FEB-28-1996 14: 18 FROM INTL DESK

vf/ Juan Pablo Roque
Pilot

THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPTION OF 'THE PABLO ROQUE INTV. SHOT IN HAVANA 2/27
1 IPM -

3:15:59
LUCIA: THANK Y0U FOR BEING WITH US. FIRST OF ALL MR. ROQUE, THERE HAS BEEN ALOT
OF CONFUSION OVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HOW YOU LEFT CUBA AND WHY YOU RETURNED.
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU VERY BLUNTLY: WERE YOU A SPY FOR, THE CUBAN GOVT.?

3:16:12
ROQUE: YES I LEFT CUBA. I AM NO STATE SECURITY AGENT. WHOEVER SAYS THAT
SHOULD STOP THAT. I LEFT CUBA BECAUSE I WAS FRUSTRATED PROFESSIONALLY. I
COULDN'T FLY AND THAT IS VERY SERIOUS FOR A PILOT. I HAD PERSONAL PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS WITH MY BROTHERS. SOME OF THEM WERE IN PRISON. I SEPARATED FROM MY WIFE. IT WAS FRUSTRATING. THAT MADE ME MAKE THE DECISION TO ABANDON CUBA. WHY
DID I RETURN? BECAUSE I BECAME FRUSTRATED OVER THERE. FRUSTRATED WITH
THAT SOCIETY. I REMEMBERED WHAT JOSE MARTI SAID WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT LIVING IN
THE BELLY OF THE BEAST. THE LIFE I WAS LIVING... THE POLITICAL INTOLERANCE... I
GREW FRUSTRATED WITH ALL OF THAT AND DECIDED TO RETURN.

3:17: 01
LUCIA: YOU SAY YOU WERE FRUSTRATED IN CUBA AND THEN YOU WERE FRUSTRATED IN THE UNITED STATES UH- YOU'LL EXCUSE ME FOR SAYING SO BUT YOUR CREDIBILITY IS
SERIOUSLY IN QUESTION. HOW CAN PEOPLE BELIEVE YOU?

3:17:14
ROQUE: THERE IS A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT GOES ON IN MIAMI. THE RIGHT WING
RHETORIC THERE WOULD IMPAIR ANOYONES MIND. EVEN SOMEONE WHO TOOK THE
DECISION THAT I TOOK. REGARDLESS OF WHAT MY BROTHERS THINK. IS IS MY PERSONAL
DECISION AND SHOULD BE RESPECTED.

3:17:30
LUCIA: BUT WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST QUIT BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE. WHY DID YOU LEAVE
WITHOUT TELLING YOUR WIFE?

3:17:34
ROQUE: WHY SHOULD I TELL MY WIFE MY INTENTIONS? SHE DIDN'T EVEN BELIEVE WHAT
WAS HAPPENING. WHY SHOULD I TELL HER. IT IS A PERSONAL DECISION. MY CHILDREN ARE HERE NOT THERE.

3:17:49
LUCIA: YOU SAY THAT WHEN YOU WERE WORKING FOR BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE YOU HAD CONTACT WITH AN FBI AGENT, OR WITH THE FBI. COULD YOU TELL ME MORE THE DETAILS OF WHAT SORT OF CONTACTS, WHAT WAS THE ROLL OF THE FBI IN THE ORGANIZATION BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE.

ROQUE: I WAS RESPONSIBLE WITH PROVIDING THE FBI WITH INTELLIGENCE ABOUT ALL ANTI- CASTRO ORGANIZATIONS, NOT JUST BROTHERS TO THE RESCUE.

3:18:12
LUCIA: WHY DID YOU AGREE TO DO THIS?

3:18:18
ROQUE: WHY DID I AGREE TO DO THIS? BECAUSE WHEN I BECAME DISILLUSIONED WITH
PEOPLE WHO SAY THAT THEY LOVE CUBA, BUT THEY JUST REAL WANT TO JUST DROP
BOMBS ON CUBA OVER THE SO-CALLED COVER OF HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS. THEY'RE CARRYING OUT TERRORIST ACTIONS. THEY'RE TOLD DON'T ENTER CUBAN AIRSPACE AND THEY STILL D0 IT. I'M CONSTANTLY TELLING THE FBI. FBI AGENT OSCAR MONTOTO TELLS ME ON FEB. 21ST. 'DON'T GO ON THAT MISSION BECAUSE THEY ARE KNOCK YOU OUT OF THE
SKY' 'BASULTO.. BASULTO... THEY'RE GONNA SHOOT-DOWN THE PLANES. THIS IS MADNESS.
I KNOW THE CUBAN AIRFORCE. 3RD TIME YOU'RE OUT. THEY'VE ALREADY PUT UP WITH TOO
MUCH. AGENT MONTOTO TOLD ME NOT TO GO. THE US GOVT. KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO
SHOOT THEM DOWN.

3:19:03
LUCIA: HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?

3:19:05
ROQUE: THEY TOLD ME PERSONALLY.. THE FBI WHAT IS IT? IS IT A TRAVEL AGENCY? A
TRAVEL AGENCY.. IT IS THE GOVT.

3:19:22
LUCIA: HOW CAN YOU PROVE, WHAT PROOF DO YOU HAVE.. HOW WAS IT BROTHERS TO THE
RESCUE WAS PLANNING TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT FIDEL CASTRO?

3:19:35
ROQUE: I, AM THE FIRST PROOF. I PARTICIPATED IN THESE ACTIONS. THE 2ND PROOF IS IN THE HANDS OF THE FBI. ALL THE EVIDENCE. ALL THE PROOF. THE FBI HAS IT.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC PLAN TO ASSASSINATE CASTRO PER-SAY. IT WAS A
PLAN TO INTRODUCE WEAPONS TO CARRY ON ATTACKS AGAINST TARGETS INCLUDING
FIDEL CASTRO, SO I INFORMED THE FBI OF ALL THIS. THE FBI OPPOSED THESE ACTIONS.
CAUSE THEY VIOLATED THE NEUTRALITY ACT. I TRIED TO PURSUADE BROTHERS TO THE
RESCUE NOT TO CONTINUE THEY'RE FLIGHTS. BUT THEY WOULDN'T LISTEN. MY OPINION
DID NOT COUNT, BECAUSE THEY WANTED MARTYRS. MARTYRS TO BOOST THEIR ANTI CASTRO INDUSTRY. RATINGS WE'RE DOWN. THEY WANTED MARTYRS.. THEY GOT THEM. THOSE INNOCENT PILOTS WHY DIDN'T BASULTO DIE? WHY DID HE STAY AWAY WHEN WE ALWAYS FLEW IN LOW TOGETHER. WHEN WE VIOLATED CUBAN AIRSPACE WE HAD AGREED TO DIE TOGETHER. SO WHAT DID HE DO? SENT OUT THE SOLDIERS CAPTAIN STAYED BEHIND.

3:20:40
LUCIA: ALOT OF PEOPLE SAY THE DOWNING OF THESE AIRPLANES WAS NOT AN ACT OF
PATRIOTISM BUT AN ACT OF COLD BLOODED MURDER. DO YOU FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR
WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY?

3:20:49
ROQUE: NO.. NO.. ON THE CONTRARY.. MY CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR. CAUSE I WARNED THE
US GOVT. THEY WERE GOING TO SHOOT THEM DOWN. IT WAS MADNESS. I DID EVERYTHING
TO AVOID THE DEATHS OF MY 4 COMRADES BUT NOBODY PAID ATTENTION.

3:21:12
LUCIA: WHAT ABOUT YOUR FUTURE?' YOU BETRAYED MANY OF THE CONFIDENCES OF YOUR FAMILY, OF YOUR WIFE. YOU ALSO SAY YOUR OWN. ADMITTANCE BETRAYED YOUR COUNTRY AT SOME POINT.., WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO DO FROM NOW ON?

3:21:22
ROQUE: THAT"S A VERY NARROW DEFINITION OF BETRAYAL YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK UP THE
MEANING IN THE DICTIONARY OF TREASON. I WAS BORN HERE. MY CHILDREN WERE BORN
HERE. IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING MY CASE. I THINK I CAN RECTIFY
MY MISTAKES. MAYBE I WONT FLY AGAIN BUT MAYBE THE GOVT. WILL GIVE HE A CHANCE.
I WILL DO MY BEST TO RAISE MY CHILDREN HERE.

3:21:49
LUCIA: THAW YOU VERY MUCH. WE'VE MEN SPEAKING. TO CUBAN PILOT JUAN PABLO
ROQUE. THIS IS LUCIA NEWMAN REPORTING FROM HAVANA.