DATE=8/10/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-236855
TITLE=CASTRO PLOT (L)
BYLINE=SCOTT ANGER
DATELINE=MIAMI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A MIAMI NEWSPAPER SAY U-S AUTHORITIES HAVE FOILED A PLOT
TO KILL CUBAN PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO BUT OFFICIALS SAY THEY HAVE
FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF THE ALLEGED PLOT. AS SCOTT ANGER REPORTS,
THE MIAMI HERALD NEWSPAPER SAYS THE PLAN WAS MASTERMINDED BY A
CUBAN EXILE ACCUSED OF A DOZEN BOMBINGS IN HAVANA LAST YEAR.
TEXT: AFTER RECEIVING A CONFIDENTIAL TIP, F-B-I AGENTS SEARCHED
A MIAMI WAREHOUSE FOR GUNS AND EXPLOSIVES THAT WERE ALLEGEDLY
HIDDEN ABOARD A BOAT. F-B-I SPOKESMAN MIKE FABREGAS SAYS NOTHING
WAS FOUND TO SUPPORT THE ALLEGED ASSASSINATION PLOT.
///FABREGAS ACT///
THE VESSEL WAS SEARCHED ON JULY 24TH AND NOTHING WAS
OBTAINED FROM THE SEARCH. WE DID NOT FIND EXPLOSIVES,
WE DID NOT FIND WEAPONS, WE DID NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT
WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
///END ACT///
ALTHOUGH AUTHORITIES FOUND NOTHING, THE MIAMI HERALD REPORTS
ANTI-CASTRO MILITANT, LUIS POSADA CARRILES AND THREE CUBAN EXILES
MET LAST MONTH IN GUATEMALA CITY TO DISCUSS SMUGGLING GUNS AND
EXPLOSIVES INTO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. THE PAPER SAYS A HIT TEAM
WAS TO ARRIVE IN SANTO DOMINGO TO KILL THE CUBAN PRESIDENT AT A
SUMMIT OF CARIBBEAN LEADERS.
ACCORDING TO THE PAPER, ONE OF THE MEN WHO MET WITH MR. POSADA
WAS ENRIQUE BASSAS, WHO OWNS PART OF THE WAREHOUSE SEARCHED BY
THE F-B-I. THE HERALD QUOTES LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERANS WHO SAW
THE SEARCH AS AN F-B-I HINT TO THE ALLEGED PLOTTTERS TO CANCEL
ANY CONSPIRACY.
/// OPTIONAL ///
MR. POSADA MADE HEADLINES LAST WEEK WHEN HE SAID HE HAD
DELIBERATELY MISINFORMED THE NEW YORK TIMES IN AN INTERVIEW ABOUT
TERRORIST ACTIVITIES AGAINST CUBA . HE TOLD THE PAPER THAT
BOMBINGS IN CUBA HAD BEEN FUNDED BY JORGE MAS CANOSA, THE LATE
HEAD OF THE CUBAN-AMERICAN FOUNDATION IN MIAMI.
AFTER THE TIMES PUBLISHED THE STORIES, THE FOUNDATION CONDEMNED
THE ARTICLES AND DENIED FUNDING ANY TERRORIST ACTIVITY. LAST
WEEK, MR. POSADA RECANTED, SAYING HE LIED TO THE TIMES TO PROTECT
FINANCIAL BACKERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
DARIO MORENO, A POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT FLORIDA
INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY IN MIAMI SAYS HE IS NOT SURPRISED BY
REPORTS OF AN ALLEGED PLOT AGAINST MR. CASTRO. HE SAYS MANY
EXILES STILL SUPPORT GROUPS THAT WOULD LIKE TO OVERTHROW THE
CASTRO GOVERNMENT.
///MORENO ACT//
WHAT YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE OF IS THAT THE PASSION IN THE
EXILE COMMUNITY IS STILL STRONGLY ANTI-CASTRO. AND
THERE'S STILL A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THESE KINDS OF
ACTIVITIES.
///END ACT///
/// END OPT ///
MR. POSADA HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE MASTERMIND OF A DOZEN
BOMBINGS OF HAVANA TOURIST CENTERS LAST SUMMER THAT KILLED ONE
ITALIAN VISITOR. NEWSPAPER REPORTS HAVE ALSO LINKED HIM TO OTHER
PLOTS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL AMERICA IN RECENT YEARS.(SIGNED)
NEB/SA/KBK
10-Aug-98 7:19 PM EDT (2319 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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