BUSH ABANDONS PLEDGE TO CUBAN-AMERICANS TO TOUGHEN LAW AGAINST CASTRO

By Judicial Watch Press Office (202-646-5172)
July 18, 2001

Like Clinton, Signs Waiver To Helms-Burton Law

Administration Is More Talk Than Action

(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest law firm that investigates and prosecutes public abuse and corruption, today strongly criticized President George W. Bush for abandoning his pledge to Cuban-Americans to toughen sanctions toward Fidel Castrošs Cuba by allowing U.S. interests to sue foreign interests which benefitted and still benefit from Castrošs illegal seizure of American property over 40 years ago. During the primary campaign, then Governor Bush promised not to appease Castro by signing a waiver to the Helms-Burton law, which would allow for American interests to sue foreign interests over the illegal confiscation of their property in Cuba.

President Bushšs decision to follow Clintonšs lead in appeasing Castro coincides with his past diffidence toward the Elian Gonzalez scandal and his current refusal to entertain an indictment of Castro for the murder of members of Brothers To The Rescue by Castrošs pilots.

"No amount of photo-op parties at The White House with Cuban-American leaders will mask the hard fact that President Bush thus far has talked a good game but taken few, if any, actions to strengthen the American commitment to overthrow the illegal Castro regime in Cuba. Sadly, the President's appeasement towards Castro is a bit like his approach to government corruption ­ all talk and no action," stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.

Judicial Watch represents Cuban-American interests who have sued former Clinton Administration officials over the INS' illegal raid on Elian Gonzalezšs relatives and neighborhood and an INS agent who blew the whistle on obstruction of justice and prejudice by the INS Miami Field Office, among other matters, on behalf of the Cuban-American and Hispanic communities.