THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 8, 1996 TAG: 9607080053
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GEORGE GEDDA ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 57 lines
A videotape showing high-ranking Cuban and American military officers, including a Norfolk-based general, chatting in the border area between the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay and Cuban territory has some lawmakers demanding an explanation.
A Cuban general is seen praising an American admiral for his ``intelligence and dedication.'' The general also receives from the admiral two gifts, one a plaque with a message extolling the cooperative relations. In addition, the Cuban was presented with a detailed map of the base.
Cuban-American members of Congress and a key House subcommittee chairman want an explanation. In identical letters to the top three U.S. officers at the meeting, the four lawmakers said they were ``shocked and disgusted'' and requested an immediate meeting.
The highest-ranking U.S. officer at the November 1995 meeting, held in a tent, was Gen. John Sheehan, commander of the U.S. Atlantic Command in Norfolk.
A command spokesman, Navy Lt. Jeff Breslau, said mutual trust in the area is important to help reduce potential tensions that could result from inadvertent rifle firings or exploding land mines. On occasion, he said, mine fields are set off by Cubans attempting to flee to the base.
Joining Sheehan at the meeting was Adm. Michael Haskins, a former head of the joint task force in Guantanamo who left the base last November. The occasion for the meeting was Haskins' departure and the arrival of his replacement, Col. John McKay.
The videotape was taken by an unidentified soldier at the base who was unhappy with the year-old U.S. policy of repatriating boat people to Cuba.
She sent the tape to Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., a Cuban-American congressman and one of the four lawmakers who signed the letter to the officers. Also signing were Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Dan. Burton, R-Ind., chairman of the House International Relations subcommittee on Latin America. Burton also is co-author of recently enacted legislation to tighten sanctions against Cuba.
The Cuban general, identified only as Perez-Perez, told Sheehan, ``It is really a pleasure to meet with you again.''
Sheehan replied: ``It's my pleasure to be here. . . . Adm. Haskins has done such a good job - but he could not have done it without your help. The relationships in the Guantanamo area must be very good.''
In their letters, the lawmakers write: ``Gen. Perez-Perez is an official of a regime which is a sworn enemy of the United States and which has demonstrated for decades its commitment to harm our nation.'' ILLUSTRATION: Gen. John Sheehan was the highest-ranking U.S. officer
attending.
Map
KEYWORDS: VIDEOTAPE GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVY by CNB