Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Obama agrees not to extradite U.S. fugitives from Cuba

Obama agrees not to extradite U.S. fugitives from Cuba
By Dave Boyer - The Washington Times - Monday, January 16, 2017

The Obama administration signed a law-enforcement agreement with Cuba
Monday that doesn't call for the return of U.S. fugitives, including
former Black Panther Joanne Chesimard, who is wanted for killing a New
Jersey police officer.
The pact was signed by Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the de facto U.S. ambassador
in Havana, and the Cuban Interior minister Julio César Gandarilla. It
covers a broad range of law-enforcement topics, such as counternarcotics
operations.
Also present at the signing was White House deputy national security
adviser Ben Rhodes, who played a key role in forging Mr. Obama's policy
of restoring diplomatic ties with Cuba in 2014.
The agreement does not include a return of U.S. fugitives that Cuba has
harbored, including Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur. Convicted of
murder for the shooting death of New Jersey state trooper Werner
Foerster in 1973, she escaped prison in 1979 and received asylum from
Cuba. The omission of fugitives from the agreement was first reported by
USA Today.
Cuba's shielding of Chesimard and other U.S. fugitives, including Puerto
Rican nationalist William Morales, wanted for the 1975 Fraunces Tavern
bombing in New York City that killed four and wounded 50, has been a
source of friction between the two governments for decades.
The agreement comes after the administration announced last week that it
has ended the long-standing "wet foot, dry foot" policy that granted
legal status to Cubans who safely reached the U.S. shore.

Source: Obama Cuba deal will not extradite Joanne Chesimard, other U.S.
fugitives - Washington Times -
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/16/obama-sends-aide-cuba-sign-agreement/

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