Jak King writes: We recall that Bush used up most of his State of the Union speech to make specific threats about dealing with "terrorism", telling countries around the world that they'd better clean up their act or the States will do it for them. We also recall that Bush's new budget adds billions upon billions of dollars onto taxpayers burdens specifically to fight "terrorism". Finally, we also recall Mr Bush, from the earliest days after September 11th, explaining in his best school principal's manner that "terrorism" is "terrorism" is "terrorism" and must be stamped out wherever it is found.

But, of course, in reality "terrorism" is not always "terrorism". In terms of Bush's plans, "terrorism" only means anti-American "terrorism". If you are a "terrorist" opposed to a regime that the US is not keen on, then you are welcome in the States. There are, for example, Cambodian. Cuban and Vietnamese "terrorists" happily living in the USA or protected by the CIA or both.

Orlando Bosch Avila is an anti-Cuban, convicted in the States in 1968 of terrorist activity He is an illegal immigrant and a parole violator, and one of the brains behind the destruction of a Cubana airliner in 1976 causing the death of 73 innocent civilians, including women and children. In June, 1974 Bosch publicly admitted having sent package bombs to Cuban Embassies in Lima, Madrid, Ottawa, and Buenos Aires.

In May 1989, U.S. Associate Attorney General Joe D. Whitley stated that "for 30 years Bosch has been resolute and unwavering in his advocacy of terrorist violence. He has threatened and undertaken violent terrorist acts against numerous targets, including nations friendly toward the United States and their highest officials. He has repeatedly expressed and demonstrated a willingness to cause indiscriminate injury and death. His actions have been those of a terrorist, unfettered by laws or human decency, threatening and inflicting violence without regard to the identity of his victims," and ordered him deported from the United States.

The CIA and exile groups lobbied hard on Bosch's behalf and less than a year later the author of more than 50 attacks in the United States and abroad, the apologist for terrorism, received a presidential pardon from George Bush on July 20, 1990.

Orlando Bosch, killer and self-declared terrorist, is free and walks the streets of Miami today, still active, still a killer.

Elsewhere, the leaders of both the Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) and Government of Free Vietnam (GFV) are based in Long Beach, California.

"Nguyen Huu Chanh is the 51-year-old head of GFV. Chanh immigrated to the U.S. in 1982 and is, according to the November 27 Time Asia, 'Vietnam's most-wanted terrorist, a globe-trotting rabble-rouser sought by police in his homeland and in the Philippines, where three of his associates were recently arrested with bombmaking materials.' Over the past three years the GFV is 'suspected in half a dozen attacks on Vietnamese targets in Europe and Asia'."

The CFF has a similar history

"some 70 rebels armed with assault rifles and rocket launchers -- and wearing matching Cambodian Freedom Fighters T-shirts -- attacked government buildings in downtown Phnom Penh."

I can find no indication that any of these folks will be bombed out of Miami and Long Beach anytime soon. Nor are there any plans to send them to cages in Guantanamo Bay, or home to face justice in their native lands. Seems that Bush and Ashcroft and Rumsfeld are happy to have these "terrorists" enjoying the freedom and hospitality of the United States for the foreseeable future.

Can anyone spell "double standard"?

Sources: Bosch; SE Asian groups "