02-09-2010.
House Foreign Affairs Committee
(www.miscelaneasdecuba.net).- WASHINGTON– U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
(R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee,
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and U.S. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart
(R-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and Albio Sires (D-NJ), sent a letter
today to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Attorney General Eric
Holder expressing their concern over reports that the U.S. is
considering releasing Gerardo Hernandez, a convicted Cuban spy found
guilty of conspiring to commit murder in the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue
shoot-down, in exchange for the release of Alan Gross, a U.S. citizen
wrongfully imprisoned by the Cuban dictatorship. The full text of the
letter is provided below. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:
"My colleagues and I are taking this action in the hope of convincing
the Departments of State and Justice that any concessions to the Cuban
regime, specifically a 'prisoner swap' to release a convicted Cuban spy
and murderer of American citizens, could have grave consequences for
U.S. interests and for the safety of Americans abroad.
"We were prompted to write this letter by the concerned relatives of
Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Pena and Pablo Morales –
three American citizens and a U.S. resident murdered by Cuban agents in
the 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shoot-down. They are rightly outraged
at the prospect that Gerardo Hernandez, convicted in a U.S. court for
the role he played in these four murders, may be released by the U.S. in
exchange for Alan Gross, a U.S. citizen wrongfully imprisoned by the
Cuban regime merely for helping the Cuban people and the Jewish
community on the island.
"The U.S. must be careful not to telegraph to rogue regimes that they
may be able to successfully extort our government by abducting innocent
Americans.
"It is our hope that this letter will convince the Administration to
cease any efforts that may be underway to negotiate such a 'swap.'"
To unsubscribe from these updates please click HERE.
FULL TEXT of the letter to Clinton and Holder from Ros-Lehtinen,
Menendez, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Sires:
The Honorable Hillary R. Clinton
Secretary
U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
The Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C.
Dear Madam Secretary and Mr. Attorney General:
We are seriously concerned about increasing reports that the
Administration is conducting negotiations with the Castro regime to
secure the release of Gerardo Hernandez, a convicted Cuban spy who was
found guilty of conspiring to commit the February 24, 1996 murders of
Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo
Morales—three Americans and a U.S. resident. Furthermore, we have been
informed that the Cuban regime is offering to return Alan Gross, a U.S.
citizen wrongfully imprisoned by the Cuban dictatorship, in exchange for
the release of Gerardo Hernandez.
While we continue to advocate for the release of Mr. Gross, we strongly
disagree that the United States should release a spy convicted in a U.S.
court of law for committing these grave offenses against our country and
its citizens in exchange for the release of a wrongfully imprisoned U.S.
citizen. We would hope that these reports are unfounded. However, if
they are accurate, we respectfully ask, for our nation's security
interests and the safety of all Americans traveling abroad, particularly
to countries designated as state-sponsors of terrorism, that you
immediately cease such efforts.
Gerardo Hernandez, after availing himself of the full range of due
process rights afforded by the U.S. judicial system, was convicted in
2001 of acting as an agent of the Cuban intelligence service and
conspiracy to transmit national defense information to his Cuban
masters. Gerardo Hernandez was part of an espionage network that
penetrated or sought to penetrate U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM),
which plans and oversees operations of all U.S. military forces
throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, and Naval Air Station- Key
West, where the network sought to secure detailed reports about the
movement of aircraft and military personnel and descriptions of the
layout of the facility and its structures.
Gerardo Hernandez was also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in
the shootdown of the two Brothers to the Rescue aircraft carrying
Carlos, Armando, Mario and Pablo. As you know, these four men were
conducting a search and rescue mission for Cuban refugees choosing to
risk their lives at sea in search of freedom, rather than endure another
day of oppression at the hands of the Cuban tyranny.
Mr. Alan Gross, by contrast, was engaged in efforts to help the Cuban
people, specifically the Jewish community on the island, and has been
imprisoned without access to legal recourse for his benign activities.
We cannot allow such manipulation of the United States and such abuse of
our citizens by the Cuban dictatorship. To allow this rogue regime to
equate the activities of Mr. Gross with the reprehensible actions
committed by convicted spy and murderer Gerardo Hernandez would set a
precedent that could place more American citizens in grave danger by
subjecting them to the whims of pariah states who will stop at nothing
to extract concessions from the U.S. Government.
Madam Secretary, Mr. Attorney General, if the Administration is
contemplating a reported "swap" of Gerardo Hernandez for Mr. Alan Gross,
we ask that you keep in mind the murders of Carlos Costa, Armando
Alejandre, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales; the grave consequences
for U.S. law enforcement and homeland security; and the significant
negative impact on short and long-term U.S. interests and immediately
cease any activity in furtherance of such a "swap."
Sincerely,
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN
ROBERT MENENDEZ
LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART
MARIO DIAZ-BALART
ALBIO SIRES
http://www.miscelaneasdecuba.net/web/article.asp?artID=29653
No comments:
Post a Comment