# [LUIS POSADA CARRILES]{.underline}

and the

## BOMBING OF CUBANA FLIGHT #455

Testimony of

Peter Kornbluh,

Senior Analyst, National Security Archive

Before

The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations,
Human Rights, and Oversight

November 15, 2007

MR CHAIRMAN, REP. ROHRABACHER, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTTEE: I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY ON WHAT HISTORY RECORDS AS THE FIRST
MAJOR ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM INVOLVING A CIVILIAN AIRLINER IN
THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE---AN ATROCITY THAT MORE THAN 30 YEARS LATER STILL
DEMANDS AN ACCOUNTING.

LIKE YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE CASE OF LUIS POSADA
CARRILES---AKA "COMISARIO BASILIO," "BAMBI," \"RAMON MEDINA,\" AND
"SOLO,"---HAS BEEN HANDLE OVER THE LAST TWO AND ONE/HALF YEARS BY OUR
GOVERNMENT. BY ANY OBJECTIVE STANDARD, POSADA IS ONE OF THE TOP TEN MOST
PROLIFIC PURVEYORS OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY HISTORY. YET,
AS THE UNITED STATES FINDS ITSELF WAGING A WAR ON INTERNATIONAL
TERRORISM, A MAN WHO OUR OWN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS RECENTLY CALLED 'A
TERRORIST ALIEN' SO FAR HAS ONLY BEEN CHARGED WITH IMMIGRATION FRAUD
AFTER ILLEGALLY ENTERING THE COUNTRY? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

INDEED, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A MAN THAT OUR OWN CUSTOMS AND
IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HAS DETERMINED TO "POSE A DANGER TO BOTH
THE COMMUNITY AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES" IS TODAY
LIVING FREELY IN MIAMI, FLORIDA?

WITH THE CREDIBILITY OF THE U.S. LEADERSHIP IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM AT
STAKE, THESE ARE IMPERATIVE QUESTIONS FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER.

IN LEGAL PAPERS, CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS HAVE IDENTIFIED WHAT
THEY CALL POSADA'S "LONG HISTORY OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND VIOLENCE IN
WHICH INNOCENT CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED." AT THE CENTER OF THAT LONG
VIOLENT HISTORY IS THE MID-AIR BOMBING OF A CIVILIAN AIRLINER ON OCTOBER
6, 1976. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF FROM THE BARBADOS SEAWELL INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT AT LEAST ONE BOMB EXPLODED ON CUBANA FLIGHT 455, PLUNGING THE
PLANE INTO THE OCEAN AND KILLING ALL 73 CREW AND PASSENGERS
ABOARD\--MANY OF THEM CUBAN AND GUYANESE TEENAGERS.

MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS WAS A CRIME OF TREMENDOUS CONSEQUENCE. IT IS A CRIME
THAT REMAINS RELEVANT TODAY BECAUSE OF OUR PRESSING NEED TO UNDERSTAND
HOW TERRORISTS ACTUALLY PLAN AND COMMIT SUCH ACTS OF MASS MURDER AND
BECAUSE THE MEN THAT OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED AS THE
MASTERMINDS OF THIS ATROCITY ARE LIVING FREELY IN FLORIDA.

FOR THOSE REASONS, MR. CHAIRMAN, MY ORGANIZATION, THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ARCHIVE, HAS MADE IT A PRIORITY TO CENTRALIZE AS MUCH OF THE
INVESTIGATIVE RECORD AS POSSIBLE ON THE BOMBING OF FLIGHT 455. BECAUSE
IT WAS AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME, THE DOCUMENTATION DERIVES FROM A NUMBER
OF COUNTRIES: THE BOMBING OF THE PLANE WAS PLANNED AND ORGANIZED IN
CARACAS, VENEZUELA, AND THE BOMBERS WERE EVENTUALLY PROSECUTED THERE, SO
THERE ARE VENEZUELAN RECORDS. THE MEN WHO PLACED THE BOMB ON THE PLANE
WERE CAPTURED AND INITIALLY INTERROGATED IN TRINIDAD, AND SO THERE ARE
POLICE RECORDS FROM THAT NATION. THE UNITED STATES WAS INVOLVED BECAUSE
THE ANTI-CASTRO EXILES WHO PLANNED THIS CRIME HAD PREVIOUS TIES TO THE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY---IN POSADA'S CASE RATHER EXTENSIVE
TIES---AND BECAUSE POSADA AND HIS VENEZUELAN EMPLOYEE, HERNAN RICARDO
LOZANO, WHO PLACED THE BOMB ON THE PLANE, WERE WELL KNOWN TO OUR FBI
ATTACHE IN CARACAS. WE HAVE OBTAINED SOME OF THE KEY CIA AND FBI
INTELLIGENCE CABLES THAT WERE TRANSMITTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE BOMBING.

MR. CHAIRMAN, I WANT TO PRESENT JUST A HANDFUL OF THE THESE DOCUMENTS
WITH THE COMMITTEE. BEFORE I DO, LET ME SAY THAT THE CUMULATIVE WEIGHT
OF THE EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES THE FOLLOWING:

> \*\*LUIS POSADA CARRILES, A DEMOLITIONS EXPERT TRAINED IN THE 1960S BY
> THE CIA, HAD FOREKNOWLEDGE OF THE BOMBING OF THE CUBAN AIRLINER.
>
> \*\*POSADA WAS FOUND IN POSSESSION OF A TERRORIST TARGET
> LIST---ESSENTIALLY A SCOUTING REPORT ON POTENTIAL SITES RELATED TO
> CUBA.
>
> \*\*THE VENEZUELAN WHO DRAFTED THIS REPORT, HERNAN RICARDO, WAS
> EMPLOYED BY POSADA IN CARACAS. RICARDO, ALONG WITH A SUBORDINATE NAMED
> FREDDY LUGO, PLACED THE BOMBS ON THE PLANE BEFORE IT TOOK OFF FROM
> BARBADOS.
>
> [\*\*AS SOON AS THE MISSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED, RICARDO PLACED PHONE
> CALLS TO BOTH POSADA AND HIS CO-CONPIRATOR ORLANDO BOSCH.]{.smallcaps}
>
> [\*\*WITHIN HOURS AFTER THE PLANE WENT INTO THE OCEAN, MULTIPLE FBI
> SOURCES IDENTIFIED POSADA, AND BOSCH AS HAVING ENGINEERED THIS
> TERRORIST ATTACK.]{.smallcaps}

[LET ME SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT REFLECT THIS
INFORMATION:]{.smallcaps}

[**DOCUMENT 1:** IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE BOMBING OF THE PLANE, THE CIA
GATHERED RATHER COMPREHENSIVE INTELLIGENCE ON A FUNDRAISING
DINNER\--\$1000 PER PLATE WHICH WAS A HELLUVA LOT OF MONEY IN
1976---HELD IN CARACAS FOR ORLANDO BOSCH---LIKE POSADA A GODFATHER OF
ANTI-CASTRO CUBAN VIOLENCE.]{.smallcaps}

[THE CABLE REPORTS THAT POSADA MET BOSCH AT THE AIRPORT WHEN HE ARRIVED
IN CARACAS IN MID SEPTEMBER, AND WAS HOSTED IN VENEZUELA BY THE
GOVERNMENT OF CARLOS ANDRES PEREZ.]{.smallcaps}

ACCORDING TO A HIGH-LEVEL CIA SOURCE, AT THE FUNDRAISER BOSCH IS HEARD
TO SAY: "NOW THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAS COME OUT OF THE LETELIER JOB
LOOKING GOOD, WE ARE GOING TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE." (THIS IS A REFERENCE
TO THE CAR BOMB ASSASSINATION OF FORMER CHILEAN AMBASSADOR ORLANDO
LETELIER AND HIS COLLEAGUE RONNI KARPEN MOFFITT ON SEPTEMBER 21,
1976---A CRIME COMMITTED NOT FAR FROM HERE ON MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE BY
AGENTS OF THE CHILEAN SECRET POLICE WORKING WITH MEMBERS OF BOSCH'S
VIOLENT ANTI-CASTRO COALITION, CORU.)

A FEW DAYS AFTER THE FUNDRAISER, ACCORDING TO THE CIA'S SOURCE, LUIS
POSADA ADDED A KEY DETAIL TO BOSCH'S REFERENCE TO TRYING "SOMETHING
ELSE." POSADA STATED:

**["WE ARE GOING TO HIT A CUBAN AIRPLANE" AND "ORLANDO HAS THE
DETAILS."]{.underline}**

**DOCUMENT 2. THE TARGET SCOUTING REPORT:** MR CHAIRMAN, THIS RATHER
EXTRAORDINARY DOCUMENT IS A HANDWRITTEN SURVEILLANCE REPORT ON
BUSINESSES, EMBASSIES AND OFFICES "WITH TIES TO CUBA" IN THE
CARIBBEAN/CENTRAL AMERICAN REGION---**AMONG THEM THE CUBAN STATE
AIRLINES AGENCY CUBANA AVIACION.** IT WAS DRAFTED SOMETIME IN THE SPRING
OF 1976 BY POSADA'S EMPLOYEE, HERNAN RICARDO, AND PROVIDED DETAILED
DESCRIPTIONS OF TARGETS IN BARBADOS, COLOMBIA, PANAMA, AND TRINIDAD
RIGHT DOWN TO THE MAKE, MODEL, COLOR AND LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS OF THE
CARS THAT THE CUBAN AMBASSADORS IN THOSE NATIONS USED.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT SEVERAL OF THE TARGETS DESCRIBED IN THIS
REPORT WERE SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK BY ACTS OF TERRORIST VIOLENCE IN THE
SUMMER OF 1976, INCLUDING THE BRITISH WEST INDIES AIRLINE OFFICE IN
BRIDGETOWN ON JULY 14, AND THE GUYANESE CONSULATE IN PORT-O-SPAIN WHICH
WAS BOMBED ON SEPTEMBER 1, 1976. (POSADA\'S EMPLOYEE LATER CONFESSED TO
BEING INVOLVED IN THOSE ATTACKS.)

BUT **THE MOST IMPORTANT TARGET DESCRIBED ON THIS LIST** THAT WAS
SUBSEQUENTLY BLOWN UP IS THE CUBANA AIRLINES FLIGHT. LET ME DIRECT THE
COMMITTEE\'S ATTENTION TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE FIRST PAGE WHICH
LISTS TARGETS IN BARBADOS, WHERE THE AUTHOR NOTES THAT ON WEDNESDAY
THERE IS A CUBANA FLIGHT FROM JAMAICA THAT ARRIVES AT APPROXIMATELY
11AM, AND AT 12 NOON, ANOTHER PLANE ARRIVES FROM TRINIDAD, EN ROUTE TO
JAMAICA.

THE LATTER FLIGHT WAS NUMBER 455, CAME FROM CARACAS CARRYING THE CUBAN
OLYMPIC FENCING TEAM, STOPPED IN GUYANA---WHERE IT PICKED UP ROSEANNE
NENNINGER'S BROTHER AND FIVE OTHER TOP GUYANESE SCIENCE STUDENTS ON
THEIR WAY TO HAVANA TO STUDY MEDICINE---AND PROCEEDED TO TRINIDAD AND
THEN TO BARBADOS EN ROUTE TO JAMAICA AND HAVANA. THE BOMBS WENT OFF
APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF AND THE PLANE WAS UNABLE TO
MAKE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT BEFORE CRASHING IN THE OCEAN.

THIS DOCUMENT, MR. CHAIRMAN, **WAS FOUND IN LUIS POSADA'S POSSESSION
WHEN VENEZUELAN AUTHORITIES RAIDED HIS HOME AND OFFICE AFTER HIS
EMPLOYEE, HERNAN RICARDO, WAS ARRESTED IN TRINIDAD.** POSADA HIMSELF WAS
ARRESTED IN CARACAS SIX DAYS AFTER THE BOMBING ON OCTOBER 12, 1976.

**DOCUMENT 3. RICARDO'S SKETCH OF THE DETONATOR:** MR. CHAIRMAN, WHILE
IN CUSTODY IN TRINIDAD, HERNAN RICARDO AND FREDDY LUGO BOTH CONFESSED TO
PLANTING EXPLOSIVES ON THE PLANE. ON OCTOBER 19, DURING AN INTERROGATION
WITH DEPUTY POLICE COMMISSIONARY DENNIS RAMDWAR, RICARDO STATED HE AND
LUGO WORKED FOR LUIS POSADA, THAT "LUGO AND HIMSELF BOMBED THE PLANE."

RICARDO ALSO EXPLAINED TO RAMDWAR THE STEPS A TERRORIST WOULD TAKE TO
PREPARE TO BOMB A PLANE AND HOW PLASTIC EXPLOSIVES ARE DETONATED; HE
EVEN MADE A ROUGH DIAGRAM OF THE DETONATOR USED FOR THE BOMB, WHICH I
BROUGHT TO SHOW THE COMMITTEE. (SHOW DIAGRAM).

MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU WILL SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THIS DRAWING A
SERIES OF SIX STEPS THAT RICARDO LAID OUT, INCLUDING OBTAINING "FALSE
DOCUMENTATION" THAT EXPLICITLY COULD "NOT BE CUBAN," AS WELL AS
OBTAINING "EXPLOSIVO C-4."

THE DETONATION DEVICE HE DESCRIBED IS WHAT IS KNOWN AS A "PENCIL
DETONATOR." ACCORDING TO RAMDWAR'S OFFICIAL REPORT ON THE INTERROGATION,
RICARDO

> DESCRIBED THE DETONATOR AS A PENCIL-TYPE WITH CHEMICALS WHICH COULD BE
> TIMED FOR 8 MINUTES, 45 MINUTES, 1 HOUR, 2 HOURS, 3 HOURS, AND 24
> HOURS. HE SAID THAT THESE PENCIL-TYPE DETONATORS WERE OF VARIOUS
> COLOURS DEPENDING ON THE TIME AT WHICH THE BOMB WAS TO BE DETONATED.
> ...HE SAID THAT A CERTAIN CHEMICAL IS FILLED IN A TUBE OF COLGATE
> TOOTHPASTE AFTER THE TOOTHPASTE IS EXTRACTED.

LET ME ADD, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT DOCUMENTS IN LUIS POSADA'S CIA "201" FILE
SHOW THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH, AND POSSESSION OF. PENCIL DETONATORS
AND PLASTIQUE EXPLOSIVES. EARLY IN HIS CAREER OF SABOTAGE, POSADA HAS
DESCRIBED USING \"TIME-BOMB PENCILS.\" WHEN HE LEFT THE UNITED STATES TO
GO TO CARACAS IN 1967, ACCORDING TO HIS OWN CIA FILE, **HE TOOK U.S.
GOVERNMENT EQUIPMENT THAT INCLUDED TEN PENCIL DETONATORS**.

**MR. CHAIRMAN, THE** OTHER VENEZUELAN, A PHOTOGRAPHER NAMED FREDDY LUGO
WHO WORKED PART TIME FOR POSADA, ALSO CONFESSED TO RAMDWAR. HE DESCRIBED
SEEING RICARDO FILL A COLGATE TOOTHPASTE TUBE WITH A WHITE PUTTY. IN
THIS HANDWRITTEN AND SIGNED CONFESSION, LUGO DESCRIBES HOW RICARDO TRIED
TO CALL BOTH POSADA AND ORLANDO BOSCH WHO USED THE CODENAME "SR
PANYAGUA" (MR BREAD AND WATER), IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PLANE WENT DOWN.
AFTER NOT REACHING POSADA, RICARDO ACTUALLY CALLED HIS OWN MOTHER AND
TOLD HER TO "**GIVE THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF THE HOTEL IN BARBADOS TO MR
LUIS POSADA SO THAT HE COULD CALL AND TO TELL HIM THAT THERE WAS A
PROBLEM."**

**DOCUMENT 4. FIRST FBI REPORT ON PLANE BOMBING:** MR. CHAIRMAN, THE MEN
WHO COMMITTED THIS TERRORIST ATTACK WERE WELL KNOWN TO BOTH FBI AND CIA
PERSONNEL IN CARACAS; ONLY FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE BOMBING, THE FBI
ATTACHE, JOSEPH LEO, ACTUALLY GAVE HERNAN RICARDO A VISA TO VISIT PUERTO
RICO EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW HIS EMPLOYER POSADA WAS INVOLVED IN VIOLENT
OPERATIONS AGAINST CUBAN TARGETS AND SUSPECTED RICARDO OF HELPING HIM.
THE FBI ATTACHE BEGAN GATHERING INTELLIGENCE ON THE BOMBING ALMOST
IMMEDIATELY AND THIS IS HIS FIRST REPORT, DATED ONE DAY AFTER THE
ATTACK.

LEO REPORTED THAT A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE HAD "**ALL BUT ADMITTED THAT
POSADA AND BOSCH HAD ENGINEERED THE BOMBING OF THE AIRLINE."** THE
SOURCE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT A \[DELETED\] INTELLIGENCE SERVICE---WHICH IS
NO DOUBT A REFERENCE TO THE VENEZUELAN SECURITY FORCE KNOWN AS "DISIP"
WHERE POSADA HAD WORKED AS HEAD OF THE DEMOLITIONS DIRECTORATE---"WAS
ARRANGING FOR LUIS POSADA AND ORLANDO BOSCH TO LEAVE VENEZUELA. AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE."

**DOCUMENT 5.** **FBI BRIEFING TO SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY KISSINGER**:
THIS FINAL DOCUMENT IS THE FIRST PAGE OF ONE OF SEVERAL BRIEFINGS ON THE
FBI'S INTELLIGENCE THAT WAS SENT BY FBI DIRECTOR CLARENCE KELLY
KISSINGER. THE INFORMATION DERIVED FROM A MEMBER OF THE VENEZUELAN
INTELLIGENCE SERVICE, KNOWN AS "DISIP," WHO REPORTED THAT **"THE BOMBING
OF THE CUBANA AIRLINES DC-8 WAS PLANNED IN PART, IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA,
AT TWO MEETINGS,"** [BOTH ATTENDED BY LUIS POSADA]{.underline}.

THIS SOURCE WAS THE FIRST TO RELATE THE CODED MESSAGE THAT THE BOMBERS
HAD LEFT WHEN THEY PLACED CALLS TO BOSCH AND POSADA AFTER THE PLANE WENT
DOWN:

**["A BUS WITH 73 DOGS WENT OFF A CLIFF AND ALL GOT
KILLED."]{.underline}**

MR. CHAIRMAN, THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE HISTORICAL
RECORD THAT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED AND DECLASSIFIED ON LUIS POSADA AND THE
BOMBING OF FLIGHT 455. I DARE SAY THAT HAD THIS CRIME BEEN COMMITTED
MORE RECENTLY AND IF POSADA'S FIRST NAME WAS MOHAMMED RATHER THAN LUIS,
THIS EVIDENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO GET HIM RENDERED
TO GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA.

AND IT WOULD SEEM SUFFICIENT TO HAVE ALLOWED ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO
GONZALES TO HAVE CERTIFIED POSADA AS A TERRORIST UNDER THE CLAUSES OF
THE PATRIOT ACT, RATHER THAN ENGAGE IN A DUBIOUS AND FAILED ATTEMPT TO
PROSECUTE HIM AS A SIMPLE ILLEGAL ALIEN. AND SUFFICIENT AS WELL TO GRANT
VENEZUELA'S PETITION THAT HE BE EXTRADITED BACK TO CARACAS WHERE HE
REMAINS AN INTERNATIONAL FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE IN THIS CASE.

BUT THESE DOCUMENTS I HAVE SHARED ARE SIMPLY THE TIP OF AN ICEBERG OF
EVIDENCE---MUCH OF WHICH REMAINS SECRET AND STORED IN THE ARCHIVES OF
THE U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE GATHERED DOZENS
OF DOCUMENTS ON THIS CASE, MR. CHAIRMAN, THERE ARE HUNDREDS MORE THAT I
BELIEVE THIS COMMITTEE AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE A NEED-TO- KNOW,
INDEED A RIGHT-TO-KNOW. THESE DOCUMENTS FALL INTO SEVERAL CATEGORIES:

**FIRST**, THERE ARE DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN DECLASSIFIED BUT REMAIN
HEAVILY CENSORED, HIDING INFORMATION THAT IS CRITICAL FOR INVESTIGATING
THE HANDLING OF THIS CASE.

**SECOND**, THERE IS A COMPREHENSIVE FILE COMPILED BY THE CIA ON POSADA
THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER AND TIES TO THE U.S. KNOWN AS A "201" FILE. VOLUME
FIVE OF THIS VOLUMINOUS SET OF PAPERS COVERS THE PERIOD OF TIME OF THE
CUBANA AIRLINES BOMBING AND SHOULD CONTAIN USEFUL INFORMATION ON
POSADA'S ROLE. (MY OFFICE HAS REQUESTED THE DECLASSIFICATION OF THIS
FILE BUT SO FAR THE CIA HAS NOT BEEN RESPONSIVE.)

**THIRD**: THERE ARE SPECIFIC FBI DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN
DECLASSIFIED RELATING TO THE BOMBING AND ITS AFTERMATH THAT WOULD SHED
MORE LIGHT ON HOW THIS CRIME WAS CARRIED OUT.

AND FINALLY, MR. CHAIRMAN, THERE IS A DOSSIER MADE UP OF 700 STILL
SECRET FBI AND CIA DOCUMENTS THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN COMPILED BY OUR
GOVERNMENT AND WAS PART OF IMMIGRATION PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ORLANDO
BOSCH, POSADA'S CO-CONSPIRATOR IN THIS CRIME. AS YOU KNOW, BOSCH WAS
IMPRISONED IN VENEZUELA FOR 11 YEARS FOR THE PLANE BOMBING AND THEN
RETURNED ILLEGALLY TO FLORIDA IN 1988 WHERE HE WAS DETAINED FOR OVER A
YEAR AS AN EXCLUDABLE ALIEN. THIS DOSSIER WAS COMPILED AND SUBMITTED TO
THE IMMIGRATION JUDGE, AS WELL AS REVIEWED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

BASED ON THIS EVIDENCE, ACTING ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY GENERAL JOE WHITLEY
ISSUED A STRONGLY WORDED DECISION THAT CHARACTERIZED BOSCH AS "RESOLUTE
AND UNWAVERING IN HIS ADVOCACY OF TERRORIST VIOLENCE...WHOSE ACTIONS
HAVE BEEN THOSE OF A TERRORIST, UNFETTERED BY LAW OR HUMAN DECENCY."

YET ON JULY 17, 1990, THE WHITE HOUSE OF GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH,
OVERRULED ITS OWN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND ISSUED AN ADMINISTRATIVE PARDON
FOR BOSCH. FOR WHAT APPEAR TO BE CLEAR POLITICAL REASONS, MR. CHAIRMAN,
THE BUSH WHITE HOUSE SIMPLY IGNORED THE ELOQUENT POSITION VOICED IN THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REPORT THAT PREVIEWED TODAY'S DEBATE OVER THE POSADA
CASE:

> "THE UNITED STATES CANNOT TOLERATE THE INHERENT INHUMANITY OF
> TERRORISM AS A WAY OF SETTLING DISPUTES. WE MUST LOOK ON TERRORISM AS
> A UNIVERSAL EVIL, EVEN IF IT IS DIRECTED TOWARD THOSE WITH WHOM WE
> HAVE NO POLITICAL SYMPATHY."

WITH BOSCH SET FREE IN 1990, AND THE SITUATION WITH POSADA TODAY, MR.
CHAIRMAN, THE UNITED STATES FINDS ITSELF IN THE FRANKLY INEXPLICABLE
POSITION OF HAVING NOT ONE BUT BOTH MEN WHO OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE
AGENCIES IDENTIFIED AS REPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING DOWN A CIVILIAN AIRLINER
LIVING FREE AND UNFETTERED LIVES IN FLORIDA. IN THE MIDST OF A WAR ON
TERRORISM, THIS HAS SIGNIFICANT REPURCUSSIONS FOR THE UNITED STATES.

I HOPE THIS COMMITTEE, MR. CHAIRMAN, WILL INVESTIGATE HOW THIS
SCANDALOUS SITUATION CAME TO BE. I URGE THE COMMITTEE TO USE ITS POWERS
TO SEEK THIS DOCUMENTATION, AND OFFER YOU ANY ASSISTANCE THAT MY CUBA
DOCUMENTATION PROJECT AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE CAN PROVIDE.

**IN CLOSING, LET ME SAY THAT THIS IS A CRIME THAT ABSOLUTELY DESERVES
BOTH A HISTORICAL AND JUDICIAL ACCOUNTING.** THE REASONS ARE MANY AND
VARIED:

IN THIS DAY AND AGE WHEN NONE OF US CAN BOARD A PLANE WITH A BOTTLE OF
WATER OR A DISPENSER OF DEODORANT, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE TO KNOW
THAT ITS GOVERNMENT HAS RETRIEVED AND EXAMINED EVERY DETAIL OF HOW
TERRORISTS BROUGHT DOWN AN AIRLINER USING A TUBE OF TOOTHPASTE.

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW THAT OUR PRESIDENT IS SINCERE
WHEN HE DENOUNCES ANY NATION THAT HARBORS TERRORISTS, WHEN HE STATES,
HAS HE HAS DONE IN THE PAST, THAT \"WE\'VE GOT TO SAY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE
WILLING TO HARBOR A TERRORIST, OR FEED A TERRORIST, \'YOU\'RE JUST AS
GUILTY AS THE TERRORIST.\'\"

AND FINALLY, THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS OF THIS ATTACK---FAMILIES LIKE
ROSEANNE NENNINGER'S, AND THE 72 OTHER CUBAN, GUYANESE AND KOREAN
FAMILIES THAT LOST LOVED ONES ON THIS PLANE---DESERVE AN ACCOUNTING.
THEY DESERVE TO KNOW THAT AS THE LEADER IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WILL DO WHAT NEEDS
TO BE DONE TO PURSUE BOTH THE JUSTICE AND TRUTH THAT HAVE BEEN SO
ELUSIVE IN THE BOMBING OF CUBAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 455.

THANK YOU.