textfiles-politics/pythonCode/personTestingOutput/contra.xml

<xml><p>SOLDIER OF FORTUNE DIES MYSTERIOUSLY AFTER
TALKING TO <ent type='ORG'>CONGRESSIONAL</ent> INVESTIGATORS</p>

<p>by <ent type='PERSON'>Vince Bielski</ent> and <ent type='PERSON'>Dennis</ent> Bernstein</p>

<p> A county coroner in <ent type='GPE'>Los Angeles</ent> has yet to announce the
cause of death of <ent type='PERSON'><ent type='PERSON'>Steven</ent> <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent></ent>, a 27-year-old U.S. mercenary who
has provided <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent> with much of what it knows about weapons
shipments to the contras. Had <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> lived, he was also expected to
testified in federal court against 29 contra supporters allegedly
involved in cocaine trafficking, an assassination attempt on
former contra leader <ent type='PERSON'>Eden Pastora</ent> and a scheme to kill U.S
Ambassador to <ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica Lewis</ent> Tambs.</p>

<p> While Detective <ent type='PERSON'>Mel Arnold</ent> of the <ent type='GPE'>Los Angeles</ent> Police
Department said the department is investigating the possibility
that <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> was murdered, at this point he said there doesn't
appear to be any evidence of "foul play." But in the days before
his death, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> told several people that he feared he would be
assassinated. He was "very paranoid and frightened" because of
his role as a witness, Carr's sister <ent type='PERSON'>Ann</ent> of <ent type='GPE'>Naples</ent>, <ent type='GPE'>Fla</ent>., said.</p>

<p> Here is what the police are saying about Carr's death. He
died at 4 am on December 13 in a parking lot near his friend's
apartment in <ent type='GPE'>Van Nuys</ent>, <ent type='GPE'>Calif</ent>., where he was staying. In the
predawn hours on this Saturday morning, while his friend,
<ent type='PERSON'>Jacqueline Scott</ent>, was asleep, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> left the apartment for an
unknown reason. After spending an undetermined amount of time
outside, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> began making noise which awoke <ent type='PERSON'>Scott</ent>. <ent type='PERSON'>Arnold</ent> said
he could not describe the type of noise <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> was making. <ent type='PERSON'>Scott</ent>
found <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> in the parking lot, who was "distressed and having
coordination problems." Soon after he died from a "probable
cocaine overdose." Asked if the police found any physical
evidence of cocaine use in the area of the apartment or parking
lot, <ent type='PERSON'>Arnold</ent> said "no comment."</p>

<p> <ent type='PERSON'>Dan Sheehan</ent>, an attorney with <ent type='ORG'>the Christic Institute</ent> in
<ent type='GPE'>Washington</ent> which filed the law suit against the 29 contra
supporter, said <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> used cocaine, but called him "an educated
user." <ent type='PERSON'>Martha Honey</ent>, a reporter for the <ent type='ORG'>BBC</ent>, became friends with
<ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> while he was a mercenary in <ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica</ent>. She said <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> was
not the type of person who would kill himself because he was
under pressure. "<ent type='PERSON'>Stevie</ent> was a survivor. He had this ability to get
himself in trouble but he always seemed to bounce back. He had a
great sense of humor."</p>

<p> The source of his fears were not just the contra
supporters whose alleged crimes he revealed, but also the U.S.
government. <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> said that while he was in <ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica</ent>, U.S.
embassy officials threatened to jail him if he squealed on their
contra operation in <ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica</ent>.</p>

<p> In April 1985 <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> was arrested by <ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica</ent>n authorities
for violating the country's neutrality and sent to prison. <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent>
was one of several mercenaries based in northern <ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica</ent> on
land owned and managed by a U.S. citizen and reported <ent type='ORG'>CIA</ent>
operative named <ent type='PERSON'>John Hull</ent>. Evidence from several sources suggests
that the contras operate what amounts to a military base on
property controlled by <ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent> as well as an airbase for the
movement of cocaine from <ent type='GPE'>Columbia</ent> into <ent type='GPE'>the United</ent> States.</p>

<p> While in jail, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> spilled the beans about the contra
operation. To reporters, he claimed that <ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent> had told him that
<ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent> was the <ent type='ORG'>CIA</ent> liaison to the contras and was receiving $10000 a
month from <ent type='ORG'>the National Security Council</ent> to help finance the
operation. <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> told <ent type='ORG'>Honey</ent> why he was revealing such secrets:
"<ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> said that the mercenaries had been led to believe that
their mercenary activity was sanctioned by top U.S. military and
<ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica</ent>n officials. He was extremely bitter at having been
arrested."</p>

<p> <ent type='ORG'>Honey</ent> compiled information from <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> and other sources into
a book focusing on the role of <ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent> and other contra supporters in
the May 1984 assassination attempt against Pastora in <ent type='GPE'>Nicaragua</ent>
in which a bomb explosion killed eight people and injured
Pastora. <ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent> sued <ent type='ORG'>Honey</ent>, and her colleague <ent type='PERSON'>Tony Avirgan</ent>, for
libel in May 1986. <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> received a subpoena to appear at the
trial, where he was to be a key witness for the reporters'
defense.</p>

<p> On May 16, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> was released from jail. He later described
the events which took place in his life over the course of the
next week to <ent type='ORG'>Honey</ent> and an U.S. congressional aide involved in an
investigation of the arms supply network to the contras.</p>

<p> <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> said that <ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent> bailed him out of jail as a way of
persuading him to testify on Hull's behalf. <ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent> requested that
<ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> testify that the reporters forced him to make the charges
against <ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent>, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> said.</p>

<p> That same day, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> said he went to the U.S. embassy to
determine why he was arrested for participating in a war that the
U.S. supports. He said he met with two officials, <ent type='PERSON'>Kirk Kotula</ent>,
the counsel general and <ent type='PERSON'>John Jones</ent>, the acting chief of the
consulute.</p>

<p> According to Honey's notes of her conversation with <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent>
about his meeting with the officials, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> said: "The officials
told me they knew all about Hull's contra operation and they had
me call him. He picked up the phone instantly, as if he had been
waiting for my call.</p>

<p> "They said if I go to court and testify in your behalf I'll
go to jail whether I tell the truth or not. I had no choice in
the matter. The embassy told me to get the hell out of <ent type='ORG'>Dodge</ent> or
I'd go back to La Reforma prison. They told me that the bus to
<ent type='GPE'>Panama</ent> leaves at 7:30 pm and to be on it," he said.</p>

<p> <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> spent the next three days staying at Honey's house. On
night of May 19, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> left the house to visit a friend, and the
following day, the U.S. embassy told the court that <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> was in
their custody and that he would appear at the trial, <ent type='ORG'>Honey</ent> said.
However, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> said on May 20, following U.S. embassy orders, he
took a bus to <ent type='GPE'>Panama</ent>, and with the help to the U.S. embassy
there, flew to <ent type='GPE'>Miami</ent> a few days later. Upon his return, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> was
put in jail in <ent type='GPE'>Naples</ent>, <ent type='GPE'>Fla</ent>., for a prior offense.</p>

<p> <ent type='PERSON'>Kotula</ent> said he had talked with <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent>, but denied the he had
threatened him or forced him to leave <ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica</ent>. "That's not
true, at least by me. I did not threaten him with any such thing.
I couldn't do that, what would be the possible motive. I can't
put people in jail and I can't get people out of jail.</p>

<p> "I tried to convince Steve <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> when I first met him not to
go and join up with some bunch of guys. He was nothing but a
overgrown child who had read too many <ent type='PERSON'>John Wayne</ent> comic books."</p>

<p> <ent type='PERSON'>Jonathan Winer</ent>, an aide to Sen. <ent type='PERSON'>John Kerry</ent> D-Mass., said
the Senator's office is investigating the matter. "There are
obviously some very serious questions regarding the U.S.
embassy's role in <ent type='PERSON'><ent type='PERSON'>Steven</ent> <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent></ent> leaving <ent type='GPE'>Costa Rica</ent>," he said.</p>

<p> After Carr's return to the U.S., congressional investigators
said they had planned on bringing him before <ent type='ORG'>Congress</ent>. His
testimony, based on his participation on a March 6, 1985 arms
shipment from <ent type='GPE'>Fort Lauderdale</ent> to Ilogango Air Base in El
Salvador, would have linked <ent type='PERSON'>Felix Rodriguez</ent>--the ex-<ent type='ORG'>CIA</ent> agent who
reportedly met with <ent type='PERSON'>Donald Gregg</ent>, aide to Vice President George
Bush--to that weapons shipment, <ent type='PERSON'>Sheehan</ent> said.</p>

<p> "He is the guy that can prove that the March 6
shipment of weapons that flew out of the <ent type='GPE'>Fort Lauderdale</ent> Airport
went to <ent type='LOC'>Ilopango</ent> airport," said <ent type='PERSON'>Sheehan</ent>. "He witnessed and can
identify <ent type='PERSON'>Felix Rodriguez</ent> as the guy who off loaded the weapons to
smaller planes which were then flown to Hull's ranch in Costa
Rica."</p>

<p> In early 1986, <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> and two other eye-witnesses told federal
authorities that several major players in the arms supply network
were involved in the shipment, including <ent type='PERSON'>Tom Posey</ent>, head of the
mercenary group <ent type='ORG'>Civilian Materiel Assistance</ent>, Robert <ent type='PERSON'>Owen</ent>,
reportedly a liaison to fired Lt. Col. Oliver <ent type='PERSON'>North</ent>, and <ent type='GPE'>Hull</ent>,
<ent type='PERSON'>Sheehan</ent> said.</p>

<p> With no criminal indictment by October, <ent type='PERSON'>Sheehan</ent> alleged
before a congressional committee that the Justice Department had
engaged in a "willfull conspiracy...to obstruct justice....A
number of telephone calls were then placed to Mr. <ent type='ORG'>Kellner</ent> (the
U.S. Attorney in <ent type='GPE'>Miami</ent>) personally by <ent type='PERSON'>Edwin Meese</ent>...instructing
Mr. <ent type='ORG'>Kellner</ent> 'to proceed very, very, very slowly' in any
investigation of this case." <ent type='ORG'>Kellner</ent> has said he
has talked with <ent type='PERSON'>Meese</ent> about the case, but denied Sheehan's
allegation.</p>

<p> A grand jury has recently formed in <ent type='GPE'>Miami</ent> to reportedly hear
evidence about the March 6 weapons shipment. But the one person
who could have provided the grand jury with an eye-witness
account that the weapons were transported from U.S. soil to El
Salvador--evidence which is essential in making a case that the
U.S. Neutrality Act and <ent type='ORG'>the Arms</ent> Export Control Act were
violated--is now dead.</p>

<p> "A great deal of the information <ent type='PERSON'>Carr</ent> provided did check
out. It will now be harder for anyone to bring a prosecution with
Steven's testimony now unavailable, and I think that is very
unfortunate," <ent type='ORG'>Winer</ent> said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

e, and I think that is very
unfortunate,"</p></xml>