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Show A16 The Salt Lake Tribune NATION/WORLD Sunday, April 23, 2000 Utah Congressmen Decry Reno’s Actions, Wanted Family Solution Cuban Americansdisheartened, to Cuba and into the waiting arms of communist dictator Fidel Castro. worryabout Elian’s freedom “It's stupid because they took him. Everybody is mad, my grandma is mad, everybody,” said a teen-age girlfrom herSalt Lake City home. “They should haveleft him where he was, what was the hurry?” BY MIC! HAEL VIGH THE SALT LAKETRIBUNE Hours after Elian Gonzalez was snatchedby federal agents from the home of his Miami relatives and reunited with his father outside Washington, D.C., mem Thegirl's father, who declined to give his name because he feared reprisals against his relatives still living in Cuba, bers of Utah’s congressional delegation blasted U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno’s handling of the long-running cus. tody battle. They were joined by the state's sparse Cuban American community, concerned that 6-year-oldElian could be shipped back Vazquez Fernandez, who came to the U.S. from Cuba when she was 8. “You'd think after Waco and Ruby Ridge that Janet Reno would be little more subtle in this.” U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah, a frequent critic of Reno's, said he has disagreed with the attorney general’s handling of the entire five-month interna. tional saga. “I don’t have much faith in fher],” said Elian “shouldn't have been pulled out like that. Hansen said. “That kind of strong-arming, “His mother died becauseshe wanted to bring himto freedom in theU.S.,” he said. wants to see. She’s just a lackey for the with guns drawn,is not something anyone “Nowthey're going to return him to a country where there is no freedom and volving Vice President Al Gore.” there is a dictator. He should stay.” Hansen’s sentiments were echoed by Rep. Merrill Cook, R-Utah, who said Reno tro’s influence, Gonzalez would probably allowhis son to stay in the United States ‘I'mso disheartened byit,” added Mari chilling moment,” whichit was for Elian and those who wanted to keep him in the United States, but terrified little boy, Elian Gonzalez, who washiddenin a closet with the man whohad rescued him from the oceanlast No“Thatpicture, seen from lot of points of view, has disaster written THE ASSOCIATED PRESS About 400,000 people were called government agents who carried ae AUSTRALIA, Cuba toa historic sugar refinery to cele- ‘odayis a truce,” Fidel Castro macee Saturday, praising U.S. brate the breakthrough in the per- him away from the homeofhis Miami relatives. “That boy cried for three minutes, for something Attorney General Janet Reno and gripped the islandfor five months. sonal andpolitical drama that has Castro praised the constancy INS officials for reuniting Elian Gonzalez with his father. shown by Renoandother officials in their determination to reunite father and son “even though they Cubansin celebration, Castro pro- were scared” about the repercus- aboutit. ther’s armsa reprievein the conflict between Cuba and the United States. “This is a day of glory for our people,” Castro said. But he added: “Tomorrow thebattle continues.” claimed the boy’s return to his fa- sionsoftheir actions. “Todayis a truce, perhaps the only one in 40 years — one day,” Castro said. Castro downplayed the shock that Elian suffered during the early morning raid by armed that probably saved hislife,” Castro said. And he expressed delight with two photographstaken after Elian was reunited with his father outside Washington, saying that images ofthe smiling boy represented “nobettergift for us.” Cuban state radio first broadcast the newsshortly after 5 a.m., after federal agents stormed the house of the Miami relatives who have fought to keep him in the United States. whatthe facts are. And as I understandit, if you lookatit carefully,it Alan Diaz/The Associated Press showsthat the gun waspointed to The unidentified Border Patrol freedom-loving nation wants to agent glancesat the camera mo- showthe world,” said presidential candidate George W. Bush. “This is an image that will en: to take him back to Cuba. With the father who says he wants Castro Praises Reno, Exults in ‘Day of Glory’ television is that it shows exactly “The chilling picture ofa little boybeing removedfrom his home and outside Andrews Air Force Base, where Elian was reunited here because she thought freedom was so important.” ing to summarizethis raid. Solask all overit,” said CBS’ Dan Rather. front of the Justice Department wishes, too. She risked herlife to bring him you now, why wasthat necessary? Why was that level of force necessary?” Reno: “One of the beauties of vember, Donato Dalrymple. hours,a single shot by The Associated Press’ Al Diaz had been transformedintoposters carried by angry demonstrators in Miami, in and enjoy freedom. [Elian] with his father, but his mother had As the child's grandparents joined hundreds of thousands of a federal agent with his gun drawn and pointed toward Elian, and Elian anguished, lookingon,is go- a high-tech German submachine asylum hearing were held, free from Cas- to his father the picture may have showed a heroic and kindly rescue. At a news conference, Attorney General Janet Reno was quizzed Question: “Ms. Reno,the image that was released this morning by aphotographer inside the house, of the photograph was the news: a teeth-bared federal agent pointing In the age of the Internet, pictures travel fast. Download it, print it out. Within ing with the Miami relatives to work out a solution without government inter. as a symbolof anti-Americanism. “Castro is having a grandold time with DN POST dure in our memories,” said CNN's Miles O’Brien. tle boy and nowit’s probablytoo late.” Fernandez said she recognizes that Elian should be with his father, but she is worried that if he is returned to Cuba, Castro will parade him around the country this,” Fernandez said. “All of us want The news was the photograph, America and is not an image a glove with local lawenforcement.” Both mensaid the best solution would have been for Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, to have had a face-to-face meetference. Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch was also critical BY HENRYALLEN fi at gunpoint defies the values of car and celebrity status, and is threatening his in-laws,” Hatch said. “The Cuban com munity believes Castro won't let the father say whathe really believes. Reno has failed to respect the due-process rights ofthis lit of Reno’s handlingof the case andsaid ifan Impactof The Picture provesfar-reaching gun toward a “Castro has offered (Gonzalez) a home, a enforcement. “She should studythe Bill of Rights and Tenth Amendment,” Cook said. “The Justice Department should work hand-in- [Clinton] administration, look how she handled the campaign finance issue in- One‘Chilling Picture’ Crystallizes Entire Event in Dramatic Fashion THE WASHID has consistentlybeen at odds with local law the side and thatthe finger was not on thetrigger.” ments after The Picture. Reno didn’t seem to have seen the picture, or to understandthatit wasn't on television and didn’t havethefleeting, incidental quality of television footage. Instead, it Slogans with the picture said: “Ashamed to be an American” and “Federal Child Abuse.” had the momentous, instantmemory feeling of a. still At Andrews, the federal government countered with photographs ofits own: Elian andhis fa- photograph. House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas,told Reuters: “I will ther smiling together; Elian playing with his half brother. Nice never forget the look of terror in that youngboy’s eye.”” snapshots, terrific for Christmas cards, but they didn’t have the de fining powerof ThePicture. But the lawyer for Elian’s father, Gregory Craig, pointed out that “there was no evidence of trauma.” The Associated Press called the confrontation in the picture “a His LOVE Grandparents’Idea Book—the first ofits Elian With Dad, But Legal Battle Far From Over Tt SOCIATED PRESS: WASHINGTON — Now that Juan Miguel Gonzalez, has regained custody ofhis son,he faces whatcould be a longlegalbattle to returnwith his family to Cuba. He has promised to stay at least fntil a federal appeal in his custodybattle with Miami relativesis settled. The 11th Circuit Court of Ap- peals in Atlanta is scheduled to heararguments May 11 on whether 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez can seek asylum without his father’s per- mission and whether the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service should have interviewed the boy to determinehis wishes. Legal experts said that the case could end in a matter of weeks or continuefor months. Miami,orhis father? With such a ruling, the father undoubtedly will petition the court to replace Lazaro Gonzalez as the boy’s chief guardian, the legal experts said. The father’s attorney, Gregory Craig, hassaid all along that only the father has the legal right to speak for his son, and INS CommissionerDoris Meissner has said likewise. No matter which way the threejudge appeals paneldecides, either side — the father or the uncle — could askthat the case be heard by The court has already indicated that Elian has the right to seek asylum because immigration law does not specify whena child is too young to have such a right. If, after oral arguments,the appeals court decides Elian can speak for himself, the question becomes whetherhe has been unduly influenced by his Miami relatives who want to keep him in the United States or by his father, who wishes him to return to Cuba, experts said, ANINSPIRATIONAL COLLECTION All you really need is His Love, the CD featuring songs aboutthe Savior by topLDS songwriters. $15.98 ShadowMountain the full panel of appeals court Elian cannotspeak for himself, legal experts said the question then judges. Further prolonging the proceedings, that ruling could then be becomes: Who speaks for him: Lazaro Gonzalez, his great-unclein appealed all the way to the U.S. SupremeCourt, the experts said. If the appeals court determines 50%OFF ENTIRE LINE OF DESIGNER'S CHOICE CUSTOM DRAPERIES, TOP TREATMENTS & ACCESSORIES 101 Seto rghten Your Ovy and Let your mom escape with Love's Labors Tossed, the third volume in the Your mom will love the jingpitetional stories | Farrellsuitea le prices include fabric, inn ‘labor and installation. OUR PROFESSIONALSSTILL MAKE HOUSE CALLS Withoutleaving your home, you can discover the window optionsthat fit your sense ofstyle with the expert advice of a JCPenney Decorator Consultant. Pe ee Sinceoatas codes Decorating avaliable at most ‘or may not have been made at regular price, Extended payment plan available. JCPenney stores. . 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