Prensa Latina - Havana, Cuba 30-Aug-96 SILK GLOVES TO KILL THE REVOLUTION BY NICANOR LEON COTAYO ONE of the front organizations utilized by the U. S. government to carry out subversive plans against Cuba is the Washington-based Freedom House Foundation, and the person in charge of leading these activities is one of the organization's top men, Frank Calzon. Freedom House presents itself as a nongovernmental organization which promotes human rights in the world and is politically neutral, but it is actually a mouthpiece for the White House. Nonetheless, in 1995 it was given full membership in the UN Human Rights Commission, in the role of a "consultative" agency. Its president is Adrian Karatnycky and its director in the U.S. capital is Frank Calzon, who is of Cuban origin. Since his arrival in the United States in 1960, under the sponsorship of U.S. agencies, including the CIA, Calzon has specialized in propaganda campaigns against Cuba. In 1993, also with U.S. government financing, he began to promote the creation on the island of so-called nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which according to the plans, would later be strengthened when they become conduits for humanitarian aid to the island. It has been said that Washington has outlined two basic tasks for Freedom House: to transmit to Cuba propaganda which paints a rosy picture of capitalism; and to contribute to the establishment there of what is called a "civilian society" - that is, one made up essentially of anti-socialist groups which end up isolating the Revolution. Two high-ranking officials of the current administration announced on July 16 in a press conference that the government had allocated 500 000 dollars to the foundation, the first official aid (that is, the first made public) destined to further the above-mentioned intentions. Government figures and officials of Freedom House have given notice in public speeches about what they are doing or have suggested, in one way or another, what they propose to accomplish with that money and other funds. Among ongoing activities, the agency is printing up propaganda materials aimed at those whom they consider "legitimate elements" who, in line with their thinking, should begin to dismember the current Cuban civil society, until it is converted into something that satisfies U.S. authorities. What will be the content of this written material "made in the USA" and which they expect to bring into the country for subversive purposes? Their objective will be to transmit to their readers, naturally in a very attractive form, a set of ideas and values which are part of the highly disputed type of democracy which exists in the United States. Colleagues from over there have told me that in addition, the funds turned over by the White House are for the publication of articles and other materials written by annexationists who portray themselves on the island as independent journalists or human rights activists. It is said that Freedom House has selected a group of U.S. organizations also known as NGOs to take part in the mission to weaken current Cuban society little by little and to replace it with another, as I explained above, in which there would be no room for revolutionary power. These efforts extend to third countries, with the goal of encouraging NGOs, human rights activists, intellectuals and trade union leaders, all scrupulously selected for their pro-U.S. stands, to join in the previously mentioned task. This would also serve to cover up Washington's leading role in this political and ideological campaign against Cuba. Furthermore, it is said in Washington that the foundation hopes to promote visits to Cuba of persons who took part in "democratic transitions" in countries such as those of Eastern Europe, with the objective of advising and encouraging "dissident" actions by small groups that call themselves independent, and among intellectuals whom they consider vulnerable. Looking at this part of Washington's plan, and what is publicly announced or insinuated there, it is important to make a clear distinction between Cuba's normal foreign relations and the contacts from abroad tainted by subversive machinations. In this sense, suffice it to say that the caravan of visitors which Freedom House dreams of sending to Havana is not designed to achieve the normal and always desirable exchanges among professionals or of any other type, but rather to undermine the internal situation of an independent and sovereign country. It is in line with a strategy concerning Cuba enunciated by the president of the United States in a speech on June 27 of last year. To put it into practice, he turned over half a million dollars in a public ceremony three months later, on October 6. All of this carries a warning. While the implementation of the Helms-Burton Act seriously affected relations between Havana and Washington, those in the United States who have defended the use of activities with an apparently noble image to achieve the same goal have not relented. At the same time, in their form of proposing these plans, they make it clear that they hope to follow rules established in actions taken against the former Soviet Union and Eastern European socialist countries, which can be summed up in the idea of using silk gloves to kill the Revolution. Within Cuba, there are two types of people who are being called upon, consciously or unconsciously, to aid these U.S. machinations: first of all, the "independent" groups which receive money from U.S. government agencies; and secondly, the naive whose vision does not go beyond appearances. CIABASE Summary traces on Cuba: FREEDOM HOUSE nicaragua, 82 the cia fronts freedom house and the institute for religion were used in the war on nicaragua. the nation 4/3/82 p391 cuba, ned, 95 freedom house $70,000 for efforts, including expanding contacts with the human rights movement on the island; to engage in appeals and campaigns designed to focus international attention on the persecution of human rights activists; to print and distribute copies of the universal declaration on human rights inside cuba; and to provide humanitarian assistance to human rights groups and families of political prisoners. national endowment for democracy annual report 1995 cuba, ned, 95 iri $254,114 for a report on opposition leaders and groups; to provide humanitarian assistance to activists; to convene roundtable discussions; to publish a newsletter for activists; and to provide support for freedom house's human rights advocacy program in cuba. national endowment for democracy annual report 1995 cuba, 94 grant via freedom house to support human rights and dissident organizations inside cuba, including the distribution in cuba of books and to provide info to international human rights bodies and the press. national endowment for democracy annual report 94 83 the national endowment for democracy's, ned, chairman john richardson, was president of radio free europe (funded by the cia) and has worked with nonprofit agencies such as freedom house and the international rescue committee. carl gersham president insists there is no contact between the cia and the endowment and that before grants are made, a list of potential recipients is sent via the state dept to the cia to be sure none is receiving cia funds. new york times 6/1/86 el salvador, 86 aifld tries discredit labor coalition unts. before key may day protest aifld and freedom house (cia front org) release alleged fmln documents showing plans to manipulate unts. will doherty, known cia and aifld exec director, joins attack claiming fmln goal to hurt gvt/labor relations. veracity of documents questioned. barry, t., & preusch, d. (1986). aifld in central america 38 nicaragua, 81-89 puebla institute's partisanship can be traced to its origins as a cia/contra propaganda op. the cia wrote the appendices to belli's book "christians under fire," and helped distribute it. belli established the puebla institute in 83 to engage in ideological and political combat against proponents of liberation theology in latin america. belli a member of a little-known right-wing religious sect called the "sword of the spirit" (sos) whose headquarters is in ann arbor, mi. one of the members of the board is james finn of freedom house, a group with long-standing ties to u.s. intel. extra summer 89 22-24 ussr, 86 ned/freedom house to help 2 russian-language publications - "internal contradictions in ussr,", a quarterly published in u.s. by valery chalidze; and, pamiat - a series of books produced in paris by vladimir alloy. national endowment for democracy annual report 1986 25 national endowment for democracy's, ned, chairman john richardson, was president of radio free europe (funded by the cia) and has worked with nonprofit agencies such as freedom house and the international rescue committee. carl gersham, president, insists there is no contact between cia and endowment and that before grants are made, a list of potential recipients is sent via state dept to cia to be sure none is receiving cia funds. new york times 6/1/86 hungary, 86 ned/freedom house to assist london-based hungarian cultural centre that assists democratic movement with publication of books and samizdat, printing of posters, etc. national endowment for democracy annual report 1986 20 nicaragua, 88-90 freedom house a most influential think tank drew up a report by working group on central america, titled "peace through democracy." robinson, w. (1992). a faustian bargain 44 nicaragua, 89-91 ned gave freedom house a grant of 10,900 dollars to bring uno group to institute for election promotion and training (ipce). ipce to be used as a channel for funds. robinson, w. (1992). a faustian bargain 63-64 nicaragua, costa rica, 82-90 center for electoral assistance and promotion (capel) located in costa rica dates back to 1982. in 84 capel became part of another organization formed at the behest of u.s. policymakers, central american human rights institute. between 84-90 capel provided assistance for elections in el salvador, guatemala, haiti, nicaragua, and elsewhere in region. its board included bruce mccolm of freedom house; f. clinton white from nri, the cfd and the international foundations for electoral systems; and richard scammon (freedom house, ifes, and cfd). during elections in haiti the ambassador stressed that different ned groups stay behind capel cover to minimize the appearance of u.s. interference in voting. in nicaragua sonia picaddo supported uno thru capel. robinson, w. (1992). a faustian bargain 99 el salvador, 86 aifld tries discredit labor coalition unts. before key may day protest aifld and freedom house (cia front org) release alleged fmln documents showing plans to manipulate unts. will doherty, known cia and aifld exec director, joins attack claiming fmln goal to hurt gvt/labor relations. veracity of documents questioned. barry, t., & preusch, d. (1986). aifld in central america 38 after wwii, leo cherne became active in freedom house, an anti-communist propaganda org. cherne named head of the international rescue committee in 51. he sought to get active support for irc from the intel community. chester, e.t. (1995). covert network 115-118 costa rica, nicaragua, 88 ned/freedom house funding costa rican reps to nicaraguan permanent commission on human rights (cpdh). national endowment for democracy annual report 88 42 cuba, 93 ned/iri grant to freedom house and jose marti liberal foundation to assist human rights activists. national endowment for democracy annual report 9/93 69 freedom house, 84 freedom house formed in ny city circa 41 to strengthen free institutions in world. it to strengthen ties among democratic intellectuals and journalists in third world. result an international net who write, teach, report and engage in other activities to influence public opinion. national endowment for democracy annual report 1984 40 from 84-88 freedom house is a pass-through (for ned). it a neoconservative research institute. significant player in ned-funded democracy-intervention net. projects from south africa to paraguay to poland. freedom house (along with accuracy in media) rcvd money from nsc to support public diplomacy ops. supported south african newspaper city press, and "prospects." polish journal "aneks," and "international contradictions in the ussr." in central america supported libro libre, "pensamiento centro-americano and elpez el serpiente." coha and the resource center, (1990). national endowment for democracy 67 international rescue committee used as cia front in vietnam and currently manages refugee programs el salvador and honduras. supports u.s. interests and has links freedom house. barry, t., & preusch, d. (1986). aifld in central america 59 league for industrial democracy's (lid) private connections is the real strength of lid. overlapping board memberships between lid, social democrats, usa (sd/usa), the a. philip randolph institute (apri), the afl-cio, freedom house, and the (now defunct) friends of the democratic center in central america (prodemca) are numerous. between sd/usa and lid there are 20 overlapping board members; 12 between apri and lid; 10 between fh and lid; 9 with the afl-cio; and 6 with prodemca. these overlaps place the lid in midst of neoconservative, anticommunist groups that played an important role in the reagan adm. resource center groupwatch project ussr, 90 ned, freedom house, for infrastructure support to social-judicial board. $15,000. national endowment for democracy annual report 90 32 details re the national democratic institute for international affairs (ndi). ndi works thru civic and educational orgs affiliated with political parties sponsoring activities such as voter education and registration, media campaign programs and public opinion polls. has worked in northern ireland, taiwan, south korea, nicaragua, panama, and chile. directors: john loiello, charles manatt, walter mondale, edmund muskie. principals include: penn kemble, sen moynihan of freedom house and charles robb and charles manatt from center for democracy. coha and the resource center, (1990). national endowment for democracy 34-5 for ned. ned a grant-making org that funds private-sector orgs abroad. ned supports business associations, trade unions, political parties, civic orgs, and the press. see chart for flow of ned dollars from usia, congress and aid to ned and then various orgs. bulk grants passed via 4 core grantees in the u.s.: center for international private enterprise (cipe) of chamber congress; free trade union institute of afl-cio; national democratic institute for international affairs; and national republican institute for international affairs. some funds thru freedom house, delphi international, and joint center for political studies. some thru charter 77 foundation in sweden and association for democracy in costa rica. coha and the resource center, (1990). national endowment for democracy 28-9 cuba, 96 after dissidents showed up for a meeting with congressmen moakley, the cuban gvt charged that concilio cubano, the dissidents coalition, had been invented by the u.s. to undermine castro. president clinton announced a $500,000 grant to new york-based freedom house to "promote peaceful change and protect human rights." washington times 3/16/96 a9 el salvador. freedom house with aifld - published a report that claimed manipulation of salvadoran labor movement by leftist guerrillas in el salvador. many observers dismissed report as being fabricated to serve cia-linked aifld's interests. freedom house has written supportively of el salvador's "more moderate" arena party. arena has been charged with being linked to the death squads, especially through its previous president, roberto d'aubuisson. in 3/89, arena won presidential elections. in 82, freedom house called for recertification of el salvador for u.s. foreign aid, saying salvadoran regime was complying with human rights stipulations. reagan adm cited freedom house report when congress raised concerns about human rights violations. resource center groupwatch project federal trade union institute (ftui) directors from afl-cio. include eugenia kemble who sister of penn kemble of ned funded ndi for international affairs, freedom house, and prodemca. ftui shares 2 directors: albert shanker and lane kirkland. other directors: john joyce and tom kahn. coha and the resource center, (1990). national endowment for democracy 34 86 ned/freedom house to continue exchange program, a net of democratic opinion-leaders. over 300 individuals in more than 60 countries who committed to reading and using articles included in "exchange" mailings. national endowment for democracy annual report 1986 50 europe, 83 charles wick, head usia, convened meeting with reagan, bush, media-mogul rupert murdoch, european press baron jimmy goldsmith, and metromedia chair john kluge the purpose of which 83 nsc memo reveals to be to raise money for pro-inf [intermediate-range nuclear forces] initiative. group pledged $400,000 to "freedom house," "accuracy in media," and european-based labor program, promising "more to follow." freedom house and aim denied receiving such funds. the nation 11/14/87 p548 former ussr republics, 93 ned/freedom house/agency for news info grant for news gathering in cis. national endowment for democracy annual report 9/93 63 south africa, 87 aid, ned/freedom house to enable weekly newspaper "city press," to continue to publish bi-weekly series on "how democracy works." city press's supplement highlights career advancement for blacks. national endowment for democracy annual report 87 18 ussr regional, 94 grant via freedom house for moscow-based agency for news info to publish daily, weekly and monthly reports. national endowment for democracy annual report 94 78 ussr, 90 ned, freedom house, for european ukrainian culture and educational foundation of london (eucef) provide publishing and communications equipment to democratic groups in ukraine. $77,400. national endowment for democracy annual report 90 32 worldwide, 90 ned, freedom house for "exchange" program a two-way channel for published documents on issues related to democracy. $30,000. national endowment for democracy annual report 90 47 83-91 despite its overt character, ned also engages in extensive covert ops. dozens of u.s organizations have acted as conduits for ned funds. ned made up of core groups - national democratic institute for international affairs (ndi); national republican institute for international affairs (nri); center for private enterprise (cipe), a branch of u.s. chamber of commerce; and the free trade union institute, an international branch of the afl-cio. a host of "private" organizations include the right-wing freedom house and the councils on the america, handle programs for "civic" sectors. robinson, w. (1992). a faustian bargain 18-9 87-88 freedom house to expand exchange program, a net of democratic opinion-leaders launched in 84. net consists of over 370 individuals in more than 50 countries around world. national endowment for democracy annual report 87 69,88 49 93 adrian karatnycky, executive director of freedom house, writes op-ed attacking decisions and views tending to terminate funding for ned. america..."must reassume mantle of leadership in struggle to promote democracy and freedom." washington post 8/22/93 c7 detailed report on ned includes info on afl-cio's ftui, cipe, ndi, nri, prodemca, ned activities in panama in 84 france. ned made grants to central america, southern africa and philippines through cipe, ndi, nri and discretionary grantees. in central america it funded freedom house to assist libro libre publish and distribute books thruout c.a. ($330,000). ncrl study assigned date 12/86 extremist and militaristic recipients of ned grants: nicaraguan and afghan mujahedeen. grants to freedom house re nicaragua. the asociacion de libro libre, book publishing house in costa rica, used ned grants to support contras. permanent commission on human rights; central american research and information center (cinco). international youth commission, institute for north-south issues (insi) and friends of democratic center in central america (prodemca). coha and the resource center, (1990). national endowment for democracy 55-56 freedom house's afghanistan information center (aic) was founded in 81 and is responsible for collecting and disseminating info on afghan issues. one of organization's projects was center for appeals for freedom (caf), which receives, translates, and distributes banned material from countries abroad. caf has also distributed info re caribbean, central american, and afghan issues. in 85, its director, ludmilla thorne, arranged for two afghan rebel leaders to appear on radio free europe/radio liberty. she also toured with a ussr defector and former soviet soldier in afghanistan to speak at pittsburgh high schools on the soviet role in afghanistan. resource center groupwatch project national endowment for democracy's, ned, chairman john richardson, was president of radio free europe (funded by the cia) and has worked with nonprofit agencies such as freedom house and the international rescue committee. carl gersham president insists there is no contact between cia and endowment and that before grants are made, a list of potential recipients is sent via state dept to cia to be sure none is receiving cia funds. new york times 6/1/86 world, 93 publication by freedom house, freedom in the world: annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, 1992-1993, 637 pages. journal of democracy (national endowment for democracy) 7/93 127-9 yugoslavia, 91-92 as violence rages ned thru freedom house supported radio b-92. national endowment for democracy annual report 1992 24 albert shanker, a member of the cuban american national foundation (canf) advisory council, served on board of freedom house and is also on boards of (ftui); social democrats/usa (sd/usa), a neoconservative group that believes that labor is cutting edge of political change; ned; and coalition for a democratic majority (cdm), a neoconservative lobby group. shanker is treasurer of league for industrial democracy, a group working closely with sd/usa. in 88, shanker was vice pres of afl-cio and on board of trustees of aifld. shanker served on two more afl-cio international affiliates, aalc and aafli. shanker was a founder of the committee on present danger (cpd), an anti-soviet group promoting policy of containment. resource center groupwatch project usip, member, board of directors, william kintner, former cia officer and former u.s. ambassador to thailand. in 1950 he authored "the front is everywhere" a paranoid mc carthyite text which advocated repressive legislation for domestic political groups. among many boards of directors to which kintner has lent his name are that of american security council, freedom house, and unification church-run international security council. z magazine summer 90 112 william doherty is executive director of aifld. he is a staunch anticommunist. doherty was identified by philip agee, former cia agent, as a "cia agent in labor operations." he is on the advisory board of the inter-american foundation, a quasi-private foundation that uses aid funds for development programs in latin america. he served on the bi-partisan commission on central america (the kissinger commission) in 84. he was on the board of prodemca and is on the board of freedom house. resource center groupwatch project cuba, 94-95 ned grants to cuban committee for human rights, freedom house for a human rights advocacy effort. information bureau of human rights movement in cuba to maintain contact with dissident groups. national endowment for democracy newsletter summer 94-95 nicaragua, 81-89 puebla institute's partisanship can be traced to its origins as a cia/contra propaganda op. the cia wrote the appendices to belli's book "christians under fire," and helped distribute it. belli established the puebla institute in 83 to engage in ideological and political combat against proponents of liberation theology in latin america. belli a member of a little-known right-wing religious sect called the "sword of the spirit" (sos) whose headquarters is in ann arbor, mi. one of the members of the board is james finn of freedom house, a group with long-standing ties to u.s. intel. extra summer 89 22-24 from 84-88 freedom house is a pass-through (for ned). it a neoconservative research institute. significant player in ned-funded democracy-intervention net. projects from south africa to paraguay to poland. freedom house (along with accuracy in media) rcvd money from nsc to support public diplomacy ops. supported south african newspaper city press, and "prospects." polish journal "aneks," and "international contradictions in the ussr." in central america supported libro libre, "pensamiento centro-americano and elpez el serpiente." coha and the resource center, (1990). national endowment for democracy 67 nicaragua, 89 ned, freedom house, for publication and distribution of "el pez y la serpiente" a spanish language cultural magazine by nicaraguan authors. $25,000. national endowment for democracy annual report 89 35 paraguay 89 ned, freedom house, for radio nanduti, a news service both within paraguay and abroad. $86,900. aid, ned, freedom house $41,000. national endowment for democracy annual report 89 37 paraguay, 87 ned/freedom house funding radio nanduti of asuncion to conduct democratically-oriented forums. national endowment for democracy annual report 87 61 paraguay, 88 ned/freedom house funding radio nanduti. national endowment for democracy annual report 88 43 extremist and militaristic recipients of ned grants: nicaraguan and afghan mujahedeen. grants to freedom house re nicaragua. the asociacion de libro libre, book publishing house in costa rica, used ned grants to support contras. permanent commission on human rights; central american research and information center (cinco). international youth commission, institute for north-south issues (insi) and friends of democratic center in central america (prodemca). coha and the resource center, (1990). national endowment for democracy 55-56