American Cabaret

The News: A U.S. immigration judge has ruled Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles won't be deported to Cuba or Venezuela where he is wanted for his role in blowing up a Cuban jetliner in 1976 killing 73 people. The former CIA operative has spent four decades trying to destabilize and overthrow the Cuban government through assassination attempts and bombings. He has been in US custody since May after he illegally entered the country. Venezuela had asked that he be extradited to stand trial.

On Tuesday the immigration judge ruled that Posada would not be deported to either country because of the possibility that he would be tortured there. The Convention Against Torture act prohibits the United States from deporting someone to a country where they could be tortured. Venezuela condemned the decision. The judge's decision has not ruled out the removal of Posada to another country. (DemocracyNow.Org)

The Note: All dictatorships ooze a sludge of black humour, with their own official pronouncements often the most grimarious. The United States is no exception.

©WCG, 2005