Yanqui Comandante - William Morgan

[Capitalist]

Widow wants Cuba to return her husband's remains to U.S.

Yanqui Comandante - William Morgan

(For Picture - See Link)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor.../168/17klz.html (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020304/168/17klz.html)

Democratic Rebel, William Morgan, Executed by Cuban/Communist Firing Squad in 1961 at age 33.

in 1960 he had been hailed as a hero of the Castro Revolution. William Morgan - The ``Yanqui Comandante'', was promoted to major.

William was mobbed on the streets of Havana for his autograph. He was like a hollywood actor. He had a "joking, light-hearted demeanor and was very tough - very Cuban in his attitude.''

But after the revolution, Morgan began criticizing the direction of Castro's communist government. He spoke out against Communism and openly questioned why Castro was courting leaders from the "Imperialistic" Soviet Union.

Castro began a crackdown against government dissidents. Several of Morgan's former fighters were arrested. The Cuban government arrested Morgan on Oct. 17, 1960, accusing him of being a spy and operative for ``foreign interests.''

U.S. State Department and FBI documents that have since been declassified contain NO evidence that Morgan was associated with the CIA as the Communists Cubans claimed

Morgan was charged with state treason and executed by firing squad. According to Cuban Law at the time - William's accusation of treason could only be served a maximum sentence of nine-years in prison. Nevertheless, he was executed.

His wife was also convicted in 1961. She was arrested two days after his death and spent 12 YEARS in Cuban prison.

Years after her release, she was given permission to join the refugees who migrated to the United States in the 1980 Boat Lift. By the following year, she was living in Toledo.

She is currently requesting that Cuba send the remains of her husband, William Morgan, back to the USA.

[peaccenicked]

Here is the 'propaganda' from cuba.
"This fact was confirmed in the statement given by Víctor Dréke Cruz, who had various responsibilities in the fight against bandits in the early 1960s and subsequently during the Bay of Pigs mercenary invasion.

According to Dréke, the CIA strategy was to penetrate the Escambray area via the bands which constituted its armed wing. William Morgan, a U.S. citizen who belonged to the Second Front but joined the revolutionaries in 1959, and who was supposedly involved in combating those armed bands utilized by the U.S. government, took advantage of his position in the ranks of the militia to organize the counterrevolutionary groups.

Dréke relates that the bands’ initial actions were directed at the theft of arms from garrisons in the areas, aided by other persons who didn’t support the Revolution or who were confused. After the siege of the Escambray mounted by the militia, U.S. imperialism changed its tactics and directed the armed bands to split into smaller groups. Combating them became more difficult.

They began to intimidate campesinos and townspeople through kidnap, rape and murder. Terror was unleashed"

[Capitalist]

I must agree - "Propaganda"

There is not doubt in my mind that William Morgan was a wild character with a shady past.

However - he fought for Democracy - not Communism and Tyranny. Like Hubert Matos and several other Cuban "Democratic-Counter Revolutionary" Rebels - he was not about to let Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and others steal the revolution without a fight.

[Xvall]

By the looks of it, He fought communism...
Fighting something that America doesn't like doesn't mean it stands for 'democracy'.

"Oh, Look! I beat up a nazi! I'm democratic!"

Give me a break...

- Drake Dracoli

[Capitalist]

Democracy means that the PEOPLE have the right to choose their leaders/representatives, not the STATE/Tyrant.

Under Communism - the psuedo-leaders/tyrants mask themselves as democratic by holding psuedo-elections. Under Communism, only one party is allowed to run in the elections (all other political partys or candidates are banned from the election process). Usually, like in Cuba's case, the President of the Communist Party (only party allowed to run) is also President of the country.

[pastradamus]

he was killed for a purpose................full stop.

[guerrillaradio]

Please...stop trying to defend the elimination of dissidents. It obviously has happened and still does happen in Cuba. I can see no justification in the murder of someone for their beliefs. Capitalist is right on this one...