A few passing thoughts, #1

It's hard to believe that ex-CIA agent and terrorist Luis Posada Carriles was so easily acquitted of perjury charges on Friday. This is a guy who should be charged with terrorism: Driven by his anti-communist fanaticism, he has been connected to the bombing of a civilian airliner, the bombing of two hotels in Havana, and a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro. Instead, he walks on some by comparison lesser charge.

Meanwhile, the US refuses to extradite him to either Cuba or Venezuela, both of which want to try him on the airliner charge, on the grounds that he "might be tortured" - leading those nations (and some others) to mutter about how the empire protects its own and me to wonder where in hell the US gets off being so high and mighty about torture while (just to cite the obvious) Bradley Manning still sits alone in Quantico even as the smear campaign gets going.

As a footnote, Carriles' lead attorney said after the acquittal that "This trial was not a vindication of any kind of violence toward Cuba." This despite having arguned during the trial that he

should have been allowed to retire a hero ... for his service to the country during the cold war.

If he's a hero, the 9/11 hijackers were martyrs. If they weren't, then he isn't.