Secret life of TV cameraman

MURDERED Adelaide cameraman Paul Moran spent more than a decade trying to help destabilise the regime of Saddam Hussein, his family and friends have revealed.

His activities included working for an American public relations company contracted by the US Central Intelligence Agency to run propaganda campaigns against the dictatorship.

Mr Moran, 39, also used his experience as a freelance cameraman to train Iraqi dissidents in the use of hidden cameras to covertly film military activities. During workshops in Tehran, in Iran, he would show Iraqis opposed to Saddam how to use everyday items, such as bags of dates, to hide cameras.

This article came to mind while reading about the new sanctions the Bush administration is considering against Cuba.

In recent weeks, the Castro government has jailed nearly 100 government critics, independent journalists, human rights advocates and others, and sentenced many of them to lengthy prison terms. In addition, Havana last week executed three men who commandeered a ferry and sought to reach the United States, the third such hijacking attempt in a month.

I suspect that at least some of these people are more like Moran than what they claim. Should this treatment be considered acceptable in any case? No. Of course not. But for George Bush, executor of juveniles and the mentally retarded, jailer of thousands without due process, Mr. 'with me or against me' breaker of international laws and treaties, to be the one casting judgement is the height of absurdity.

Nathan Newman has links to a leftist solidarity statement condemning these recent actions by Castro.

Update 4/21: Max Sawicky has a post you may wish to read before signing.