US contractor convicted in Cuba; 15-year sentence

US contractor convicted in Cuba; 15-year sentence

www.google.com

HAVANA (AP) — A Cuban court on Saturday found U.S. contractor Alan Gross guilty of crimes against the state and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, a verdict that brought a swift and strongly worded condemnation from Washington.

The court said prosecutors had proved that Gross, 61, was working on a "subversive" program paid for by the United States that aimed to bring down Cuba's revolutionary system. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year jail term.

Gloria Berbena, a spokeswoman for the U.S. diplomatic mission on the island, termed the decision "appalling" and called on Cuba to releas

(visit the link for the full news article)

Alan Gross was detained by Cuba in Dec 2009 and has finally been sentenced to 15 years of jail time. Cuban officials have called Gross a "mercenary" It's a injustice for Alan Gross and the U.S., but the U.S. should not be trying to push democracy so much so that they put peoples lives at risk........but I guess that is kinda what the U.S. is all about.

This 61 year old man will now most likely spend the rest of his life behind bars, away from his family and friends.

www.google.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45


Well honestly, unless he was set up and didn't actually do it, I really have no sympathy for him. If someone was caught here trying to undermine our government, would they not go to jail for a long time?

Damn it sucks...he's going to be in a third world jail..atleast let him serve out his sentence back home.

reply to post by TKDRL


Hello TKDRL,

I agree with your position. It sounds like something we may have considered doing but given the frequent contact between the US and Cuba it is unlikely this project would be deemed likely to succeed.

It is more likley this is a private effort that happened to emanate from US territory. Let see, not sponsored dabbling in covert activities between counties that have strained relations. Sounds like when you get caught everyone is anoyed with you and you do a long stretch in a Cuba jail.

reply to post by whatwasthat


We see people get all pissed off in the US when muslims try to make it legal to practice sharia law amongst themselves, to me this is no different. If an american goes to a foreign country, and tries to undermine their way of life and goverment.... They have to understand there might be dire consequences for that action. Cuba might not be the greatest place to live for the people there, but it is up to cubans to shed their own chains.

The United States, trying to lecture another nation on detainees and prisons, liberties and rights.

Originally posted by TKDRL
reply to post by whatwasthat

 

We see people get all pissed off in the US when muslims try to make it legal to practice sharia law amongst themselves, to me this is no different. If an american goes to a foreign country, and tries to undermine their way of life and goverment.... They have to understand there might be dire consequences for that action. Cuba might not be the greatest place to live for the people there, but it is up to cubans to shed their own chains.

the US when muslims try to make it legal to practice sharia law amongst themselves, to me this is no different. If an american goes to a foreign country,

There is a difference, once the practice of sharia law is placed all other minorities will not welcomed by muslims you already have seen what sharia law does to Christians in Islamic states have you?

reply to post by Agent_USA_Supporter


I think you missed the point. Both situations are foreigners, going into another country and trying to undermine how things are done there. The only difference is one is in cuba, and the other is here. We are biased and think our way is better, that doesn't mean we have the right to go into other countries, and meddle with their affairs.

Well if we can't control our own leaders here at home then it's only more than appropriate that foreign leaders reel them in themselves.

reply to post by SUICIDEHK45

Gross was arrested in December 2009 while on a USAID-backed democracy-building project. The U.S. government and Gross's family say he was working to improve Internet access for the island's Jewish community, did nothing wrong, and should be released.

Cuban officials have called him a mercenary and maintained his motives were more nefarious. The court said the program that Gross worked on — part of a $20 million Washington-effort to support democracy on the island
www.google.com...

The US State Dept does not ask permission from countries before sending their operatives in. Gross went into Cuba on a tourist visa, not a US contractor working to "spread democracy" in Cuba visa. USAID (United States Agency for International Development) is the primary channel for US agents undermining other governments.

The US is shameless when it comes to demanding the release of its subversives, like Raymond Davis, CIA chief of operations (some think, for targeting of drone attacks, hardly someone to be described as "diplomat")

But, that's the US MO

I think a $20 million "improved internet connection" may just get me a dedicated tight beam encrypted connection to a US Navy sub off the coast. Who knows?

Feel bad for the guy, BUT.....

Cuba sentenced a US contractor to 15 years in prison for covertly distributing laptops and cellular phones on the island -- a verdict certain to sour the communist-ruled nation's long-strained ties with the United States.

The Cuban statement also said that during the trial, the defendant "acknowledged that he had been used and manipulated" by the US Agency for International Development, which financed Gross's company, the statement read.

Giving away laptops and cell phones, which we can be sure came loaded with all sorts of devious apps courtesy the US intelligence community could come up with.

You know the old adage, beware of Greeks bearing gifts...

Here's a neato article about the guy.
politics daily

There are link from that page, but I highly doubt this guy was doing anything in the interest of Cuba.

There are some links from that page, pretty much paints the picture of what he was doing there.

If the US is serious about getting the "laptop man" back, there are opportunities for swaps.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 73-year-old great grandson of Alexander Graham Bell was sentenced Friday to life in prison without parole for quietly spying for Cuba for nearly a third of a century from inside the State Department. His wife was sentenced to 5½ years.

Retired intelligence analyst Kendall Myers said he meant his country no harm and stole secrets only to help Cuba’s people who “have good reason to feel threatened” by U.S. intentions of ousting the communist Castro government.
www.washingtontimes.com...

There are also the Cuban Five.

For their part, Cuba acknowledges that the five men were intelligence agents, but says they were spying on Miami’s Cuban exile community, not the U.S. government.[3] Cuba contends that the men were sent to South Florida in the wake of several terrorist bombings in Havana allegedly masterminded by anti-communist militant Luis Posada Carriles, a former Central Intelligence Agency operative.[3]
...
On October 13, 2009, Antonio Guerrero's sentence was reduced to 22 years. On December 8, 2009, Ramon Labanino and Fernando Gonzalez's sentence were reduced to 30 years and 18 years, respectively.
en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by SyphonX

The United States, trying to lecture another nation on detainees and prisons, liberties and rights.

Yup..lol.. biting irony that an American got a trial on the same island the US Govt denies trials..

Castros Govt could have called Gross "enemy boogie-man".. then built him a cozy compound on Guantanamo Bay with a view of GITMO.

Interesting allegation about Gross..
"n December 2009, Alan Gross, a contractor for USAID, was arrested in Cuba. He and US government officials claim Gross was helping to deliver internet access to the Jewish community on the island, however the head of the Jewish community in Cuba, Adela Dworin, denies any knowledge of Gross and says that recognized international Jewish organizations have provided them with legal Internet connections. Cuban officials have said that Gross remains under investigation on suspicion of espionage and importing prohibited satellite communications equipment (known as a B-gan) to Cuban dissidents."

en.wikipedia.org...

It's suspected USAID is a CIA front.. interesting to note the US Army conducted a so called "rare training event" involving the CIA and "state departments, U.S. Agency for International Development,.." aka USAID

USAID personnel receiving Army training eh?.. delivering the internet to Cuban Jews must be tougher than it sounds..lol

Link to The Associated Press article from:
blendzpolitik.blogspot.com...

Cuba is looking more and more like the USSR every day. Eventually, any relation at all with the US at all will have you accused of being a dangerous subversive.

Originally posted by 547000
Cuba is looking more and more like the USSR every day. Eventually, any relation at all with the US at all will have you accused of being a dangerous subversive.

Correct me if I am wrong, but pretty much the opposite is true! I do remember reading when Bobby Fischer died, that he had been in exile from the USA for years, because he had the temerity to play a chess match in Cuba, and was therefore subject to arrest and imprisonment if he returned to the USA! IMO, that's insane.