Cubans try to 'drive' over Florida Straits (problems for Bush brewing in Miami)

The Miami Herald ^ | July 23, 2003 | JENNIFER BABSON

[nunya bidness]

(And a nice dorado would make a great meal over a nice driftwood fire on the beach if they had made it)

Screw that. At the speed the truck could troll they could have hooked a Wahoo!!!! or at least a football Tuna.

[dasboot]

Jeez.

Disregarding the other important considerations for the moment, I can't help but parellel this situation in the following way:

1964: East Germans climbing over the Berlin Wall, being shot at by the East German guards, making it close to the West German side, and being shot at by the West German guards.

*sigh*

[Coop]

This is outrageous. Mr. Bush

What's outrageous is that you think legislation belongs to the Executive Branch, or that this even made it into the President's field of vision.

[Luis Gonzalez]

The boat was hijacked. I don't see the word "hijacked" used in connection with the truck in the article.

[StriperSniper]

could have hooked a Wahoo!!!!

Ahh...but could they land a spool-dumping speedster with less then top notch tackle? ;-)

I never tried wahoo, taste anything like king mackerel or marlin?

[bourbon]

hey, whatever floats your truck...er....I mean, boat!

[WorkingClassFilth]

"What's outrageous is that you think legislation belongs to the Executive Branch, or that this even made it into the President's field of vision."

Nah, that's not outrageous because I'm not even discussing legislative issues. This is an issue of law enforcement and the policies of American Armed forces. Both, clearly fall with the control of the Executive branch. What's even more outrageous is the failure of Mr. Bush to do anything about the porous border crisis with Mexico.

Political? Yep. Executive failure? Yep.

In addition, for decades the INS has acted in exception to immigration laws, on behalf of Cubans, to classify them as political refugees and to extend asylum. If you'll recall, that was a major part of the issue with Elian Gonzales when Reno acted at the pleasure of Clinton. A clear case of law enforcement acting in subordination to political concerns. In that case, communists serving other communists.

Political? Yep. Executive failure? Yep.

Now regarding the President's field of vision, I'm fairly confident that issues like this, which will anger the Cuban community in Florida, will make political hay. Believe me, Brother Jeb would've appreciated the bump. As the head of our military forces, I've gotta believe Brother George has a little weight in determining policies like those affecting the one under discussion. If the genius Mr. Rove is as concerned with political minutia at every level and in every domain he has missed the boat on this one.

Political? Yep. Executive failure? Yep.

What remains truly outrageous is that some 'Conservatives' don't see the glaring double standards, the misplaced political courtesy and the kinds of political acts that will only require hollow acts and more promises down the road when the election looms.

[wardaddy]

Heartily agreed.

[FairOpinion]

I a sure you know this, but for others on this thread --I found this information at refugees.org:

Interdiction and Return

The U.S. Coast Guard interdicted 1,619 Cubans in 1999, the largest nationality group it interdicted, significantly increasing from 903 in 1998 and 421 in 1997.

Direct returns to Cuba (often with a stop at the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba) occurred pursuant to a 1994 migration agreement between Cuba and the United States. Under the terms of that agreement, Cuba said that it would try to prevent its citizens from attempting to leave by boat or raft. In return, the United States agreed to admit at least 20,000 Cubans a year directly from Cuba either through the refugee admissions program, with immigrant visas, as parolees, or through a special lottery.

As part of the migration agreement, Cuba formally agreed not to punish Cubans for their illegal departure whom the U.S. Coast Guard interdicts and returns. The Cuban penal code (Articles 216 and 217) makes "illegal exit" a crime punishable by up to three years' imprisonment, if the attempt to leave is nonviolent, or up to eight years if it involves violence or intimidation. Cuba imposes more severe penalties in cases involving hijacking. Although the Cuban authorities have imposed long prison sentences in some cases, at other times they have briefly detained returnees and then released them.

While the agreement is supposed to prevent direct retaliation for the illegal departure that immediately precedes the Coast Guard interdiction and return, it does not prevent Cuba from prosecuting the returnee on other grounds, including previous attempts at illegal exit. Cuba sometimes punishes returnees without actually prosecuting them for illegal departure, most commonly by denying them employment.

The agreement allows U.S. diplomatic officials to monitor the treatment of persons returned to Cuba by the United States. It offers no protection to rafters or rejected asylum seekers returned to Cuba by other countries.

UNHCR was not able to respond to a request for information from the U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR) about the treatment of Cubans returned by the U.S. Coast Guard or deported by other countries.

Cubans and the United States

In 1998, following the Pope's visit to Cuba, President Clinton promised to lift the ban on direct air travel between the United States and Cuba, and to permit Cuban-Americans to send their families in Cuba up to $1,200 per year. In January 1999, the Clinton Administration reinstated direct flights to Cuba from Miami.

In 1996, the U.S. illegal immigration reform law created an exception to the new expedited removal procedure for improperly documented Cubans arriving by air (see United States). That law, combined with the continuing Cuban Adjustment Act of 1966, which allows Cubans to adjust their status after one year in the United States, were added incentives for Cubans seeking refuge to avoid the danger of raft or boat departures, particularly since the 1995 migration agreement ended the previous U.S. policy of bringing Cuban rafters to the United States.

In July 1999, Fidel Castro urged the United States to abolish the Cuban Adjustment Act, stating that it encourages smuggling. The United States and Cuba engaged in talks in December 1999 to discuss issues surrounding the 1966 law, but reached no agreements.

In 1999, the most famous Cuban rafter was Elián Gonzalez, a 6-year-old who lost his mother and stepfather who drowned along with nine others when their boat capsized off the coast of Florida in November. That case, combined with an incident in June 1999 known as the "Surfside Six"— ;when the U.S. Coast Guard was videotaped using fire-hoses and pepper-spray to stop six Cuban rafters from reaching shore— ;has focused Cuban and U.S. attention on the "wet-foot/dry-foot" policy. Under this policy, which was formulated by the United States in conjunction with the 1994 migration agreement with Cuba, Cubans intercepted at sea are returned to Cuba; those who reach U.S. land are paroled into the United States and can apply for permanent residency after one year.



http://www.refugees.org/world/countryrpt/amer_carib/2000/cuba.htm

[WorkingClassFilth]

"It was Clinton who changed the US policy towards Cuban refugees, and have them be hunted by the Coast Guard. Bush needs to change it back." You've made the case very well. Thanks for your work in digging out some documentation on the Clinton/Castro collusion, too. Funny how the Democrats always get this one wrong. The Marielle (SP) boatlift that Castro crammed down our throats rid him of his criminals, psychotics and mentally disabled. Carter welcomed them and gave our crime rates a bump. Meanwhile, Clinton, as a courtesy to a fellow communist, helps Castro erect higher fences and, in effect, turns American armed forces into guards to help Castro keep his victims in the pen. Knowing the high level of truth and veracity of both the Castro and Clinton regimes, I'm sure all parties concerned will be most interested in keeping their solemn word on the humanitarian aspects of their bargain. RESCIND THE CLINTON/CASTRO AGREEMENT, MR. BUSH.

[vikingchick]

Didn't they sink this truckboat? Somebody should haul it up and put it on display.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Yes they did.

[vikingchick]

If I had the money, I would bring this truckboat up to the surface, haul it to a place to dock it where everybody could look at it, and pay somebody to tell the story of who made it, how they made it, and why they tried to come to America on it.

It reminds me of when my parents took us to Checkpoint Charlie back in the late 60s. There was a big plastic "cow" about the size of a man that somebody had been smuggled in across the East German border. As a child and even now, I never forgot it. Someone had risked their life, or sure punishment, to get across the border concealed inside that "cow," to get to freedom.