Posted on 09/20/2002 2:34:35 PM PDT by CHACHI
Formal Complaint Filed By Judicial Watch. “U.S. Food & Agribusiness Exhibition,” in Havana, Cuba from September 26 – September 30, 2002.
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption and abuse, said today that it filed a formal complaint with President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Attorney General John Ashcroft, Treasury Secretary Paul H. O’Neill and the Office of Foreign Asset Control (“OFAC”) to revoke the license granted to PWN Exhibicon to conduct a “U.S. Food & Agribusiness Exhibition,” in Havana, Cuba from September 26 – September 30, 2002.
Cuba is a U.S. State Department-designated state sponsor of terrorism. Since the September 11th attacks, Fidel Castro labeled the US-led war on terrorism "worse than the original attacks, militaristic, and fascist." During a 2001 tour of Iran, Syria and Libya, Castro was quoted by many of the world’s media outlets as saying: “Iran and Cuba, in cooperation with each other, can bring America to its knees. The U.S. regime is very week and we are witnessing this weakness from close up.” Cuba continues to actively support terror groups, including the Basque ETA, Colombia’s FARC and ELN, as well as Northern Ireland’s Sinn Fein.
The planned “U.S. Food & Agribusiness Exhibition,” in Havana is a frivolous and harmful promotional event. The U.S. government’s active endorsement and licensure of such activity, by U.S. corporations, in the capital of a terror state, during a time of war, is inconsistent foreign and trade policy – as well as prime propaganda fodder for Castro and his terrorist allies.
Expo participants reportedly include major U.S. agribusiness corporations, including: Archer Daniels Midland, Perdue Farms, Cargill, Hormel, and Tyson Foods, among others. According to 1998 campaign figures, agribusiness interests dispensed nearly $43.3 million to federal candidates and parties. Both Republicans and Democrats cater to agribusiness corporations seeking ways to circumvent the Cuban embargo. This may explain how the Clinton administration’s “Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000,” is allowed to take precedence over the Bush administration’s “war on terror.”
“It’s bad enough that the Bush administration licensed this trade expo in the first place, but if it now chooses not to revoke the license, then their hypocrisy on terrorism will be a national disgrace,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman. >> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FROM RCB RECORDS: Show organizer PWN Exhibicon International LLC (PWN Exhibicon) has received authorization from the United States government to conduct this event. E.J. Krause & Associates, Inc. will be responsible for the marketing and operations of the exhibition.
Representatives of government-operated companies and non-government-operated companies that have offices in Cuba will be attending the U.S. Food & Agribusiness Exhibition, including Alimport, Cuba's primary purchaser of food and agricultural products. According to Pedro Alvarez Borrego, Chairman, Alimport is looking to identify "…millions of U.S. dollars in new purchases…," and finalize transactions since "…many of the contracts for these new purchases will be signed during the exhibition..."
Key companies such as Archer Daniels Midland Company, Riceland Foods, Radlo Foods, Gold Kist, Marsh International, United Food and Pharmaceutical, Perdue Farms, Cargill, Boston Agrex, ConAgra Foods, Inc., PS International, Bushel 42 Pasta Company, North Dakota Farm Bureau, Reuven International USA, The Rice Company, Hormel Foods Corporation, Bunge, Northarvest Bean Growers, Tyson Foods, and Georgia Department of Agriculture are just some of the companies, organizations, state departments of agriculture, and state economic development offices who are planning to participate in the U.S. Food & Agribusiness Exhibition.
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