Charles Garcia, Highly Decorated Military Officer, Intelligence Analyst, Bio-Terrorism Expert Provides Telemundo Network and other Media Commentary on U.S./Iraqi War.

Business Editors

War on Terrorism 

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2003

Charles P. Garcia, a highly decorated military officer and biological warfare expert who has worked for three presidential administrations, including the present Bush Administration as a policy-maker in matters of education facing the nation, has been providing extensive "behind the desk" military analysis and commentary for Telemundo, one of the world's most watched Spanish language television news networks. Garcia has been "sharing the desk" with morning show anchors, Jose Diaz-Balart and Marian de la Fuente, a former war correspondent. On March 19th, Telemundo went live with full-time war coverage, moving Balart and Fuente, along with other show anchors and personalities, from regular morning-news/talk-show programming, "La Mananita" to a new studio and set created exclusively for the war's dedicated news coverage -- the theme, "Objetivo Saddam."

Garcia, a Panamanian-American, born in Washington D.C. and educated in the United States, graduated with honors from the United States Air Force Academy, where he served as an interrogator in the mock P.O.W. camp that was a part of the training given to pilots in the mandatory course known as S.E.R.E. (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape). Garcia's training in this highly specialized arena provides rare observations to the news media and insight to audiences of what troops can expect when captured.

Mr. Garcia also wore the insignia of a RECONDO graduate for training he underwent at one of the Army's elite commando schools; he was also trained as a Free Fall Parachutist. RECONDO teams are trained to operate as intelligence gathering commandos inserted deep into enemy territory. He served for four years in various high-level expert capacities both in the field as well as an intelligence analyst briefing heads of state and government and military leaders on tactical matters, troop movements and geopolitical issues. Garcia received numerous awards for his work in helping to shape U.S. policy in Latin America, including the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, one of the highest peacetime awards given to a member in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Garcia's wealth and breadth of experience, as well as his bi-lingual capability makes him an informed, well-rounded commentator with a unique "in the trenches perspective." In addition to Telemundo, Garcia has been providing warfare insights and military observations to Univision television network, NBC News and radio stations around the country.

Shortly after terrorist attack of September 11th, and the Anthrax attacks that followed, Garcia made numerous appearances on both national and international English and Spanish-language television as an observer, commentator and analyst on biological warfare and the terrorist threat. His views were sought by CNN/Crossfire, FOX News, CBS, CNN News, Telemundo, Univision and CNN en Espanol, where he made frequent appearances discussing "insightful solutions" to the challenges faced by the nation. In addition he also spent an hour as the lead guest on the "Cristina Show" the world's most watched Spanish-language talk show.

In June 2002, Garcia also provided commentary for Telemundo to its worldwide viewers on the India/Pakistani conflict, illuminating its international audience on the causes for the crisis in Kashmir.

Identified as one of the "100 most influential Hispanics in the United States," Mr. Garcia is an active member of the Hispanic community. Hispanic Today magazine featured him in a cover story "Committing to Hispanic America" and Univision television selected Mr. Garcia for their series "Orgullo Hispano" that spotlights Hispanics who have made "an exceptional impact on the culture and life of American society."

From 1986 - 1988, General John R. Galvin, the Commander of the U.S. Southern Command in the Republic of Panama, who later became NATO Supreme Allied Commander, chose Garcia as one of his key advisors on terrorism and guerrilla warfare in Latin America. In 1987, Garcia became one of the nation's leading experts on Fidel Castro's efforts to destabilize Latin America. Parts of a book on Cuba he wrote for the Defense Intelligence Agency was "declassified" and published in May 1987 as a cover story by U.S. News and World Report magazine titled "Drugs, Terror and Politics: The Deadly New Alliance." In 1984, Garcia published a groundbreaking analysis of China's air defense capabilities earning him the prestigious Strategic Air Command's Hawkeye Intelligence Award.

In 1997 Garcia founded Sterling Financial Investment Group with three people. Today the firm is global services organization with more than 60 offices in 7 countries that specializes in providing proprietary research, institutional sales and trading, asset management, and investment banking to clients in the United States, Europe and Latin America. In October 2002, Inc. magazine named Sterling Financial in the prestigious top ten as the #8 in their annual Top 500 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies. In July/August 2002, Hispanic Business magazine names Sterling Financial the #1 "fastest growing Hispanic-owned company" in the United States in their annual top 100 survey.

To learn more about Sterling Financial Investment Group visit the company's website: http://www.mysterling.com.