Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Nation & World Elian from page 4 i to the boy’s father, and when and where that transfer is to be done. Justice De partment officials said the letter would be delivered late today. Florman said no decisions have been made about precise transfer instructions because officials wanted to evaluate the doctors’ latest advice. Florman wouldn’t comment on whether there were any agreements with the father to travel to Florida from Bethes da, Md., where he has been staying since arriving from Cuba on Thursday. She said the government was aware only of the indication expressed by the father’s lawyer that he might be willing to stay until an appeals court rules — if an additional 22 visas for Cuban colleagues to travel here were approved. The Miami relatives, pursuing an other legal front in the nearly 5-month old custody battle, filed a brief in Flori da Family Court this morning, asking for a full hearing to bar Elian’s return to Cu ba until his father’s fitness is considered. “There are many, many, mariy oth er issues concerning the best interests of this child that are important,” said Ed uardo Rasco, an attorney for the relatives. “And those issues are never going to be decided by INS.” The brief said Juan Miguel Gonza lez “has engaged in abusive conduct,” allegations the attorneys said the feder al court never considered It said Lazaro Gonzalez intends to that prove Juan Miguel “has lost all rights to control his destiny,” and that Elian would be sub ject to “imminent indoctrination” if he returned to Cuba. The father’s attorneys have charac terized such abuse allegations as desper ate tactics. The federal government asked that court to dismiss the request, saying a state judge has no jurisdiction to overrule fed eral immigration law. Justice Department lawyers said immigration law “has long been held to oust state authority when it comes to questions involving the admis sion of aliens and the conditions under which they may remain here.” Recent developments have led many supporters of the Miami relatives to con clude that Elian’s departure night be at hand “People feel that his time is prob ably running out, and a lot of people are desperate,” said Ninoska Perez, a spokeswoman for the Cuban American National Foundation. On Monday night, thousands of peo ple in Little Havana wistfully marched to Lazaro Gonzalez’s house, carrying Cuban flags, singing thesCuban national anthem and praying for Elian. At its peak, police estimated, the crowd reached 15,000. Police closed about 30 city blocks and reported no problems. AP Writer Michael J. Sniffen con tributed to this report from Washington. a...m Justice Department: Elian standoff 'no Waco' by Pauline Jelinex The Associated Press Washington — One protester threat ened “another Waco” and another said authorities will have to take Elian Gon zalez “over the bodies” of Cuban-Amer ican protesters. It’s chilling language in light of the peaceful demonstrations by those who believe that the 6-year-old Cuban ship wreck survivor should remain in the Unit ed States rather than be returned to his father in Cuba. There have been few violent inci dents in more than four months of demon strations, and law enforcement authori ties are working to ensure a peaceful transfer if Elian is removed from the Mi ami home of his great-uncle. “Any time you have large demon strations on any issue, there’s always con cern for... the people who are demon strating,” said Daryl Borgquist, a spokesman for the Justice Department unit acting as an intermediary in Mia mi. The department under Attorney Gen eral Janet Reno has a mixed record in dealing with crises. More than 80 members of the Branch Davidian sect died April 19,1993, when fire raced through their building several hours after the FBI fired tear gas into the compound near \toco, Texas. The gov ernment says the Davidians died by their Saar.m jsk , i _ * own hand, whether by fire or gunfire. Reno and the FBI were criticized for the heavy death toll — Republicans on Capitol Hill accused the attorney gener al of negligence — and survivors are su ing the government in federal court. The 51-day siege at Waco began when agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobac co and Firearms, trying to arrest two cult members on weapons charges, were am bushed as they neared the compound. Four ATF agents and six cult members were killed in the shootout. By comparison, a 1996 standoff be tween the FBI and the antigovemment Freemen in Montana ended after 81 days without the bloodshed of Whco. FBI Di rector Louis Freeh said at the time that FBI reforms after Waco “put patience above the risk of bloodshed.” Borgquist said the Miami standoff “is not Waco — Waco was an entirely dif ferent situation, different dynamics and logistics — completely different from this situation.” And in the Elian Gonzalez case, Reno and the Justice Department have moved carefully — some say even too slowly — along with the Immigration and Nat uralization Service to bring Elian’s case to a peaceful end. “This case has been extremely emo tional on both sides,” INS spokeswoman Maria Cardona said. “Passions run high in Miami... the people feel very strong ly about what they believe in.” t rn liVT m— During a 50-minute meeting Tuesday at the Justice Department, Miami May or Joe Carollo and Miami-Dade Coun ty Mayor Alex Penelas said they asked Reno to help arrange a family meeting between Elian’s Miami relatives and his fathej and that Reno herself meet with Lazaro Gonzalez and his family. Reno said in a statement: “The may ors have asked me to speak with leaders of the Miami community, and I have indicated my willingness and desire to do so. ” Carollo said she also expressed a will ingness to meet Lazaro Gonzalez and members of his family. Penelas said if the family members can “sit at a table, eye to eye, face to face ... with no politicians, no lawyers, no bu reaucrats and no security personnel” and reach a decision about Elian, “the com munity will support whatever the fami ly decides.” INS officials trying to arrange a trans fer of the boy to his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, have been talking to local po lice to try to gauge the volatility at the Miami house of Elian’s great-uncle Lazaro Gonzalez, where the boy has been staying. Likewise, Gov. Jeb Bush has been in touch regularly with law-enforcement officials to monitor developments and of fer state help if local police officers need it, said his spokesman, Justin Sayfie, in Tallahassee. And the Justice Department has sent Boigquist’s unit, which usually mediates racial disputes, to the great-uncle’s house and to the Bethesda, Md., neighborhood where Elian’s father awaits the boy. The unit, called the Community Re lations Service, has been monitoring “community tension” and acting as li aison between police, INS officials, the family and the demonstrators, Boigquis^ said. The staff has advised the INS on like ly community reactions to their plans along the way and helped the relatives understand certain law-enforcement is sues, among other things, he said. Outside the uncle’s home, protesters have vilified Reno as a “witch” and Pres ident Clinton as a “coward.” They’ve practiced forming a human chain and vowed to stop at nothing to keep the boy on U.S. soil. ‘Passions run high in Miami ... the people feel very strongly about what they believe in.’ Maria Cardona INS Spokeswoman • Graduation 2000 • o # • A Celebration • • for 5tu dents • j BEACH J ! 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