U.S. captive was aiding Jews
The American contractor arrested in Cuba on spying charges was helping
Jewish groups, sources said.
By JUAN O. TAMAYO
jtamayo@ElNuevoHerald.com
A U.S. government subcontractor jailed in Cuba and branded as a spy was
helping Jewish groups get ``unfiltered'' Internet access to sites like
Wikipedia, sources said Wednesday.
The identification of Alan P. Gross, 60, of Potomac, Md., and his
mission on the island cast a new light on a case that has sharpened the
discord between Washington and Havana.
``If this is true, it moves the case away from politics, and the world
Jewish community could make a lot of noise,'' said Max Lesnick, a Cuban
Jew and Miami radio commentator who often visits the island.
``But we have to ask if he's also been in contact with other groups that
Cuba considers more destabilizing,'' added Lesnick, referring to
political dissidents.
The sources, who asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of the
case, said as far as they knew Gross was only helping two or three Cuban
Jewish groups obtain ``unfiltered access to the Internet.''
`INNOCUOUS'
Cuba's government tries to control all Web access, but there are many
ways to get around the controls and the filters blocking access to sites
considered to be hostile.
``His role was pretty innocuous, helping them to access the Internet
sites like Wikipedia, enabling them to download music and to establish
contacts with Jewish groups abroad,'' one of the sources said.
Cuba has at least two government-recognized Jewish groups, one for
Ashkenazi, descendants of European Jews, and one for Sephardi,
descendants of those from the Iberian Peninsula. El Nuevo Herald's
efforts to contact group officials in Havana were unsuccessful.
Gross was detained Dec. 4 at the Havana airport. He has not been
charged, but Cuban officials have alleged he was ``contracted to work
for American intelligence services.'' Washington has flatly denied any
links to spying.
Cuban law bans any cooperation with U.S. pro-democracy programs, viewing
them as part of Washington's efforts to subvert the government.
BUSINESS
Gross reportedly runs the Joint Business Development Center in Maryland,
whose website says it helps ``Internet connectivity in locations where
there was little or no access. In the past two years, JBDC has installed
more than 60 satellite terminals . . . [in] remote locations in Iraq,
Afghanistan, Armenia, and Kuwait.''
His company was hired by Development Alternatives Inc., a suburban
Washington company, to deliver assistance to Cuba under a DAI contract
with the U.S. Agency for International Development to promote civil
society on the island.
Gross is a social worker by training and has worked for 25 years as an
international development expert in some 50 countries, said a statement
Wednesday by DAI President and CEO Dr. James Boomgard.
``His work in Cuba was focused on facilitating communications among
people in a non-violent, non-dissident religious organization. This role
is entirely in line with his lifelong commitment to helping people all
over the world -- and helping people is all that Alan has done in Cuba
and elsewhere,'' Boomgard added.
Gross' wife, Judy, issued a statement saying, ``We don't wish to comment
other than to say that this a very difficult time for our family. We are
grateful for the support and prayers that we have received for the safe
and speedy return of our husband and father.''
The New York Times and Washington Post first revealed Gross' identity
and mission in reports Wednesday.
The Times reported Gross had visited Cuba several times, delivering
``computer and satellite equipment'' to three Jewish community groups,
and that one of his Internet networking sites said he had been a
volunteer field organizer for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
U.S. captive was aiding Jews - Cuba - MiamiHerald.com (14 January 2010)
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/americas/cuba/story/1424148.html
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