlando Bosch.^[11]

[edit] South America

In Venezuela, Posada became chief of operations of the Venezuelan intelligence, the DISIP.^[13] The role involved countering various guerrilla movements supported by Cuba, but by 1974 he was dismissed after internal differences with Venezuelan authorities. Prior to his dismissal, the CIA had begun to believe that Posada was involved in cocaine trafficking, but did not break formal ties until February 13, 1976. The agency also believe that Posada was involved in a plot to assassinate Henry Kissinger, who at that time was advocating a more cooperative approach to Cuba-United States relations.^[12] The Church Committee hearings of 1975, which had been triggered by fears that the CIA were running too many rogue operations, had a significant impact on the agency, and Posada's association was seen to be "not in good odour".^[11] Posada went on to found a private detective agency in Caracas. ^[2]

[edit] Cubana Flight 455, 1976

Main article: Cubana Flight 455

Cubana Flight 455 was a Cubana de Aviación flight departing from Barbados, via Trinidad, to Cuba. On 6 October 1976 two timebombs variously described as dynamite or C-4 planted on the Douglas DC-8 aircraft exploded, killing all 73 people on board.

Declassified FBI report that reads "[a confidential source] all but admitted that Posada and [Orlando] Bosch had engineered the bombing of the airline." [2]

Investigators from Cuba, Venezuela and the United States traced the planting of the bombs to two Venezuelan passengers, Freddy Lugo and Hernán Ricardo Lozano. Both men were employed by Posada at his private detective agency based in Venezuela, and they both subsequently admitted to the crime. A week after the mens' confessions, Luis Posada and Orlando Bosch were arrested on charges of masterminding the attack, and were jailed in Venezuela.^[14] Several Miami residents and Bosch met in the Dominican Republic shortly before the bombing and issued a statement declaring their intention of waging a terrorist campaign against Cuba.^[2] National Security Archives reveal documents outlining that Posada warned the CIA months before the 1976 bombing that fellow exiles were planning such an attack.^[15]

Posada escaped from prison with Freddie Lugo in 1977, turning themselves in to the less than sympathetic Chilean authorities. He was immediately extradited, and served a further eight years before escaping again dressed as a priest.^[11] According to Posada, the escape was planned and financed by Jorge Mas Canosa, by then head of the Cuban American National Foundation, a group with close ties to the Reagan administration. ^[16] Mas then helped Posada settle in El Salvador, where he joined the White House-directed operations in the region. ^[16]

[edit] Contras and Central America

In Central America, Posada was assigned as deputy to Félix Rodríguez, a CIA operative who had overseen the capture and execution of Ernesto "Che" Guevara in 1967. The pair were to coordinate drops of military supplies to the Contras, a paramilitary collective opposed to the leftist Sandanistas in Nicaragua. Posada was well paid for his role, receiving $3000 per month plus expenses from U.S. Major General Richard Secord, who was directing operations for Oliver North.^{[11] [15]} The subsequent Iran-Contra investigations cast light over U.S. operations in the region, and several of Posada's connections, including Félix Rodríguez were asked to testify.

Posada remained in El Salvador during the hearings before signing up as a security advisor to the Guatemalan government. He also remained in contact with Cuban exile groups during this period.^[11] In February 1990 Posada was shot whilst sitting in his car in Guatemala city by unknown assailants that Posada believed were Cuban assassins. In his memoir, Posada said that his recovery and medical bills were paid by the Cuban American National Foundation, with additional payments from Richard Secord.^[16] Though recuperating in Honduras, the FBI believed that Posada was responsible for 41 bombings in the country, Posada himself admitted to planning numerous attacks against Cuba and seeking assistance from the Honduran military to aid his cause, which was not forthcoming. ^[11]

[edit] Tourist bombings of 1997

In 1997, Posada was again implicated in a series of terrorist bombings in Cuba intended to deter the growing tourism trade on the island. An Italian businessman was killed and 11 people wounded as a result. In a taped interview with the New York Times, he said: "It is sad that someone is dead, but we can't stop."^[17] Posada was reportedly disappointed with the reluctance of American news organisations to report the bombing attacks, saying "If there is no publicity, the job is useless.^[11] Raúl Ernesto Cruz León, who Posada admitted was a mercenary under his employment, was sentenced to death by the Cuban authorities after admitting to the attacks. ^[11] ".

Tourist district of Havana

Posada also claimed that Jorge Mas Canosa, the head of the Cuban American National Foundation, was well aware of the attacks, but the two men agreed never to discuss the operations. The Foundation has denied these claims.^[11] In 1998, The New York Times indicated that, even after the U.S. government no longer sponsored Posada's violent activities, Posada Carriles may have benefited from a tolerant attitude on the part of U.S. law enforcement. As bombs were being placed in tourist hotels and restaurants in Havana, the New York Times reported, a Cuban-American business-partner of Posada's tried to inform first Guatemalan, then U.S. law enforcement of Posada's involvement and possible links to Cuban exiles in Union City, New Jersey.^[18]

[edit] Panama : Arrest, conviction and release

Fidel Castro, the target of a failed assassination attempt in 2000

On November 17, 2000, Posada was discovered with 200 pounds of explosives in Panama City and arrested for plotting the assassination of Fidel Castro, who was visiting the country for the first time since 1959. Three other Cuban exiles were also arrested alongside Posada : Gaspar Jiménez who worked at the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami, Pedro Remón Rodríguez and Carlos Muñiz Varela.^[11]

Castro himself announced the discovery of the plot himself on international television, describing Posada as "a cowardly man totally without scruples". Castro also blamed the CANF for orchestrating the plot. Shortly after, Justino di Celmo, the father of an Italian tourist killed by a bomb in Havana, appeared on Cuban television to urge the Panamanian authorities to extradite Posada to Cuba. Posada was subsequently convicted and jailed in Panama for the assassination attempt.^[11]

In August 2004, Posada and the three other convicted plotters were pardoned by outgoing Panamanian president Mireya Moscoso. Moscoso, who had been close to the Bush administration in the U.S., denied that she had been pressured by U.S. officials to engineer a release of the men, though the U.S. government declined to condemn the actions of the plotters.^[19] Moscoso's descision was heavily criticized by incoming president Martin Torrijos,^[20] and speculation was rife that the pardon was politically motivated.^[19] Leading Cuba expert Julia E. Sweig said the decision "reeks of political and diplomatic cronyism". Sweig cited business and personal connections between Panama and the Cuban American exile community in Florida, and implied that Florida governor Jeb Bush may have had a role in the release.^[19] Immediately after news of the pardon broke, Venezuala and Cuba withdrew diplomatic ties with Panama. ^[20]

In April 2005, Posada sought political asylum in the United States. Venezuela, where he had broken out of prison in the 1980s, has formally requested Posada's extradition,^[21] as has Cuba.^[22] A Board of Immigration Appeals judge ruled that he cannot be deported because of alleged threat of torture in Venezuela.^[23] According to Cuba's official newspaper on March 22, 2006, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) informed Posada that he would continue to be detained on the grounds that he continues "to present a danger to the community and a flight risk" and claimed that he has "a history of engaging in criminal activity, associating with individuals involved in criminal activity, and participating in violent acts that indicate a disregard for the safety of the general public". With Guillermo Novo Sampoll, Orlando Bosch and Gaspar Jiménez Escobedo, he founded the Coordination of United Revolutionary Organizations (CORU).^[24]

[edit] Seeking asylum in the U.S.

The New York Times reported^[25] on April 27, 2006 that on April 13, 2005, Posada requested political asylum in the United States through his attorney. He is being held on accusations he entered the country illegally across the Mexican border. On May 3, the Venezuelan Supreme Court approved an extradition request for him. Speaking the same day in Washington, D.C., State Department Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega stated that Posada might not have been in the United States. Noriega added that charges against him "may be a completely manufactured issue." However declassified FBI and CIA reports show that the agencies suspected his involvement in the airline bombing within days of its occurrence. [4] [5]

Roger Noriega, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and supporter of the long running United States embargo against Cuba. At the time of Posada's arrest in the U.S., Noriega stated that the charges against Mr Posada "may be a completely manufactured issue", and that Posada "might not have been in the United States". [3]

On May 17, 2005 the Miami Herald conducted an interview with Posada in South Florida; later that day, the Herald and the Associated Press reported that he had been detained by the Department of Homeland Security. He had withdrawn his asylum appeal and was moving to sneak out of the country when arrested. His arrest presents diplomatic problems as his extradition is sought by both Cuba and Venezuela, neither of which are close U.S. allies. His arrest coincided with large anti-Posada protests in Havana - organizers estimated that hundreds of thousands of Cubans participated in the rally. At this time, Carriles is being held by U.S. immigration authorities in El Paso, Texas, on charges of entering the country illegally — Posada's immigration case had a hearing before a Homeland Security judge in Texas on August 29, 2005, had another on September 26. On September 28th a US judge ruled that Posada cannot be deported because he 'faced the threat of torture in Venezuela'. The Venezuelan government reacted angrily to the ruling, accusing the US of having a "double standard in its so-called war on terrorism".^[26]

The Venezuelan Government wants to retry Posada for his role in the 1976 airline bombing. The Cuban government wants to try him for the hotel bombings, but has agreed that extraditing him to Venezuela would be acceptable, not least because Venezuela has had an extradition treaty with the US since 1922, but Cuba does not. The United States denied Venezuela's extradition request, citing a lack of evidence. Some have questioned this decision though others point out that this could have resulted from the poor relations that the U.S. government has with Chavez's Venezuelan government.

The final declaration of the XIVth Ibero-American Summit, held in Salamanca in October 2005, includes a demand to "extradite or judge the man responsible for the terrorist blowing-up of a plane of Cubana Aviation in October 1976, which caused the death of 73 innocent civilians".^[27]

Posada was referenced in Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's address to the UN General Assembly on September 20, 2006. Railing against the U.S. for "imperialism" and "hypocrisy," Chávez called Posada "the biggest terrorist of this continent," and said: "Thanks to the CIA and government officials, he was allowed to escape, and he lives here in this country, protected by the government."^[28][6]

[edit] Personal life

According to declassified FBI documents, Posada has been married at least twice and has a son, Jorge.

When Posada appeared in court in July, 2005, he had bandages from an operation for facial skin cancer^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Notes & References

[edit] Notes

1. The National Security Archive, a non-governmental organization, has a large collection of declassified United States government documents regarding Posada's relationship with the United States. This 1965 FBI memo gives an overview of Posada and his early life.
2. This 1966 FBI document is one among many in the collection to describe Posada's relationship with the United States, stating that Posada at that time received $300/month from the CIA, and was being considered to head a military alliance against Fidel Castro and the Cuban government.
3. The list of ammunitions surrendered to U.S. customs in the FBI document, also released by the National Security Archive, extends across a four-page document.
4. From http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB153/19650707.pdf
5. From http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB157/19761014.pdf
6. Allegations against Posada grow, Miami Herald, May 22, 2005. Accessed from http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11707572.htm on June 6, 2005.
7. The New York Times ran a long series of articles on Posada, described below. Facts here were drawn from A Mastermind Reveals Some Key Secrets.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Luis Posada Carriles: The Declassified Record. CIA and FBI Documents Detail Career in International Terrorism; Connection to U.S. National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 153. National Security Archive at George Washington University. Retrieved May 11, 2005.
• Posada Carriles, Luis. Los Caminos del Guerrero. Spanish-language autobiography. August 1994. Retrieved May 12, 2005
• Luis Posada Carriles photo and article archive held by Latino Studies Resources at Indiana University. Retrieved May 20, 2005.
• Who is Luis Posada Carriles? 15 Apr 2006, by Jose Pertierra, a Washington attorney representing the Venezuelan government in the extradition case of Luis Posada Carriles.
• Spartacus Educational Biography

[edit] Articles and reports

• "Key Cuba Foe Claims Exiles' Backing", The New York Times, July 12, 1998.
• Various articles about Posada Carriles (English, Spanish & other languages)
• How authentic journalists caught an international terrorist in Mexico, from the original version in Spanish, published in NarcoNews and also in the very same ¡Por Esto! (here). Published June 21, 2005.
• Miami Herald articles on Luis Posada Carriles. Accessed April 13, 2005.
• Keeping things in perspective: Cuba and the question of international terrorism By Anya K. Landau and Wayne S. Smith. November 6, 2001. Center for International Policy. Accessed April 13, 2005.
• Terrorist Cuban Exile Luis Posada Carriles Seeking Political Asylum in U.S.. Print friendly Transcript Segment available in Streaming Real Audio and 128k Real Video. Guest: Ann Louise Bardach. Interviewer: Amy Goodman. Democracy Now!. Monday, May 9th, 2005. Retrieved May 12, 2005.
• Hypocrisy on Terrorism: The Case of Luis Posada By Jeff Cohen, published in Los Angeles Times in September 1989, reproduced in the Spanish-English language website Antiterroristas, also reproduced here (with added links) by Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting.
• Biography of Luis Posada Carriles. Accessed November 14, 2005.
• "U.S. will harbor 'Osama Bin Laden of Latin America'", The Free Press, October, 2005
• Posada Carriles, Orlando Bosch and the Downing of Cubana Flight 455: A Glimpse into the Mind of a Terrorist, Counterpunch, April 11, 2006. By Jose Pertierra, an attorney, practicing in Washington, D.C. He represents the Venezuelan government in the case of Luis Posada Carriles.
• Unfinished Business: Why Luis Posada Carriles, an Admitted Cuban Exile Terrorist, Should Face Justice in Venezuela, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, August 11, 2005. By Joshua Soren Graae, Senior Research Fellow.

[edit] Spanish language websites

• La presencia de Posada Carriles en EE.UU. es el epítome de la doble moral. Cubadebate.org. 02 de marzo de 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2006.
• El C-4, la Operación Cóndor, los Bush y Posada Carriles. Rebelión.org. 03 de junio de 2005. Retrieved June 22, 2005.
• Posada Carriles se queda en Panamá. BBC Mundo. Martes, 17 de abril de 2001 - 23:25 GMT. Retrieved April 14, 2005.
• Terroristas En El Banquillo De Los Acusados. Radio Reloj, Cuba. September 2003. Retrieved April 14, 2005.
• Anticastrista desaparecido en Honduras. EFE . Univision. 31 de Agosto de 2004. Retrieved April 14, 2005.
• http://www.esotopa.com/posada.htm "Nota de prensa 13 de abril del 2005 Law Office of Eduardo Soto PA"
• José Pertierra, representante legal del gobierno de Venezuela: Luis Posada Carriles está frito Entrevista publicada originalmente en Ultimas Noticias, Venezuela, el 7 de mayo del 2006. José Pertierra is a lawyer representing the government of Venezuela in the extradition case of Luis Posada Carriles. His office is in Washington, D.C.

[edit] Further reading

[edit] Articles

• Bardach, Ann Louise and Larry Rohter. A Bomber's Tale: Decades Of Intrigue; Life In The Shadows, Trying To Bring Down Castro. The New York Times. Monday, July 13, 1998. Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 1 , Column 3. Abstract available online. Retrieved May 17, 2005.
• Bardach, Ann Louise and Larry Rohter. A Bombers Tale: Taking Aim At Castro; Key Cuba Foe Claims Exiles' Backing. The New York Times. Sunday, July 12, 1998. Late Edition - Final, Section 1 , Page 1 , Column 1. Abstract available online. Retrieved May 17, 2005.
• Bardach, Ann Louise and Larry Rohter. A Bomber's Tale; A Cuban Exile Details The "Horrendous Matter" Of A Bombing Campaign. The New York Times. Sunday, July 12, 1998. Late Edition - Final, Section 1 , Page 10 , Column 1. Abstract available online. Retrieved May 17, 2005.
• A Mastermind Reveals Some Key Secrets. The New York Times. Sunday, Jul 12, 1998. p. 10 Retrieved June 6, 2005.

[edit] Books

• Bardach, Ann Louise. Cuba Confidential: Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana. 464 pages. Vintage, October 14, 2003. ISBN 0-385-72052-1. [Chapter 7 contains Posada interview]
• Bardach, Ann Louise. Cuba Confidencial. Spanish Edition. 544 pages. Plaza y Janes, September 28, 2004. ISBN 0-307-24289-7.

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Cuba-United States relations

Bay of Pigs Invasion • Brothers to the Rescue • Cuban American • Cuban-American lobby • Cuban Five • Cuban Missile Crisis • Elián González • Guantanamo Bay Naval Base • Helms-Burton Act • List of Cuba-US aircraft hijackings • Luis Posada Carriles • Mariel boatlift • Opposition to Fidel Castro • Platt Amendment • Spanish-American War • United States embargo against Cuba • United States Interests Section in Havana • United States Ambassadors to Cuba •