[Marxism] How the FBI coaxed Cuba `confession'

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Washington prattles to the planet about how its mission is to bring
"freedom" to the peoples of the world. We're seeing that in one way
in Iraq and Afghanistan today, and not just in the torture chambers.
But here is a fine example of how the Unite States practices the
very freedom it plans to impose elsewhere, such as in Cuba, on the
people of the United States of America, should they disagree with
Washington's plans for Cuba. Read this material carefully, please.

The fact that the MIAMI HERALD, one of those institution which most
shamefully panders to the Cuban exile militants in Miami puts the
term "confession" in quotation marks tells you just how bad what
was done to these two people really is. They were even bugging the
two middle-aged academics in their bedrooms. Wouldn't it be great
to have a tape of the FBI agents giggling at this married couple as
they had sex, too?

Take the time to read this material very, very carefully and you'll
get an indication of the kind of "freedom" Washington would impose
on Cuba if their wet-dream of a fantasy came true and they could do
what they want. Here, in the authoritative pages of the MIAMI HERALD
is a demonstration, written by people who favor what they want to do
to Cuba, of what they ACTUALLY DO to people who don't agree with them
right in the heart of the capital of Cuban-American freedome, the city
which is sometimes called Miami, and sometimes just called a "banana
republic" by some people with a wry sense of humor. But it's not funny
at all, when you think about what you are readin here.

Whatever bad you've read about Cuba, remember, this is printed in the
MIAMI HERALD and it's written by people who don't seem ashamed of what
is being described. This was done with Corral's and our (if we're U.S.
citizens, legal residents, or undocumented immigrants) tax dollars
at work. As yet we haven't seen any editorial in this paper which
editorializes every time Oswaldo Paya belches or farts about Cuba
and "human rights".

This article, however, DOES help demonstrate, in irrefutable ways,
why it was impossible for the Cuban Five to get a fair trial in Miami,
and why, if Washington won't do the right thing, which is to simply
free these men they have tortured for eight years, they should allow
them to present the proof of why they came to Miami and what they did
in fact, in an environment free of what what the MIAMI HERALD describes
here. The Atlanta appeals panel, which overturned the Cuban Five verdict,
described the environment in Miami as "a perfect storm", and that's a
charitable, diplomatic description. This material needs to be circulated
as far and wide as possible, including among Cuban-Americans.


Walter Lippmann, CubaNews
http://www.walterlippmann.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews
========================================================================

MIAMI HERALD
Posted on Fri, Jun. 09, 2006

COURTS
How the FBI coaxed Cuba `confession'

Lawyers for an FIU professor accused of being an unregistered Cuban
agent seek to suppress the confession.

BY OSCAR CORRAL
ocorral@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    * Carlos Alvarez's motion to supress unconstituionally obtained
statements (.pdf)
        http://www.miami.com/multimedia/miami/news/0609spies_supress.pdf

    * Joint motion to limit prosecution to conduct within the statue of
limitations period (.pdf)
        http://www.miami.com/multimedia/miami/news/0609spies_limit.pdf
        
    * Carlos Alvarez's motion to dismiss indictment based on government's
promise not to prosecute (.pdf)
        http://www.miami.com/multimedia/miami/news/0609spies_dismiss.pdf

    * Oscar Corral | Miami's Cuban Connection
        http://blogs.herald.com/cuban_connection/

June 22, 2005: Carlos Alvarez, mild-mannered psychology professor,
Catholic volunteer, suspected covert agent for communist Cuba stops
at Publix to swig java after Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle.

FBI agents confront him. Melodrama dominates the brief exchange. The
FBI agents tell him, that ``this would be the most important day of
his life.''

It may well have been.

The Florida International University professor followed the FBI to a
parking lot, ditched his car, and rode with agents to a hotel room.

According to defense motions filed this week based on snippets of
declassified transcripts of the FBI's meetings, Alvarez spoke openly
about his life, information coaxed by agents who assured him that
``everything is going to turn out fine.''

It didn't.

In January, Alvarez and his wife, Elsa Alvarez, an FIU psychology
counselor, were charged with being unregistered agents of the Cuban
government. The husband and wife are accused of sharing information
with Cuba, though the information did not involve military or
classified state secrets. Rather, it pertained to prominent Miami
exiles, such as FIU President Modesto ''Mitch'' Maidique
--information an enemy might use for political blackmail.

If convicted, they could face prison sentences of seven to 10 years.
They remain in jail awaiting trial.

EFFECTS

The case sent waves of McCarthyist paranoia across Miami's academic
circles, spawned a law that makes it almost impossible for professors
at state-run universities to travel to Cuba, and shook FIU's
foundations with allegations about Maidique being a target.

In their motion, lawyers for Carlos Alvarez quote from the
government's partial transcripts of the June 22 interrogation and one
the next day. The lawyers are arguing that the indictment against
Alvarez should be dismissed because ''he was promised that he would
not be prosecuted so long as he provided government investigators
with truthful information in response to their questions.'' They want
his confession thrown out.

The attorneys also want the court to limit the case to five years,
rather than the 30-year span covered in the indictment.

According to the documents, the FBI peppered its interrogation with
veiled threats and warnings. Alvarez wept as the FBI pressed him for
more. ''Here, here, here,'' an agent consoled Alvarez, ``everything
is going to turn out fine. . . . There are no problems here. . . .
Nobody will know that you spoke with us.''

Alvarez's life changed forever that Wednesday morning, at the start
of last summer's record-breaking hurricane season. As he munched on a
danish and sipped coffee, court records note, FBI agents Alberto
Alonso and Rosa Schureck approached him.

''It wasn't a coincidence that we came to see you at Publix for the
first time,'' Alonso later told Alvarez. ``We can tell you if, if you
like books about Cuba, if you like this type of music, if you like to
eat out, if you like soup.''

The FBI for four years had the Alvarez couple under surveillance,
which included a bug for eavesdropping in the bedroom.

The decision to confront Alvarez at the Publix -- it did not specify
which one -- ''was designed to heighten the coercive and intimidating
effect of the stop by,'' a way to show him he had been under
surveillance, said the court records filed by lawyer Steven Chaykin.

NO COMMENT

Chaykin, who maintains his clients are innocent, would only say that
he believes the motions are ``highly meritorious.''

FBI spokesman Michael Leverock said Thursday he could not comment on
an ongoing case. The U.S. attorney's office is expected to respond in
court to Chaykin's motion.

After reviewing the transcripts, some legal observers believe the FBI
was employing techniques to try to flip Alvarez to cooperate and turn
in his alleged Cuban intelligence handlers. They pressured, cajoled,
invoked his family, to see if he would divulge more information about
himself, his work and his alleged Cuban government superiors.

The agents started their questioning, the motion states, by telling
Alvarez that he could ''help'' them and in exchange, he would be
helping himself.

''We know we have the capacity to help you . . . but you also have to
cooperate and assist us,'' Schureck said, according to the
transcript.

''Nobody will know about this interview,'' Alonso quickly added.

AN `OPPORTUNITY'

The agents told Alvarez that they had not granted this
''opportunity'' to other convicted Cuban spies, such as those who
were part of the so-called ''WASP'' network and Ana Belen Montes, who
worked at the Pentagon.

The agents explained that Cuba only defends the WASP prisoners, also
known as the Cuban Five, and not the others because the others had
cooperated with investigators.

''We want you to live your life exactly how you're living it now, to
continue working at FIU. In four years you're going to retire,''
Alonso said. ``You're daughter is going to school. Your children are
here. One is an attorney. . . . Everybody is working peacefully.
Nobody knows what you do, but I know there are other things that you,
you are not telling me now.''

The partial transcript cited in court documents does not include any
self-incriminating statements that Alvarez may have made. But it
shows that he was talking.

''I'm basically honest,'' Alvarez told the agents. ``You caught me, I
mean, a little by surprise. Sometimes I say, `Well, the legal thing,
what does this mean?'''

Alonso reassured him, ''there's nothing legal here,'' he said.

''I mean, you guys don't have anything,'' Alvarez said. ``I mean,
basically, you're telling me there's nothing against me.''

In a not-so-veiled warning to Alvarez to be truthful, the agents
talked about his family.

''I told you today was the most important day of your life because
your future is determined today, but not only yours, the future of
your wife, Elsa, your children, Javier, Jorge and Mario,'' Alonso
said.

Alvarez corrected him. ''Marcos,'' he said.

''Marcos, and especially . . .'' Alonso said, going on to talk about
Alvarez's youngest daughter. ``She's starting to live, to see life.
She hasn't gone to high school yet. She has so much to learn, to
enjoy. And what's best for you as a family?''

The agents didn't hide the fact that they wanted Alvarez to turn on
the Cuban government.

''Since you helped the, the Cuban government, we want you to help the
United States now,'' Schureck said.

Alvarez said he wanted something else.

''I want peace . . . in my life,'' Alvarez said. ``That's what I want
in my life.''

Not long after agents consoled Alvarez as he sobbed during that first
interrogation, Alonso said ``you've confessed it completely.''

Alvarez, in few words, seemed to plead with agents to take his
openness into consideration.

''I've told you everything that I was,'' Alvarez said, ``I hope they
recognize that.''

Herald staff writer Jay Weaver contributed to this report.

Read Oscar Corral's blog Miami's Cuban Connection in the blogs
section of MiamiHerald.com or at
http://blogs.herald.com/cuban_connection/


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