CUBANS CALLED 'SCAPEGOATS' AT TRIAL FOR LETELIER DEATH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000403680033-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: May 13, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000403680033-6
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE
THE WASHINGTON POST
13 May 1981
le` e Death
Laura A Kiernan to protect itself from any implication
B
y
,~r^_W~,ttngLOnPo,c9tattvmtsr in the murder. He said- DINA got
Cubans on trial=-for, the second time, bans in the United Statue Feldman is
? for: the 1976 car bombing; assassina? prceecuting ' the case along with As-
Lion--9f former,--Chilean ambassador sistant US. 'Attorneys E. Lawrence.
-Orlando. Leteellier. .told a federal jury- BarcellaJr. and H: Lowell Br own. _ .'
that..:-their.'
y ~ t e r y., c l i e n t s . ; were T,6, t w o - , Guillermo`
scapegoats'-' i --' : conspiracy. between Novo.Sampol and -Alvin, Rays Diaz,!
the prosecution's star=witne. and the are both members of the Cuban Na-
Chilean;secret:polies ta, kill:.I,eteli er ? tionalist Movement, 'which had deal
and xit_tbenblame-onnthe Cubans. ings with ; the Chilean' government?
TIlat< theory,: presented in opening; Feldman 'said.= The relationship wax
menu yes ,.`. con i best d
scribed in a 1976 letter signed
e
scarp y- etense -arguments at the: t,,, Nnvn to a Chilean official in which
sinatiod was masterminded by the defended the best interests of the Pi-:
LT.S~ CBntral to gene gency and.. nochet government in every way pub-;
tlty'f1e:' "w1Mi~errnsrl?lic and private worthy of comment
Tw, acted as a rouble agent for= and worthy of silence," Feldman told
tthe"GVA_an the secreE" the juts,....
I ~Ighis opening statement in, Defense lawyer Goldberger also told
U a`te' Diatrlct ense wyer the jury that they will hear parts of a
~.~ r parts fa
?e-- =s'_ ~_. ____4_r.. ..C -.,.,.L'. will
- mad
1own1
,
t,(UL~CI.~`-GYiaence ...-.that
once. fus `services oche CIA;- office in'' Washington to Chile by
~-for o~ie`ra~on Ia~ser-! would get friends to threaten Judge
a
Barrington D..Parker, who is presid- I
-lY 1 11 ---- __!J LL-.
L;?aaw.y. -......-......-ate. . __r.
the secret: police had targeted ? comments will show . that Townley, .
that
-
Letelier because of-his outspoken- crit - whom he described as a 'mild man-;
icisnI of the military regime of .Augur nered Clark Kent," had no respect for:
to Pinocbet,_and that .. Townley was. the judicial system.
ordered to-carryout'.tlle-ass ination.: '.'The -telephone conversation took
ant=- td. shield, Chilean officlals~ place: in. January 1979, at the end of
from: any- cu1pabllfty xV ' i the.first trial of Guillermo Novo and:.`:
`Eownley got instructions. in Chile; ? Ross, both. of whom are charged with;
to im,e-the Cubans;_'. Goldberger. told .,::.conspiracy and murder of Letelier and-.
`
the jury. "And hat's exactly what he Ronni Karpen Moffitt, an associate of
inteticlied to do, lay it on the Cubans."! Letelier's - at the Institute for Policy
Assistant.- .US. -Attorney. -Cary U,: Studies_t in ' Washington. Two other!
Feldman-, in his opening statement to Cubans' and three Chileans, including;..
the . jury, said the government will;.:: the DINA head, have been indicted;
prove that. Townley, on instructions; for the killings but have not yet stood'
fror ;DINA'? officials,; recruited the trial
Cu} ts:to help him carry out the Le A 'tape of the conversation, the or-I.-.'
teher assa9sinat'on. A' igin of .which is unknown, was made:
Faun agreed that DINA wanted' evadable to the defense at that time.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000403680033-6