Terrorism Is Terrorism

Many Cuban exiles feel very strongly about Dr. Orlando Bosch, a Cuban-born pediatrician whom U.S. authorities want to deport as a suspected terrorist.

Bosch was among thousands of Cuban exiles who fled the homeland after the revolution of 1959. Once he settled in Miami, the campaign to oust Fidel Castro became an obsession with him. But he carried his activities to more violent extremes than did other Cuban exiles. Several times Bosch was detained by U.S. authorities for illegally storing large quantities of explosives. He was finally sent to federal prison for trying to sink a Polish freighter in Miami harbor. After being paroled, Bosch fled the United States rather than face a subpoena in a murder case, continuing his anti-Castro activities abroad. He was arrested in Venezuela in 1976 on suspicion of masterminding the bombing of a Cuban jetliner that killed 73 passengers and crew members. He was tried three times in connection with that case, but never convicted. He remained in Venezuelan jails until 1987, when he was allowed to return to Miami.

Bosch was detained by federal agents upon his arrival in this country, and has remained in prison while the U.S. Justice Department decided what to do with him. Last week, his request for political asylum was denied and he was ordered to leave the country--if the U.S. government could find another nation that will accept him. Justice Department spokesmen cited secret FBI and CIA files that implicate Bosch in assassinations and bombings. “We must look at terrorism as a universal evil,” said one, “even if it is directed toward those with whom we have no political sympathy.”

Cuban-Americans have begun a campaign to pressure President Bush to reverse the decision, but their zeal is misguided. At 62, and in bad health, Bosch seems more tragic than menacing. But the problem he represents is real, not just for the United States but the entire world. This country must not be seen to condone or countenance terrorism in any way. To give Bosch his freedom would send that message.