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| Former Drug Czar Calls for US-Cuba Cooperation |
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Posted by FoM on March 04, 2002 at 10:06:19 PT By Jim Burns, CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer Source: CNSNews.com 
Former Clinton administration drug czar Barry McCaffrey wants to see more cooperation between the United States and Cuba in the areas of drug trafficking and fighting terrorism.In a weekend visit to the communist island, McCaffrey said, "I see no evidence at all that the Cubans are in any way facilitating drug trafficking. Indeed, I see good evidence of the opposite. I strongly believe that Cuba is an island of resistance to drug traffic." Last year, the former U.S. army general called for increased cooperation between the two countries against drug trafficking. His idea was not well received by some in the Cuban exile community. In an interview with CNSNews.com last year, Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), a Cuban exile and one of the Castro government's most vocal critics in the House, suggested McCaffrey had shown his true colors. "McCaffrey came out of the closet," Diaz-Balart said at the time. "He's calling for assistance for Castro's tyranny, for a so-called anti-drug effort, notwithstanding the fact that he knows very well that Castro and his dictatorship have smuggled tons of cocaine into the United States. He had to be in the closet during the Clinton administration, but now that he is no longer in office, he can come out of the closet with his views on Castro." McCaffrey said the United States could beef up a "joint effort" with Cuba to fight drug trafficking by appointing a Coast Guard admiral to head an anti-drug center in Key West, Fla., that also would be staffed with a representative from the Cuban border patrol. Diaz-Balart scoffed at that idea. "I would assume he also wants someone from the Medellin drug cartel in the Key West office," said Diaz-Balart. Diaz-Balart believes Castro has allowed Cuban airspace to be used by drug cartels to dump illegal narcotics into the United States, and he accused Castro of having used Cuban airfields and logistics toward that end. "Castro is a racketeering enterprise that's been involved in narco-trafficking in the United States, and McCaffrey knows it," he said. McCaffrey served as the nation's drug czar from 1996 until last year. He was replaced by former Arkansas Republican Rep. Asa Hutchinson. During his weekend visit to Cuba, McCaffrey said he spent 12 hours talking with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and encouraging the communist leader to release 250 political prisoners in Cuban jails. Such a gesture would encourage dialogue with the United States, McCaffrey told Castro. McCaffrey said in his opinion, Cuba doesn't present any military threat whatsoever to the United States. But it doesn't look like the Bush administration will be changing its hard-line stance toward Cuba anytime soon. Secretary of State Colin Powell, interviewed Saturday on CNN, said he doesn't see any improvements in relations between the U.S. and Cuba as long as Fidel Castro remains in power. "I think he has demonstrated over the many, many years of his rule that he is not interested in human rights and democratization of his society or opening up the economic system," said Powell. "So as long as he's there, I doubt that we will see the kinds of improvements that the Cuban people deserve, and which would allow Cuba to become a democratized nation in this hemisphere," Powell said. Source: CNSNews.com Related Articles: Barry McCaffrey Visits Cuba, Nation No Threat Anti-Castro Group Slams Drug War Proposals Bush Urged on Drug Efforts With Cuba Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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Comment #4 posted by kaptinemo on March 04, 2002 at 12:36:42 PT:
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| Let's see: Barry was head of US Southern Command. In charge of all US military operations in the Southern Hemisphere. That meant he was privy to the highest levels of both HUMINT (human intelligence) and SIGINT (signals intelligence). All intelligence. Get it? He was there when Ollie was running his guns-for-coke scheme...and did nothing about it. And winds up being DrugCzar...a very cushy job, indeed. Asa Hutchinson was a DA who's area covered the Mena Arkansas base where Ollie's Enterprise was taking possession of cocaine shipments. He apparently knew absolutely nothing about all the things being brought to his office, up to and including the apparent murder of two teenage boys (see THE BOYS ON THE TRACKS by Mara Leveritt http://www.maraleveritt.com/) Yet he becomes head of the DEA. I could go on, ad infinitum, but you get the drift. Those who should have done their jobs...instead profitted very handsomely by not doing them. But what I find extraordinarily stupid is the fact that McCaffrey, having been head of USSOCOM, had been apprised of efforts to destabilize Castro. And probably had in one form or another, given assistance to those forces involved in attempting his 'removal'. And yet he goes there and sings his praises? Praises a Communist dictator who we now know would have launched a nuclear strike against the US in 1962? What's next, lauding the Chinese for their execution of 50+ drug addicts on UN anti-drug day last year? Barry should lay off the cigars Fidel is no doubt offering him; they are damaging what few brain cells the man has left (and this is a college professor, now?). [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by BGreen on March 04, 2002 at 11:08:58 PT |
| That's what my college journalism professor used to pound into our heads. McCashrey has proven interest only in those things from which he personally profits, so I don't think the whole story has been told. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by FoM on March 04, 2002 at 10:38:44 PT |
| Why is McCaffrey buttering up to Cuba? It couldn't be because we might want to use Cuba as a place to house many prisoners? No, it must be my imagination running away with me. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on March 04, 2002 at 10:35:35 PT |
| Former Clinton administration drug czar Barry McCaffrey wants to see more cooperation between the United States and Cuba in the areas of drug trafficking and fighting terrorism. Well, we're already well on our way towards instituting the Communist system of linking workplace, home and government so that there is no more private life for citizens. So why don't we have a formal exchange program between the DEA and the Cuban KGB, and thereby display the true nature of the punitive Drug War? "I think he has demonstrated over the many, many years of his rule that he is not interested in human rights and democratization of his society or opening up the economic system," said Powell. At least there is one person left in power who remembers what the Cold War was supposed to be about. [ Post Comment ] |
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