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March 24, 2011

Civil Rights Attorney Leonard Weinglass Dies at 78 
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The civil rights attorney Leonard Weinglass has died. In a career
spanning over four decades, Weinglass' cases included those of the
Chicago Eight antiwar protesters at the 1968 Democratic Convention; the
Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg; Philadelphia death row
prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal, and the Cuban Five. Weinglass died Wednesday,
on his 78th birthday. Weinglass discussed the Cuban Five on Democracy
Now! in 2007.

Leonard Weinglass: "This is the first time in our history that there's
been an espionage charge, conspiracy to commit espionage. The government
admitted they could not prove espionage. But even conspiracy to commit
espionage, there wasn't a single page of classified document involved in
this case. That never happened before. Furthermore, the defense was able
to call General Atkinson, General Wilhelm, Admiral Carol, the advisor to
the President of the United States on Cuba, all these witnesses for the
defense. That never happened before in an espionage case."

Amy Goodman: "Who are these men? And explain why they came here."

Leonard Weinglass: "These are five Cuban men who were employees of the
Cuban government. After a series of bombing attacks on Cuba in the early
'90s-a hotel was bombed, an Italian tourist was killed. The airport was
bombed. Tourist buses were bombed. Cuba protested each and every act.
The United States did nothing. Cuba then invited the FBI to come to
Havana, and they did go, a delegation. They provided them with names and
places and people who were engaged in this kind of violence. Again, the
government did nothing. Then Cuba sent the five to infiltrate these
groups, monitor their activities, and warn Cuba."



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