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US intellectual, linguist and political analyst, Noam Chomsky, has signed a letter for the National Committee to Free the Five in which he requests help in bringing to the public's attention the case of the Cuban Five imprisoned in the United States for defending their island against terrorist attack.
The letter seeks to raise enough money to place an ad in The New York Times in view of the fact that the nation's "newspaper of record" has chosen not to cover the story - in line with the rest of the US mainstream press.
Given that the case involves Cubans accused of espionage - one of whom was irrationally charged with involvement in the downing of two light planes that violated Cuban airspace in 1996 - the fact that there has hardly been any coverage by any major US news outlet is nothing short of remarkable and, of course, extremely suspect.
Noam Chomsky's signature comes on the heels of his first visit to Cuba where he was received with great respect and warmth in spite of having signed a statement critical of the island earlier in the year. His support for the five Cubans comes after being informed of the details of the injustice, politicization and manipulation of their case by US authorities and the Miami terrorists they serve.
He is joined by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, former congressional representative Cynthia McKinney, the courageous former Congresswoman from Georgia who chose to denounce and fight against the war in Iraq when the overwhelming majority in Congress gave it their support - a year later losing her seat as a result - and peace advocate Bishop Thomas Gumbleton.
At the invitation of the Cuban government, the FBI in 1998 sent a team to Havana to take receipt of a report on terrorism plans by anti-Cuba groups based in Miami. Realizing that the level of intelligence in the report pointed to the existence of Cuban undercover agents in Florida, the FBI returned to Miami and instead of arresting the terrorists identified in the report, promptly sought out the people who had infiltrated Cuban-American terrorist organizations and helped to compile it. Thus the Cuban Five were among those arrested within a matter of weeks after the FBI visit to Havana in a clear effort by Washington to protect the work of the terrorists who continue their plans against the island to this day - unfettered by US authorities.
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Antonio Guerrero
Gerardo Hernández
Ramón Labañino
René González
Fernando González
Free the Cuban Five!
National Committee to Free the Five Cuban Political Prisoners Held in the U.S. 2489 Mission St., Rm. 24 . San Francisco CA 94110
415-821-6545 . fax: 415-821-5782
e-mail: freethefive@actionsf.org
web: www.freethefive.org
Dear Friends:
We are writing to ask your help in bringing to the public's attention a great injustice - the case of the Cuban Five. The Five, Antonio Guerrero, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, and René González, are all serving extremely long prison terms for the "crime" of trying to prevent terrorist attacks on their country.
The story of the Cuban Five should be familiar to all Americans, but unfortunately it is known to only a relatively few. Our aim is to change that; our plan is to take out a full-page ad in the "newspaper of record" in the United States, The New York Times.
We are appealing to you to help us raise the $50,000 necessary to run a full-page ad in the New York Times.
An ad in the Times will not be just a one-day event. We believe that it will open the door to the case receiving much wider attention and coverage in the mainstream media in the U.S. and around the world. Our goal is to run the ad in February 2004.
What will make the ad especially timely is the fact that the oral arguments in the appeals of the Cuban Five are scheduled to be heard in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in the next few months. Their attorneys have done a splendid job in preparing their appeals.
And now the Cuban Five need for their struggle to become universally known and their support to grow. National committees to support the Cuban Five have now been set up around the world. Many of those committees are already working to raise funds to help pay for the New York Times ad. They know, as we do, that breaking through to the U.S. public on the case is crucial as a step towards justice and their ultimate freedom.
But the bulk of donations will be needed from supporters in the United States.
Please take a moment to reply with a generous donation.
Noam Chomsky
Ramsey Clark
Cynthia McKinney
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton
Who are the Five?
They are five Cubans who were trying to stop the ultra-right terrorist groups in Miami from carrying out violent actions against the people of Cuba.
May Day 2002 - Havana, Cuba
Since 1959, these organizations have conducted bombings, assassinations and other sabotage, killing hundreds of innocent Cuban civilians. Groups like Alpha 66, Omega 7, Brothers to the Rescue, and Cuban American National Foundation have terrorized the Cuban people for years with impunity.
The Cuban people have been targets of U.S. policy, including a 43-year economic blockade designed to punish a whole people who have chosen a different road for building their society. They have been victims of terror attacks by the Miami-based mafia, many of whom came from the wealthy class that left Cuba after the popular overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Others of the ultra-right in Miami were police thugs for the Batista regime.
Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, René González and Fernando González, acting in defense of their people, were living in Miami, monitoring these terrorist groups to prevent future violence.
But because the U.S. government - through the CIA - has played the principal role in funding, training and arming the ultra-right Miami mafia, the FBI targeted the five Cubans instead of arresting the terrorists.
This is the only reason that the five Cubans are in prison. They were framed up in a political witchhunt and railroaded by the U.S. in a 7-month trial in Miami, where it was impossible for them to have an impartial and fair trial.
Falsely charged with espionage on the U.S., in reality, the five brothers' mission was to follow the activities of the right-wing to prevent harm to innocent people. After their arrest by the FBI in September 1998, they were convicted June 8, 2001 and sentenced December 2001.
The months-long struggle to free Elián González from the Miami right-wing showed the U.S. people the true nature of these Mafia-type groups in Miami, who so cruelly tried to deny a father and his son their right to live together in their own country, simply because that country is Cuba.
Terrorists like José Basulto and Ramón Saúl Sánchez, who have been convicted of criminal acts, actually became "spokesmen" for the Miami family. They vowed never to let Elián return home and put him at tremendous risk for their political aims.
To all justice-loving people in the U.S. and around the world, we appeal to you to join the struggle to free Fernando, René, Antonio, Ramón and Gerardo. Help us in outreach, education and organizing, because once people know the facts of the case, we are sure they will call for their freedom as well.
The letter seeks to raise enough money to place an ad in The New York Times in view of the fact that the nation's "newspaper of record" has chosen not to cover the story - in line with the rest of the US mainstream press.
Given that the case involves Cubans accused of espionage - one of whom was irrationally charged with involvement in the downing of two light planes that violated Cuban airspace in 1996 - the fact that there has hardly been any coverage by any major US news outlet is nothing short of remarkable and, of course, extremely suspect.
Noam Chomsky's signature comes on the heels of his first visit to Cuba where he was received with great respect and warmth in spite of having signed a statement critical of the island earlier in the year. His support for the five Cubans comes after being informed of the details of the injustice, politicization and manipulation of their case by US authorities and the Miami terrorists they serve.
He is joined by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, former congressional representative Cynthia McKinney, the courageous former Congresswoman from Georgia who chose to denounce and fight against the war in Iraq when the overwhelming majority in Congress gave it their support - a year later losing her seat as a result - and peace advocate Bishop Thomas Gumbleton.
At the invitation of the Cuban government, the FBI in 1998 sent a team to Havana to take receipt of a report on terrorism plans by anti-Cuba groups based in Miami. Realizing that the level of intelligence in the report pointed to the existence of Cuban undercover agents in Florida, the FBI returned to Miami and instead of arresting the terrorists identified in the report, promptly sought out the people who had infiltrated Cuban-American terrorist organizations and helped to compile it. Thus the Cuban Five were among those arrested within a matter of weeks after the FBI visit to Havana in a clear effort by Washington to protect the work of the terrorists who continue their plans against the island to this day - unfettered by US authorities.
-----------------------------------------------------
Antonio Guerrero
Gerardo Hernández
Ramón Labañino
René González
Fernando González
Free the Cuban Five!
National Committee to Free the Five Cuban Political Prisoners Held in the U.S. 2489 Mission St., Rm. 24 . San Francisco CA 94110
415-821-6545 . fax: 415-821-5782
e-mail: freethefive@actionsf.org
web: www.freethefive.org
Dear Friends:
We are writing to ask your help in bringing to the public's attention a great injustice - the case of the Cuban Five. The Five, Antonio Guerrero, Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González, and René González, are all serving extremely long prison terms for the "crime" of trying to prevent terrorist attacks on their country.
The story of the Cuban Five should be familiar to all Americans, but unfortunately it is known to only a relatively few. Our aim is to change that; our plan is to take out a full-page ad in the "newspaper of record" in the United States, The New York Times.
We are appealing to you to help us raise the $50,000 necessary to run a full-page ad in the New York Times.
An ad in the Times will not be just a one-day event. We believe that it will open the door to the case receiving much wider attention and coverage in the mainstream media in the U.S. and around the world. Our goal is to run the ad in February 2004.
What will make the ad especially timely is the fact that the oral arguments in the appeals of the Cuban Five are scheduled to be heard in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in the next few months. Their attorneys have done a splendid job in preparing their appeals.
And now the Cuban Five need for their struggle to become universally known and their support to grow. National committees to support the Cuban Five have now been set up around the world. Many of those committees are already working to raise funds to help pay for the New York Times ad. They know, as we do, that breaking through to the U.S. public on the case is crucial as a step towards justice and their ultimate freedom.
But the bulk of donations will be needed from supporters in the United States.
Please take a moment to reply with a generous donation.
Noam Chomsky
Ramsey Clark
Cynthia McKinney
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton
Who are the Five?
They are five Cubans who were trying to stop the ultra-right terrorist groups in Miami from carrying out violent actions against the people of Cuba.
May Day 2002 - Havana, Cuba
Since 1959, these organizations have conducted bombings, assassinations and other sabotage, killing hundreds of innocent Cuban civilians. Groups like Alpha 66, Omega 7, Brothers to the Rescue, and Cuban American National Foundation have terrorized the Cuban people for years with impunity.
The Cuban people have been targets of U.S. policy, including a 43-year economic blockade designed to punish a whole people who have chosen a different road for building their society. They have been victims of terror attacks by the Miami-based mafia, many of whom came from the wealthy class that left Cuba after the popular overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Others of the ultra-right in Miami were police thugs for the Batista regime.
Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, René González and Fernando González, acting in defense of their people, were living in Miami, monitoring these terrorist groups to prevent future violence.
But because the U.S. government - through the CIA - has played the principal role in funding, training and arming the ultra-right Miami mafia, the FBI targeted the five Cubans instead of arresting the terrorists.
This is the only reason that the five Cubans are in prison. They were framed up in a political witchhunt and railroaded by the U.S. in a 7-month trial in Miami, where it was impossible for them to have an impartial and fair trial.
Falsely charged with espionage on the U.S., in reality, the five brothers' mission was to follow the activities of the right-wing to prevent harm to innocent people. After their arrest by the FBI in September 1998, they were convicted June 8, 2001 and sentenced December 2001.
The months-long struggle to free Elián González from the Miami right-wing showed the U.S. people the true nature of these Mafia-type groups in Miami, who so cruelly tried to deny a father and his son their right to live together in their own country, simply because that country is Cuba.
Terrorists like José Basulto and Ramón Saúl Sánchez, who have been convicted of criminal acts, actually became "spokesmen" for the Miami family. They vowed never to let Elián return home and put him at tremendous risk for their political aims.
To all justice-loving people in the U.S. and around the world, we appeal to you to join the struggle to free Fernando, René, Antonio, Ramón and Gerardo. Help us in outreach, education and organizing, because once people know the facts of the case, we are sure they will call for their freedom as well.