IN MEMORY OF MY BROTHER, 

RAYMOND PERSAUD

Testimony of 

ROSEANNE PERSAUD NENNINGER

Before the 

House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 

International Organizations, Human Rights and Overight.

November 15, 2007

MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THIS HONORABLE COMMITTEE: 

MY NAME IS ROSEANNE PERSAUD NENNINGER AND MY BROTHER RAYMOND PERSAUD WAS
ON  FLIGHT 455.  AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, A HORRIFIC BOMB EXPLODED IN MID
AIR, KILLING HIM AND 72 OTHER PASSENGERS AND CREW.

I AM HERE TODAY TO PUT A HUMAN FACE TO THIS TRAGIC, UNTIMELY END TO MY
BROTHER\'S LIFE.  I WANT JUSTICE TO BE SERVED FOR THIS DREADFUL ACT OF
TERRORISM.  I FEEL JUSTICE HAS BEEN LONG OVER DUE---NOT ONLY FOR MY
BROTHER, BUT FOR ALL OF THE VICTIMS WHO WERE ABOARD THIS PLANE.\
\
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME CHERISHED MEMORIES ABOUT MY BROTHER
RAYMOND.  HE WAS A ACADEMIC SCHOLAR. HE RECEIVED THE HIGHEST MARKS ON
HIS EXAMS AMONG HIS PEERS BUT WAS PARTICULARLY GIFTED AT THE STUDY OF
SCIENCE.

BECAUSE OF HIS APTITUDE IN SCIENCE AND OVERALL SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT,
THE GUYANESE GOVERNMENT AWARDED RAYMOND A SPECIAL, FULL SCHOLARSHIP  TO
STUDY MEDICINE IN CUBA. THEN, AND NOW, THIS IS A COVETED SCHOLARSHIP FOR
ANY YOUNG GUYANESE STUDENT WHO HAS DREAMS OF BECOMING A DOCTOR.  AT THAT
TIME, THERE WERE NO MEDICAL SCHOOLS IN GUYANA, AND, MR. CHAIRMAN, THERE
STILL ARE NONE. 

SO FOR MY BROTHER, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW HIS DREAM WAS THE
CLOSEST THING TO A MIRACLE.  RAYMOND HAD BIG DREAMS! HE HAD DREAMS OF
BECOMING A DOCTOR, DREAMS OF GIVING BACK TO HIS COUNTRY BY COMING BACK
AFTER GRADUATING AND COMPLETING HIS RESIDENCY IN HIS HOMELAND, TO BE OF
SERVICE TO GUYANA.

FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE RAYMOND DISPLAYED TRAITS OF STRONG LEADERSHIP.  HE
WAS ALWAYS INVOLVED IN HELPING OTHERS. HE WAS A GROUP LEADER FOR YOUTH
ORGANIZATIONS, CLASS PRESIDENT IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND MENTOR IN OUR
COMMUNITY OF GEORGETOWN, GUYANA.

HE LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY AND I HAVE FOND MEMORIES OF\
PLAYING CHECKERS TOGETHER, OF HIM HELPING ME WITH MY HOMEWORK, READING
NOVELS AND COMIC BOOKS TO ME.  RAYMOND WAS A GREAT, WONDERFUL BIG
BROTHER TO ME.  

MY PARENTS WERE SO PROUD OF HIM AND SO WAS I.  LET ME TELL YOU WHY:

RAYMOND WAS THE FIRST OF FIVE SIBLINGS IN THE FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE,
MUCH LESS GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL!  WE HAD A WONDERFUL FAREWELL PARTY FOR
RAYMOND THE NIGHT BEFORE HE LEFT FOR HIS JOURNEY.  MY FATHER BORROWED
EIGHTY CHAIRS FROM THE CHURCH TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE GUESTS AT
RAYMOND\'S FAREWELL PARTY. AND ONLY A FEW DAYS LATER THOSE WERE THE SAME
CHAIRS USED FOR HIS WAKE AND MEMORIAL SERVICE. WE NEVER GOT TO HAVE A
FULL FUNERAL BECAUSE HIS BODY COULD NOT BE RECOVERED IN THE OCEAN
WRECKAGE.

LET ME ACCOUNT FOR YOU WHAT HAPPENED THAT FATEFUL DAY, OCTOBER 6, 1976.
IT BEGAN WITH HIGH HOPES.  MY FAMILY WENT TO THE AIRPORT TO BID RAYMOND
FAREWELL.  HE WAS DRESSED A BROWN SUIT, SPECIALLY MADE AT THE TAILOR FOR
HIS TRAVELS.  MY PARENTS WERE FEELING SO PROUD TO HAVE THEIR SON HEADING
OFF TO MEDICAL SCHOOL.  

AT THE AIRPORT, WE WATCHED RAYMOND WALK ON THE TARMAC HEADING ON TO THE
AIRPLANE.  HE STOPPED, WAVED GOODBYE AND WE WIPED THE TEARS FROM OUR
EYES AND WAVED BACK.  RAYMOND TURNED THE CORNER AND HEADED INTO THE
PLANE.  WE HEADED BACK HOME SAD BUT EXCITED AT THE SAME TIME.  AND
TIRED!  SO TIRED, WE ALL DECIDED TO TAKE A NAP.

AFTER A  COUPLE OF HOURS, THERE WAS A KNOCK ON OUR DOOR.  IT WAS OUR
COUSIN.  IT WAS VERY ODD FOR HER TO COME TO OUR HOUSE ON A WEDNESDAY.
 SHE WORKED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS. SHE SAID SHE HAD SOME
NEWS TO SHARE WITH US AND EVERYONE HAD TO BE SITTING DOWN.  I WAS IN A
CONFUSED STATE, STILL GROGGY FROM MY NAP, SITTING AT THE DINING ROOM
TABLE.  MY MOM AND DAD WERE THERE WAITING TO HEAR WHAT MY COUSIN WOULD
SAY. 

 SHE SAID THE PLANE THAT RAYMOND WAS ON WENT DOWN OFF THE COAST OF
BARBADOS. 

THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER WERE SHRIEKS COMING FROM MY MOTHER; I\'M SURE
MOST OF THE NEIGHBORS HEARD TOO.  TEARS FLOWED DOWNED MY CHEEKS.  IT ALL
SEEMED UNREAL.  HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE?   WE JUST SAW RAYMOND A FEW HOURS
AGO.  MY MOM ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY SURVIVORS.  MY COUSIN COULDN\'T
ANSWER THAT QUESTION.  MORE SCREAMS CAME FROM MY MOTHER.  I WILL NEVER
BE ABLE TO GET THAT SOUND OUT OF MY HEAD. 

I\'M SURE THE COMMITTEE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW OCTOBER 6, 1976, BECAME THE
SADDEST DAY FOR US.  AT THAT MOMENT MY FAMILY REALIZED THAT ALL OF MY
BROTHER\'S DREAMS FOR HIS FUTURE, AND ALL OF OUR DREAMS FOR HIM, HAD
GONE DOWN IN THE OCEAN...GONE FOREVER.  

AT THE TIME, THERE WERE NO TELEVISIONS IN GUYANA SO\
WE DEPENDED ON OVERSEAS INFORMATION THROUGH THE RADIO TO FIND OUT MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRAGEDY THAT HAD STRUCK OUR FAMILY AND SO MANY
OTHERS. EVENTUALLY, MY FATHER STARTED TO PIECE ALL THE INFORMATION
TOGETHER AND WE REALIZED THIS PLANE CRASH WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT, BUT AN
ACT OF TERRORISM CARRIED OUT BY FANATICAL ANTI-CASTRO CUBANS---CHIEF
AMONG THEM LUIS POSADA CARRILES.

 MR. CHAIRMAN, **MY BROTHER RAYMOND WAS ONLY 19-YEARS OLD.** ** HE WAS A
YOUNG MAN WITH A WONDERFUL AND BRIGHT FUTURE.  AND IT WAS ALL TAKEN AWAY
WITH THAT TERRIBLE ACT OF TERRORISM**.  

\*\* \*\* \*\*\*

IN 1979, MY WHOLE FAMILY IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES.  MY PARENTS
COULDN\'T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF ANOTHER ONE THEIR CHILDREN HEADING
OVERSEAS  FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL SO WE MADE OUR NEW HOME IN NEW YORK. WE
ARE ALL NOW AMERICAN CITIZENS AND MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTER AND I HAVE
ALL SUCCEEDED PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY IN THIS GREAT LAND OF
OPPORTUNITY.  

YET, AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, I\'M SURE YOU CAN APPRECIATE HOW **OUTRAGED
I AM** THAT A KNOWN TERRORIST, THE MAN WHO\
PLANNED THE ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM THAT KILLED MY BROTHER, FIVE
OF HIS FELLOW GUYANESE MEDICAL STUDENTS, AND THE CUBAN OLYMPIC FENCING
TEAM, **IS NOW LIVING AS FREELY AS I AM IN THE\
UNITED STATES.** 

MY PRESIDENT SAYS THAT HE WANTS ALL COUNTRIES WHO ARE HARBORING
TERRRORISTS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND THAT HE IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING
TO JUSTICE THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN ACTS OF TERRORISM. BUT FOR REASONS
THAT I HOPE THIS COMMITTEE WILL HELP ME UNDERSTAND,  THIS IS NOT THE
CASE WITH LUIS POSADA. IN HIS CASE THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME SORT OF
EXEMPTION.  AS AN INVOLUNTARY MEMBER OF A UNIQUE GROUP OF FAMILIES THAT
HAVE SUFFERED AN IRREPLACEABLE LOSS AT THE HANDS OF TERRORISTS, I CAN
SAY HONESTLY AND CLEARLY THAT THE HANDLING OF POSADA\'S CASE HAS BEEN A
TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE AND A MESSAGE OF HYPOCRISY AMIDST THE ONGOING U.S.
WAR OF TERRORISM. 

I GOT SO ANGRY, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT AS THE 30^TH^ ANNIVERSARY OF THIS
CRIME APPROACHED LAST YEAR, I  WROTE A LETTER TO THE THEN ATTORNEY
GENERAL ALBERTO GONZALES APPEALING TO HIM IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE FOR MY
BROTHER RAYMOND AND THE OTHER PASSENGERS ON THAT DOOMED AIRPLANE, TO
CERTIFY POSADA AS A TERRORIST UNDER THE PATRIOT AND INCARCERATE HIM
INDEFINITELY. MR. ATTORNEY GENERAL, I WROTE:  \"IF LUIS POSADA DOES NOT
MEET THE DEFINITION OF A TERRORIST, IT IS TRULY HARD TO IMAGINE WHO
DOES.\" 

MR. CHAIRMAN, MORE THAN A YEAR HAS GONE BY AND I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED
EVEN A COURTESY REPLY TO MY LETTER. INDEED, THIS COMMITTEE IS THE FIRST
GOVERNMENT AGENCY OF MY ADOPTED HOMELAND TO HAVE LISTENED TO MY CONCERNS
ABOUT HOW THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TURNED ITS BACK ON THE VICTIMS OF A
HEINOUS CRIME OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. WHY, I ASK YOU, ARE BOTH LUIS
POSADA AND ORLANDO BOSCH NOT BEHIND BARS? MY HOPE IS THAT THIS COMMITTEE
WILL FIND THE ANSWERS THAT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE HAVE REFUSED TO PROVIDE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.

IT IS NOW 31 YEARS SINCE OUR BROTHER RAYMOND DIED AND NO WORDS CAN
DESCRIBE THE PAIN, GRIEF  AND LOSS WE HAVE FACED. OUR FAMILY, AS I AM
SURE YOU UNDERSTAND, HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE OCTOBER 6, 1976.  IT
IS STILL PAINFUL FOR US TO SIT AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RAYMOND\'S
DEATH.  WE WONDER WHAT KIND OF MAN RAYMOND WOULD HAVE BEEN AND HOW HE
WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR COMPLEX WORLD. MY BROTHER WAS AN AMAZING
INDIVIDUAL, FULL OF HOPES AND DREAMS, THAT WERE STOLEN FOREVER IN AN
INSTANT OF AN EXPLOSION. WHAT A SELFISH ACT OF LUIS POSADA CARRILES TO
KILL INNOCENT YOUNG LIVES FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN THAT THEY WERE
TRAVELING TO CUBA.

MR. CHAIRMAN,  I HOPE MY  VOICE, AND THOSE OF THE OTHER FAMILIES OF
FLIGHT 455 WHO CANNOT BE HERE TO SPEAK TODAY, WILL BE HEARD THROUGH
THESE WORDS.  WE WANT JUSTICE NOW. WE HAVE WAITED FAR TOO LONG.

THANK YOU.