May 17, 2003 -
Cuba Jails Five Would-Be Hijackers for Life [Full Text] HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba sentenced five men to life in prison for attempted to hijack a plane to the United States, the island's authorities said on Saturday in a statement published by the ruling Communist Party daily Granma.
A Havana court convicted the five men of terrorism for planning to commandeer a plane with a stolen rifle and knives.
The five would-be hijackers, and three accomplices -- who received jail sentences ranging from 20 to 30 years -- were arrested as they prepared to take over a domestic airliner at the Isle of Youth airport on April 10, during a spate of hijackings by Cubans trying to reach the United States.
On April 11, Cuba executed three men who hijacked a Havana Bay commuter ferry with a handgun and knives in an attempt to sail 90 miles across to Florida. [End]
Cuba says Gov. Bush is urging an attack - On U.S. news show, Alarcón claims plot*** Appearing on ABC's This Week, Ricardo Alarcón, the leader of Cuba's National Assembly, said Florida's governor was urging President Bush to invade the island…………….. Alia Faraj, Gov. Bush's press secretary, said that the governor has not changed his views on Cuba. ''Gov. Bush has been very clear in his position that he does not condone Castro's repressive regime,'' she said, according to a report from The Associated Press. ``Americans should continue to show their support for the brave men and women who continue to seek change through continued support of an economic embargo and travel restrictions…………….. oe Garcia, spokesman for the Cuban American National Foundation, said Sunday that Alarcón's statements fit a pattern used in times of stress by the Castro government. ''This is a regime that for the last 44 years has been preparing for a U.S. invasion,'' Garcia said. ``Anytime they are suffering a crisis, they externalize it. It is someone else's fault -- the Miami mafia, the U.S. or puppet leaders in Latin America.''***