[ExpandNATO]

These Cubans HIGHJACKED a boat

You can only hijack a boat that has other people aboard. The article says that they stole the boat (of course Cuba being a Communist country they cannot own their own boat).

What's the result if we reward people who commit crimes to enter our country?

Every single person who has fled from a Communist country has committed at least one crime. You going to send them all back?

As for me and other critics being Bush-bashers, sorry but I have bashed just about every president (starting with Nixon) in my lifetime about the nonsense of sending a refugee of any sort back to a Communist country.

[livius]

Supposedly the logic in sending them back is to prevent Castro from doing another Mariel (sending us the entire population of his prisons and mental hospitals). However, there's got to be a better way to handle this.

I think there needs to be more analysis of individual cases, but then, of course, you end up with people having to wait for years in detention facilities while their cases are examined.

It's a difficult situation. However, I did write to the White House expressing the fact that I wasn't happy at seeing so many Cubans (like the guys in truck-raft) sent back. Maybe if it becomes clear that many of us are not happy about this, some effort will be made to develop a better policy.

[pgyanke]

The article says that they stole the boat

Um, no, it didn't... "It was not just that the Bush administration dispatched 12 Cubans who hijacked a boat to the tender mercies of Fidel Castro."

Every single person who has fled from a Communist country has committed at least one crime.

No, they haven't. Their home country may consider their thirst for freedom a crime but we don't. We DO, however, consider highjacking (yes, I'll use that since it's from the article) a crime.

the nonsense of sending a refugee of any sort back to a Communist country.

I agree and disagree with you on this point. There is a lengthy review process to address asylum seekers. Most are not sent back capriciously. What do you think would be the result of a blanket policy of accepting all comers from Cuba? I'll tell you... a mass exodus across the sea. It's dangerous for them and a severe impact on us that we are ill-prepared to accomodate.

[Travelgirl]

I just wish they (the Cubans) would do as castro did...overthrow his government.