not over yet:

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Conch Republic regatta

has become fishing expedition

The local grand jury investigation of our sailing vessels (racing in
the Third Annual Conch Republic Cup Race from Key West to Cuba in May)
is becoming an bureaucratic entanglement for federal prosecutors
fishing for any violations of the Cuba travel ban.

Late in May [2003], a variety of functionaries and officials from five
federal agencies jackbooted their way onboard a number of boats after
their return to Key West. Though the Conch Republic Cup Race was
topmost on the minds of the sailors, specific racers were volunteers
in our organization, carrying humanitarian aid to the Cuban people.
The action was permitted by the U.S. Department of Commerce to
transport medicine down to Havana. No one anticipated the government's
raid on their return.

Now even the so-called search warrants the feds flashed are suspected
of being illegal. Oops! And just recently, a congressional hearing of
what the heck happened here on the island was being explored, as well.

Let's get to specifics and actual testimony. You see, the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and State was
discussing the topic of selling food and medicine to Cuba (Feb. 26).
But the word was out about the federal raid on returning sailors here
in Key West, and Congress was curious.

"This whole issue of the boaters in Key West, " began Congressman Jose
Serrano of New York that day, questioning Secretary of Commerce Don
Evans before the subcommittee. "I think you're aware that they were
taking medical supplies and food to Cuba, and all our information was
that this was a humanitarian effort, this was not a sale; therefore,
it was not an export, but the Commerce Department is involved and got
involved in subpoenas that now these folks will have to face,
possibly, charges for going to Cuba, when on one hand, we're selling
to Cuba. On the other hand, this was a humanitarian situation ... why
is the Commerce Department handing out subpoenas to people who were
bringing medicine and food to Cuba?"

Evans seemed caught off guard: "With respect to this specific case,
it's subpoenas to people that were taking medical supplies, [a]
humanitarian mission to Cuba, I don't know the details of that. I
would only say to you that I ... think it is important for us to
continue to provide humanitarian aid. But I also think it's important
that if we have procedures in place and a process in place, that the
process and procedures have to be followed.

"But beyond that, I'm sorry. I don't know the absolute details of that
case."

Thanks to advice from the National Lawyers Guild and the Center for
Constitutional Rights, Conchord Cayo Hueso is considering a
class-action lawsuit against the federal agencies participating in
this possibly illegal search and seizure of private property from the
participants in the sailing race.

The Bush administration, in its fervor to regain the White House in
November, has committed itself to supporting the hard-line exiles in
Miami by denying Americans our inalienable right to travel to Cuba.
It's the only country in the world a U.S. citizen is not allowed to
visit.

Their insistence that Havana is a center of world terrorism is
laughable.

John J. Young, director

Conchord Cayo Hueso Inc.

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source:

http://www.keysnews.com/282079407245086.bsp.htm