brener@milrat.DEC (09/26/84)
Like the students in Grenada, i too would have been scared if i woke up in the middle of an invasion. Of course, the U.S. invaded, and flying bullets are not labeled "DON'T WORRY STUDENTS, MADE IN USA". Also, Jeff Meyers is right, Maurice Bishop and Fidel Castro were very close, both as friends and allies.They had excellent relations. Hudson Austin on the other hand was a member of Eric Gairy's (the former U.S. backed dictator who claims to speak to UFO's)police force (actually a prison guard). Maurice's death was mourned by the Cubans. If the Cubans had any desire to take the American students hostage, why didn't they at least attempt to during the crisis where many hours elapsed between the time of the landing and the time the marines finally reached the school ( one student said they were totally unguarded during those 34 or so hours)? Anyway, why didn't the President ever provide a shred of evidence to support this instead of relying on post-Iran hysteria directed at a population that couldn't pronounce Grenada correctly, let alone knew what was going on there. One of the justifications was the new 9000 foot runway Grenada was building to accommodate Soviet aircraft. The new airport was reccommended by the world bank years back as a means to increase their tourist trade hampered by not being able to accept jumbo jets or night landings at their already inadequate airport.Three of the other Carribean countries (Antigua, Curracos and Barbados) have 9000 foot or longer runways. The constuction of this airport was contracted out to Plessy Corp., a British construction company. The Cubans were hired as construction workers, for which the US State Department later admitted the correctness of the Cuban report submitted to Washinton of the number and type of Cubans being there as being correct to the person. Washington knew that there weren't any Cuban military bases there but knew it would be good propaganda. As for the mass ammunition storage, most of it was found to be so antique (much of it up to 100 years old) that it was sold as such to various collectors around the US. There were however 5000 rilfes found and 5,000,000 rounds of ammunition (not a heck of a whole lot!). Much other ammunition such as rice was found to be stored in these hangars (there was a summary of what was found in last years Boston Globe). The Prime Minister of Jamaica admitted that the request for the invasion originated in Washington and that only five of the eight Carribean nations agreed to it. The invasion was practiced two years ahead of time on the Vieques Islands of Puero Rico, and the same invasionary force that actually invaded did a practice run of the invasion at an Air Force base off the state of Washington shortly before the death of Maurice Bishop. None of the other students of other nationalities had any problems getting off the island, and arrangements were made with the State Department to lift the U.S. students who wanted to leave on a LEAT (owned by a few of the Carribean nations), which was "delayed" by the other Carribean nations shortly before the invasion. The Dean of the Medical School, a former British Intelligence officer claimed that the students were never in any danger. The death of Maurice Bishop and the blackout of information Americans had concerning Grenada gave the US the perfect opportunity to implement the invasion they had been practicing so hard for, and hoping for since "The Bloodless Coup" of 1979. Since the establishment of Sir Paul Scoon, nominated by Eric Gairy, freedom of the press has been rescinded, freedom of assembly rescinded, and arrest without warrant has been instituted. steve b
wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (10/12/84)
<"REGAN'S JOKE" in the subject -- when did the Treasury Secretary tell a joke?> > As for the mass ammunition storage, most of it was found to be so > antique (much of it up to 100 years old) that it was sold as such to various > collectors around the US. What??? Please post info & reference on this. I'm a gun collector, get about all the gun magazines there are, and have NEVER seen any reference to such a sale. Since the Gun Control Axct of '68, it is practically impossible to get the US Gov't to sell guns or ammo to private citizens, except for a mere trickle that comes through the Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice to gun club members. Will Martin USENET: seismo!brl-bmd!wmartin or ARPA/MILNET: wmartin@almsa-1.ARPA