Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Elian 'smoking gun' memo known for 2 years
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Friday, April 19, 2002 | By Sherrie Gossett

Posted on 04/18/2002 11:12:59 PM PDT by JohnHuang2

Contrary to recent media accounts, an internal U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service memo indicating the father of Elian Gonzalez was coerced by the Cuban government was made public two years ago but ignored by the press.

The Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post published reports last week on hearings held in the case of an INS agent who accuses the agency of harboring an anti-Cuban bias, especially in its handling of the Elian Gonzalez asylum case.

The reports indicated a memo authored by INS attorney Rebeca Sanchez-Roig was made public April 9.

The document, however, was obtained by the Washington, D.C.-based legal watchdog group Judicial Watch and posted on its website in the spring of 2000. The public interest law firm also drew up a press release concerning the memo.

The only new information to surface April 9 was a handwritten note by Sanchez-Roig at the bottom of her memo referring to an order by then-INS Commissioner Doris Meissner to destroy or delete all copies of it. But the information contained in that note also was known outside of the INS office a full two years ago.

The memo, a summary of an INS teleconference on the matter, was produced at a hearing for special agent Rick Ramirez, whose corruption and discrimination case before the Merit System Protection Board in Miami was brought by Judicial Watch.

The memo indicated that the U.S. government had reason to believe Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, was being coerced, monitored and coached by Cuban government operatives in his statements. It also said that the father had applied for asylum.

The memo specified that Elian's father had made his "own attempts to depart Cuba," and had made two phone calls "from a pay phone in Cuba" to let his family in Miami know that Elian was coming. In addition, "the Cuban government installed what somebody described as a speaker phone" in the father's home in Cuba so that Cuban government agents could coach him on what to say.

'We were kicked in the face'

Why did the major media ignore much of the critical available information? A prominent Cuban-American editor in Miami, who declined to be named, explained that the press and the public "didn't want to hear" it.

"Cuban-Americans are not politically correct," he said.

The editor added that had the memo been covered well at the time it was made public, "more people would have voted against Al Gore."

The editor called it a "very sorry and dirty affair, a terrible thing. Nobody believed us."

The Cuban-American community was talking about all of the things covered in this memo, he said.

"We were kicked in the face," the editor said. "The major media and the Clinton administration presented it as though we deserved [the outcome]."

Chris Farrell of Judicial Watch believes the core issues largely were ignored because the events surrounding Elian were chaotic and "all a blur."

"People went for the easy, quick no-brainer story, as opposed to addressing the deeper issues of policy decision-making and analysis," he said.

Farrell recalls there was no shortage of stories covering the "emotionalism" of "people waving their arms in front of the home," but the most important issues largely were ignored.

"It's very unfortunate," Farrell said. "Media should have been paying attention to this, they should have looked at it, evaluated it, weighed it. It would have had an impact on Elian staying in the United States. People would have demanded a hearing as to whether or not the father was being coerced."

Another member of the Miami Cuban-American community believes that Cubans are sometimes caricatured as being overly emotional and overreacting to political issues.

"There's some truth to that," he said. "We don't always pick our battles well. As a result, sometimes when we cry wolf nobody listens."

But he insisted that the evidence indicates that the Clinton administration hid key information, and he wonders if Fidel Castro didn't "have something" on Clinton, causing the former president to allow Castro to call the shots.

Judicial Watch chairman and general counsel Larry Klayman believes Castro may have had some knowledge of a Clinton/Gore-China connection that would have proved embarrassing were it revealed.

Klayman has blasted Attorney General John Ashcroft for ongoing and repeated failure to respond to allegations of obstruction of justice and anti-Latino racism at the Miami INS office.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-60 next last
Friday, April 19, 2002

Quote of the Day by kattracks 4/19/02

1 posted on 04/18/2002 11:12:59 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Luis Gonzalez;William Wallace; Victoria Delsoul; Prodigal Daughter; afraidfortherepublic...

2 posted on 04/18/2002 11:13:45 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
I still believe that the single biggest mistake the Cuban American community made was turning up at the protests with Cuban flags instead of American flags. I know that sounds silly, but in my heart I believe the whole thing would have turned out different if they would have paid attention to that little detail. It would have appealed to the patriotic sense of the American public.

Castro is going to be dead soon John. It's going to be exciting to watch what happens to that country. God willing, it'll be free.

3 posted on 04/18/2002 11:23:14 PM PDT by McGavin999
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999
Castro is going to be dead soon John.

No doubt about it, my friend. The clock's tickin' on the bearded-one. His time is short. Tragically, he's been in power for more than two generations -- that's like an eternity for the long-suffering people of Cuba.

4 posted on 04/18/2002 11:28:22 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
Bump.
By the way, what ever happened to that disgusting scumbag lawyer Greg Craig? He seems to have slithered back under a rock somewhere, along with that goofy church-cult that was also helping Castro and the Cuban government.
5 posted on 04/18/2002 11:33:15 PM PDT by Lancey Howard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999
They're "exiles" and are in this country because theirs was taken by force. If they had a choice they'd be in Cuba. It's not like the Mexicans who are here illegally and just want to live off our economy while they debase our culture. When they have an event there's not an American flag in sight.

The press knows the difference and would have made the point if it were honest.

6 posted on 04/18/2002 11:39:37 PM PDT by Deb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999
...the single biggest mistake the Cuban American community made was turning up at the protests with Cuban flags instead of American flags

True. But it wasn't their only mistake. I wish they'd had the sense to put Scripture on their picket signs:

Deuteronomy 23:15 You shall not return an escaped slave to his master.

This is the same verse by which the Abolitionists justified their resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law. Properly publicized, this single fact could have swayed the entire Religious Right and the entire Black Community into supporting Elian. No politician of either party would dare defy such a coalition. Yet not one well-known preacher (of any color or political stripe) thought to preach on this verse. Sad.

7 posted on 04/18/2002 11:42:04 PM PDT by Rytwyng
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
Another member of the Miami Cuban-American community believes that Cubans are sometimes caricatured as being overly emotional and overreacting to political issues. "There's some truth to that," he said. "We don't always pick our battles well. As a result, sometimes when we cry wolf nobody listens."

Since they've been vilified for so long, I think they feel they need to react just to be heard. However, the media just uses it against them and as an opportunitiy to again caricaturize them. They had every right to be mad at Clinton-Reno, who proved themselves to be no better than Castro! Hell, a lot of people were mad, but you'd never have known it.

The boy, Elian, had a right to a family court hearing on his immigration status and he was denied. It was ruled he could stay with his relatives pending the outcome and he was denied and taken in an armed raid to be given to the lawyer in opposition to his being free. He was placed in the care of Cuban agents brought from the island.

It is an outrage what was done by the Clinton administration. A similar situation would have been handled differently. But Castro is the media's idol and the Left's favorite thorn in our side, so Elian had to go and the community in Miami was standing in their way. What a gallant fight they made. What a memorable example of doing the right thing in the face of overwhelming opposition. My hat is off to them.

8 posted on 04/19/2002 2:27:21 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife;First_Salute
This is the key:

...Castro may have had some knowledge of a Clinton/Gore-China connection that would have proved embarrassing were it revealed.

9 posted on 04/19/2002 2:43:58 AM PDT by snopercod
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: snopercod
No doubt. He had his "for sale" sign out for all bidders.
10 posted on 04/19/2002 3:01:46 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Rytwyng
Deuteronomy 23:15 You shall not return an escaped slave to his master.

God's laws are wonderful.

11 posted on 04/19/2002 3:12:48 AM PDT by SkyPilot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: snopercod
I always believed Castro blackmailed Clinton to get Elian returned to Cuba. What one communist knows about Clinton treason you can bet they all know. Everything Clinton did was for power or money,he had plenty sources for money but what good would it be if he lost the power? To Clinton, Elian was a small price to pay.

Opinions are like clymers,everyone has one, and thats mine.

12 posted on 04/19/2002 3:45:19 AM PDT by BARLF
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
There has been only one day that I can remember in my nearly sixty-two years of life that I honestly felt ashamed to call myself an American. That was the day Elian Gonzales was returned to the devil's island known as Cuba.

The light from the Lady's torch was snuffed and the inscription:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free...

was rubbish.

Thanks Bill, Hill and Janet.

America's Fifth Column ... watch PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

13 posted on 04/19/2002 4:01:46 AM PDT by JCG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
This memo was made public??? UH, if it WAS, then wouldn't it have made it's way here, to FR???? There are soooo many things that are 'given the light of day' HERE that are covered up ELSEWHERE.

This is something that now needs to be made 'common knowledge' in as many places as possible across the USA.

It's early in the a.m. Yet the blood pressure is 'perking' over this. I wonder what the 'ship-him-back-with-his-father' crew has to say NOW. I remember the gang parroting the line that the father wanted his son to go back, that the father had NO desire to stay here in the US. That those true Americans who wanted Elian to stay were nothing more than wrong 'extremists'. That we were wack jobs for saying that the father was never allowed a chance to ASK to stay here.

This all the MORE reason to strongly despise the klintlers and the evil filth they left behind.

With this coming out, what will it do to the family of Elian in 'castrol's paradise'????

14 posted on 04/19/2002 4:01:53 AM PDT by mommadooo3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
When liberals obsess over the continuing hatred for all the Clintons and their regime and how it continues, and why it's so intense, I hope they remember a little Cuban boy. That child was taken at gunpoint on Easter Saturday from the people and community that loved him and wanted only to save him from Castro. That child was used as a pawn, that child's family, Cuban and Miami, was paraded and exploited and reviled.

We know how corrupt the INS is, we knew it then. We knew the financial reasons that caused Fidel to pressure Clinton. We knew it all.

And the vast majority of Americans sat back and made fun of the Cubans. I can recall all the ugly things that were said about Marisleysis, and the Uncle, and the family.

I hope and pray that the Clintons don't sleep well. I hope that they look in the mirror every morning and see their aging faces and reflect on what awaits them: the end of their lives, the judgement of God. I hope that ever-present in the backs of their corrupt minds is the image of a child hiding in a closet, facing a thug with a machine gun. And I hope they live in fear, ignored, laughed at, reviled, and hated until they depart this earth. ELIAN, I WILL NOT FORGET YOU!

15 posted on 04/19/2002 4:12:57 AM PDT by Judith Anne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BARLF
There was no need to blackmail Clinton. With regard to Castro, he has been since his youth an intellectual fellow-traveller. His affinity for left wing causes accounts for his actions vis-a-vis the Chinese government, Aristide in Haiti, Peres in Israel, and his friendship with left-wing Euro-Socialists. It also accounted for his strange affinity for Islamic revolutionaries.

While Clinton's personal immorality is well known, less understood is a pervasive anti anti-Communism that has dominated his thinking since his youth.

16 posted on 04/19/2002 6:00:15 AM PDT by gaspar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999
Clinton administration had determined the outcome of this case without regard to what the 'community' in Florida did or didn't do. There was NEVER a moment that Elian was NOT going back to Castro.

The problem with this story is that at first it inferred that the father applied for asylum while he was here in the States during the 'circus'. He applied before his ex wife left with the child. We always knew that and it is NOT a new revelation. It was reported widely in the media at the time of Elian's rescue.

17 posted on 04/19/2002 6:54:57 AM PDT by OldFriend
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: JohnHuang2
bump!
18 posted on 04/19/2002 6:58:06 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: JCG
There has been only one day that I can remember in my nearly sixty-two years of life that I honestly felt ashamed to call myself an American. That was the day Elian Gonzales was returned to the devil's island known as Cuba.

As a Cuban American myself, I would urge you to think that over. There is no reason for you or anybody else to ever be ashamed to call yourself an American.

Bill Clinton was not and is not "America". America is many things including the system of Government whereby America has the right to elect political mistakes and then correct those mistakes on the next Election Day.

Today, Clinton is no longer a powerful man but, rather, a pathetic private citizen that will be the punchline in countless jokes well into the 22nd Century.

America did just fine.

19 posted on 04/19/2002 7:27:39 AM PDT by Polybius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Polybius
thanks!
20 posted on 04/19/2002 12:46:31 PM PDT by f.Christian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-60 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson