Obama urges release of Cuban political prisoners

[babylonsister]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_CUBA?SITE=CONGRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Obama urges release of Cuban political prisoners


WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is praising five Cuban dissidents for their pro-democracy activities, and he's calling on the communist government to release all political prisoners.

The Cubans were recognized by the National Endowment for Democracy on Wednesday for their work.

Three award recipients are in Cuban prisons.

Obama said in a statement Thursday that he hopes they will be released and allowed "to fully participate in a democratic future in Cuba."

[Xipe Totec]

1. While claiming the right to indefinitely detain without charges...

The dissonance is jarring.

[billyoc]

2. Cuban prisoners!

:rofl:

[Better Believe It]

3. How about Obama freeing the Cuban political prisoners held by the United States?

http://www.freethefive.org/

[vaberella]

4. Weren't these men convicted in a US court that found them guilty of espionage? n/t

[Better Believe It]

6. They were not guilty of espionage. Perhaps you should visit the website link ....

if you're honestly interested in finding out how and why these 5 Cuban anti-terrorism fighters were prosecuted.

In any case, I hope that DU'ers don't simply accept at face value and repeat the right-wing propaganda directed at the "Cuban Five".

Check out the facts for yourself.

From the website:

The Cuban Five are five Cuban men who are in U.S. prison, serving four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being wrongly convicted in U.S. federal court in Miami, on June 8, 2001.

They are Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González.

The Five were falsely accused by the U.S. government of committing espionage conspiracy against the United States, and other related charges.

But the Five pointed out vigorously in their defense that they were involved in monitoring the actions of Miami-based terrorist groups, in order to prevent terrorist attacks on their country of Cuba.

The Five’s actions were never directed at the U.S. government. They never harmed anyone nor ever possessed nor used any weapons while in the United States.

The Cuban Five’s mission was to stop terrorism

For more than 40 years, anti-Cuba terrorist organizations based in Miami have engaged in countless terrorist activities against Cuba, and against anyone who advocates a normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. More than 3,000 Cubans have died as a result of these terrorists’ attacks.

Terrorist Miami groups like Comandos F4 and Brothers to the Rescue operate with complete impunity from within the United States to attack Cuba—with the knowledge and support of the FBI and CIA.

Therefore, Cuba made the careful and necessary decision to send the Five Cubans to Miami to monitor the terrorists. The Cuban Five infiltrated the terrorist organizations in Miami to inform Cuba of imminent attacks.

The aim of such a clandestine operation by the Cuban Five—at great personal risk—was to prevent criminal acts, and thus protect the lives of Cubans and other people.

[Mudoria]

8. Sounds like they are where they belong.

They have no jurisdiction, authority or any other powers to do anything on US soil.

[vaberella]

9. That's exactly what I was thinking. I didn't get what the poster was getting at. n/t

[Better Believe It]

10. Really? I don't know of a single progresssive/liberal organization that agrees with you.

Like I said. Just don't digest and accept at face value any right-wing progaganda attacks on the Cuban Five.

Have you even bothered to check out the websites I posted before deciding to echo that right-wing crap on DU?

If you're unwilling to at least do that, perhaps you can find some right-wing discussion board that will welcome such comments.

[WinkyDink]

5. You first, Mr. President.

[Better Believe It]

7. Here are two other websites on the Cuban Five

http://thecuban5.org /

http://www.freethecuban5.com/