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subject: Radio Havana Feb 17/18. US fears-Recession & Cuba on HRC
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - Weekend News Update - 17/18 February 2001
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*CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTRY NOTE CONDEMNS AIR ATTACKS ON IRAQ
*PANAMA'S EX-PRESIDENTS CALL FOR JUSTICE IN CASE OF CUBAN-BORN
TERRORISTS
*CUBAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH MEXICAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION
*CUBAN BOXER FELIX SAVON AWARDED THE OLYMPIC ORDER
*BRITISH ROCK GROUP MANIC STREET PREACHERS GIVE FREE CONCERT IN
HAVANA
*MEMBERS OF PUGWASH MOVEMENT GET A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT CUBAN
BIOTECHNOLOGY
*PRESIDENT OF MEXICO'S CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES SEES CLOSER RELATIONS WITH
CUBA
*JAPAN DONATES $115,000 TO CUBAN COMMUNITIES
*THIRD INTERNATIONAL HABANO CIGAR FAIR OPENS MONDAY IN HAVANA
*BUSH FLEXES MUSCLE IN BOMBING RUN CLOSE TO IRAQI CAPITAL
*VENEZUELAN CONGRESS CONDEMNS U.S. "PLAN COLOMBIA"
*MORE THAN 400 DEAD AND $12 MILLION LOST AFTER 5 MONTHS OF NEW
INTIFADA
*CAMBODIA CONVERTS LAST CAMP OF KHMER ROUGE INTO HISTORICAL SITE
Viewpoint:
*US "PREMATURE FEAR OF RECESSION" TAKES ITS WORST TOLL ON THIRD WORLD
*WASHINGTON MANEUVERING FOR UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION VOTES AGAINST
CUBA
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*CUBAN FOREIGN MINISTRY NOTE CONDEMNS AIR ATTACKS ON IRAQ
Havana, February 17 (RHC)--Cuba's foreign ministry issued an official
note on Friday condemning the United States and Great Britain for
their air attacks on Iraq. The note, which appears in the Saturday
edition of the Cuban newspaper, "Granma," says that the aggression on
supposed military objectives on the outskirts of Baghdad is the most
recent in a long series of criminal, hostile actions by different
U.S. administrations against Iraq over the last 10 years. The message
dismisses claims that the actions are in "self defense" on the part
of British and U.S. pilots who have been violating Iraqi airspace in
the so-called "exclusion areas."
The official foreign ministry communiqué states that the attacks come
at a time of a growing movement for the lifting of the sanctions
imposed against Iraq by the U.N. Security Council more than 10 years
ago.
Each time the topic of lifting the sanctions is brought up in the
Security Council, says the note, the United States threatens to
impose its veto. The statement stresses that the Cuban foreign
ministry rejects the arguments that attempt to justify criminal
actions in blatant violation of international norms and condemns the
genocidal policy maintained by the United States against the Iraqi
people.
The message ends by reiterating Cuba's solidarity with the Iraqi
people and demanding the immediate lifting of the U.N. Security
Council imposed sanctions against Iraq.
*PANAMA'S EX-PRESIDENTS CALL FOR JUSTICE IN CASE OF CUBAN-BORN
TERRORISTS
Havana, February 17th (RHC)--Two former Panamanian presidents,
Ernesto Perez Balladares and Aristides Royo, have urged the
Panamanian government to disregard foreign political pressure over
the arrest of international Cuban-born terrorist, Luis Posada
Carriles.
In an exclusive interview in Panama City on Saturday with Prensa
Latina news agency, both former leaders said that justice should be
done in the case of Luis Posada Carriles and his three accomplices
for planning to assassinate Cuban president, Fidel Castro last
November.
In the opinion of Perez Balladares, who governed Panama from l994 to
l999, the Mireya Moscoso administration has the option of either
turning Posada Carriles over to Venezuela, where he escaped from jail
in l985 or to Cuba, the injured party.
Former president Royo was in agreement, noting that Panama should
study the issue carefully and not give in to pressures exerted by
foreign governments to free the four men.
*CUBAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH MEXICAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION
Havana, February 17 (RHC)-Cuban President Fidel Castro met in
Havana Saturday with a Mexican Parliamentary delegation led by the
President of Mexico's Chamber of Deputies, Ricardo Garcia Cervantes.
The President of the Cuban Parliament Ricardo Alarcon was also
present.
The Mexican legislators arrived in Havana last Wednesday to express
their solidarity with the Cuban people and thanked President Castro
for his presence during the swearing in ceremony of Mexican President
Vicente Fox.
During a press conference on Friday, the Mexican official
condemned Washington's blockade against Cuba and the US government's
political manipulations in respect to human rights issues.
The Mexican parliamentarian rejects Washington's attempts to
establish their model of democracy worldwide and reiterated the need
for the U.S. to respect other nations as a way to preserve peace in
the world.
*CUBAN BOXER FELIX SAVON AWARDED THE OLYMPIC ORDER
Havana, February 17 (RHC)-The Executive Bureau of the International
Olympic Committee has awarded Cuban boxer Felix Savon the highest
distinction conferred by the world sports institution.
Felix Savon achieved his third Olympic gold medal during last year's
Sydney Olympics, a feat only ever reached by his fellow countrymen
Teofilo Stevenson and Hungarian Lazhlo Pap.
The renowned Cuban athlete said that the distinction is not only
recognition of his sports career but also recognition of Cuba's
sports merits. The Cuban boxer is also a candidate of the Jesse Owens
prize.
The Olympic Order has been previously awarded to eight Cuban figures
among them, former track and field star, Alberto Juantorena,
orthopedist Rodrigo Alvarez Cambras and the President of the Cuban
Olympic Committee Jose Ramon Fernandez.
*BRITISH ROCK GROUP MANIC STREET PREACHERS GIVE FREE CONCERT IN
HAVANA
Havana, February 17th (RHC)--The famous British rock group, Manic
Street Preachers, will give a one-off free concert, Saturday, at the
Karl Marx Theatre in Havana at which they will launch their new CD
'Know your Enemy'.
The concert is considered the most important rock event in Cuba since
jazz group 'Weather Report' and Billy Joel played here in 1979.
Nick Wire, the group's bass guitarist and composer said at a
press conference that they had great respect for Cuban culture.
The CD, illustrated with the Cuban flag, has a song dedicated to the
Cuban child, Elian Gonzalez who was rescued from a raft off the coast
of Florida and ended up at the center of a custody dispute between
Cuba and the U.S.
When asked about the song, called 'Baby Elian', guitarist James
Dean Bradfield, replied that the song is a metaphor, which denounces
U.S. control over communication systems with a view to brainwashing
the world.
The three Welsh group members; Nick Wire, James Dean Bradfield and
Sean Moore formed Manic Street Preachers in 1988. Brit Awards, the
British equivalent to the Grammy prize, awarded them best rock group
of the year in 1997 and 1998.
*MEMBERS OF PUGWASH MOVEMENT GET A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT CUBAN
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Havana, February 17 (RHC)-Experts from the Pugwash Movement on
Science and World Affairs debated, on Friday in Havana, Cuban
scientific and technical advances.
The group visited Havana's Biotechnology Center to get a first hand
look at that sector.
Pugwash also discussed the effects of Washington's blockade against
the island on Cuba's health care system and the limitations put on
Cuba's biotechnological advances.
The 1995 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Pugwash is an international
organization dedicated to world disarmament, human rights and the
protection of the environment.
*PRESIDENT OF MEXICO'S CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES SEES CLOSER RELATIONS
WITH CUBA
Havana, February 17 (RHC)-The President of the Mexican Chamber of
Deputies Ricardo Garcia Cervantes, gave a press conference, Friday,
at Havana's International Press Center to announce the establishment
of dynamic inter-parliamentary relations with Cuba, which will
strengthen the bilateral links between the two countries.
At the event, Ricardo Garcia stressed that the Mexican Chamber of
Deputies is seeking cooperation, comprehension and true commitment
from the international community in order to promote respect for
human rights and national sovereignty.
Ricardo Garcia also stated that because of its great plurality
and diversity, the Mexican Chamber of Deputies can and should be an
important base for the presidential institutions and also for its
future relations with Cuba.
*JAPAN DONATES $115,000 TO CUBAN COMMUNITIES
Havana, February 17 (RHC)--Japan has made important donations
totaling some $115,000 to several Cuban communities including
farmers, visually impaired students and diabetic children.
The donation includes air conditioning and refrigeration equipment
that will be used in eastern Granma province's blood bank. They also
donated a bus.
The Japanese government began the community donation programs in
1997.
*THIRD INTERNATIONAL HABANO CIGAR FAIR OPENS MONDAY IN HAVANA
Havana, February 16 (RHC)-The Third International Habano Cigar Fair
will kick off on Monday in Havana on the occasion of the 35th
anniversary of the Cohiba cigar - considered one of the world's most
famous cigar brands.
The Cohiba cigar was first created in 1968 and its small production
at the time was exclusively reserved as gifts from the Cuban
government to renowned foreign dignitaries, until its increase in
production and commercialization began in 1982.
There are five regions on the island that are perfect for the
production of tobacco, but the most important area is Vuelta Abajo
located in western Pinar del Rio province where 70 per cent of the
island's tobacco is grown.
*BUSH FLEXES MUSCLE IN BOMBING RUN CLOSE TO IRAQI CAPITAL
Havana, February 17th (RHC)-Friday's attack on Iraq by U.S. and
British warplanes is being seen as an indication of the aggressive
policy that newly elected George W. Bush intends to pursue from
Washington.
Although both nations have consistently bombed southern parts of Iraq
since the end of the Gulf War, the most recent attack focused on
targets close to the capital, Baghdad, driving its population into
air-raid shelters for the first time in two years.
In spite of comments from Washington and Mexico - where Bush was on
an official visit - saying that the sortie of 24 planes was just a
routine defensive mission, former Pentagon employee and foreign
relations specialist, Richard Perle, commented today that it was
anything but routine. It was the new government's warning to Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein, he said. Others see the bombing as a
flexing of muscle not only to Hussein but also to the rest of the
world. The U.S. president began his term politically weakened by the
manner in which he was voted into office, they say. This has prompted
him to take an aggressive stance in foreign policy,
immediately traveling to Mexico to create the image of as a
statesman, issuing strong comments relating to maintaining the
blockade against Cuba, and now, continuing with the bombing of a
country where his father and former President Clinton left off.
The Mexican daily El Mundo agrees. In Saturday's edition it opines
that the attack was not motivated by Saddam Hussein's policies but
instead by a desire to reinforce George W. Bush's image. It added
that the action was a show of force to maintain U.S. hegemony in the
Persian Gulf and was coherent the U.S. president's inaugural speech
in which he said he intended to reaffirm his nation's military role
and moral imperative across the globe.
The Mexican press in general criticized the timing of the bombing
which consequently overshadowed what was seen as an important summit
between Bush and a visibly uncomfortable Mexican President Vicente
Fox. The summit broke up after only eight hours with no important
agreements made.
Among those countries condemning the bombing was Russia, France and
India. The European Union said that it was not informed of the
pending attack and that Washington and London carried out the mission
unilaterally.
Of the five civilians reported killed in Friday's attack, three of
them were children.
*VENEZUELAN CONGRESS CONDEMNS U.S. "PLAN COLOMBIA"
Havana, February 17th (RHC)-A special commission of the
Venezuelan parliament has reported that the high military component
in the U.S. sponsored Colombia Plan designed to combat drug
trafficking is likely to affect peace and stability in the region.
The president of the commission, Julio Cesar Montoya, commented to
the Mexican press agency Notimex that Venezuela would need to
strengthen it's border forces in response to the inability of Bogotá
to guarantee that military confrontations would not spill over its
frontiers.
The three year Colombia Plan involves the training of anti-drug
battalions that will operate in regions of Colombia that are under
guerilla control, thus provoking likely military confrontations.
Those countries that share common borders with Colombia have all
expressed their concerns that Bogotá's drug problems may soon become
their own. The massive armament of Colombia's military will also
create a dangerous inequality in the region, prompting a potential
South American arms race, say critics.
The Venezuelan parliament report also proposed that Caracas implement
a refugee program to deal with the potential flood of Colombian
civilians that may cross the border in future months following
stepped up military intervention in their homelands. It also
expressed concern that Colombian guerilla groups may be forced across
the border where they would operate out of Venezuelan territory.
The parliamentary commission insisted that political negotiation was
the only way to resolve the conflicts of their neighbor.
*MORE THAN 400 DEAD AND $12 MILLION LOST AFTER 5 MONTHS OF NEW
INTIFADA
Havana, February 17th (RHC)-The Al Aqsa Intifada which began on the
29th September last year following a provocative visit to the holy
shrine of the Temple on the Mount by current Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon in the company of a large military force, has now cost
the lives of more than 400 people.
With most of the victims being Palestinian, the five month conflict
has also cost the Palestinians an estimated $12.7 million in lost
revenues, including over 350,000 lost jobs. This represents a full
51% decline in the Palestinian gross domestic product. The Israeli
collective punishment imposed on the entire population of the Gaza
Strip and the West Bank with the complete blockade by air and land of
the territories, has been internationally condemned. Even medical and
sanitary personnel and supplies have been prevented from entering the
areas.
The new Intifada has been named a renewed war of liberation by
Palestinians and the costs have been great. Some 30 Palestinian
villages have been destroyed by Israeli troops in the last five
months, along with 25,000 olive and fruit trees. Over 40 Palestinian
schools have had to close, affecting the education of 20,000 pupils.
Thirty colleges have been attacked with the loss of life of 45
students. The resulting social upheaval of all these effects of
Israeli repression, says Palestinian authorities, is a decent into
poverty of more than a third of the population.
*CAMBODIA CONVERTS LAST CAMP OF KHMER ROUGE INTO HISTORICAL SITE
Havana, February 17 (RHC)--The Cambodian government is offering a
tour of the sites of the last Khmer Rouge camps before the group was
finally defeated after the death of its leader Pol Pot in 1998. The
Khmer Rouge regime ruled the nation from l975 to l979 and was
responsible for the deaths of at least 2 million Cambodians. Homes
and other buildings occupied by Khmer Rouge leaders in Anlong Veng
will be turned into an historical complex. The government already has
a number of other monuments that testify to the horrors of the Khmer
Rouge, including its Tuol Sleng torture center in Phnom Penh and a
number of killing fields on the outskirts of towns across the nation.
Deputy Tourism Minister, Sim Mony, said the plan will restore the
area as it was when it was under the control of the Khmer Rouge,
which includes 36 houses belonging to the leadership, a military base
and other buildings. Pol Pot died in a small cabin in the settlement
at 73 years of age. Another of the wooden and stone houses was the
home of Khmer Rouge leader, Ta Mok, who was known as the "butcher"
and who is now awaiting trial in a military prison for crimes against
humanity.
.
Viewpoint:
*US "PREMATURE FEAR OF RECESSION" TAKES ITS WORST TOLL ON THIRD WORLD
In a recent report on the current situation of the US economy and
its immediate outlook, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank,
Alan Greenspan, argued that the crawling pace experienced by the
nation's economy during the last three months of the year 2000 was a
result of a premature fear of a recession.
Among other things, he warned that those who make predictions of a
recession create difficulties for everyone, adding that business
people's irrational fears have a negative impact on consumer
confidence and the natural evolution of the business cycle.
Of course, it is very difficult to forecast the future, particularly
if the predictions are based on economic calculations which are not
focused on the real world panorama. The economic free-market model of
globalization that currently prevails in our world is one that least
fits the interests of the majority of its people -- those that live
in the Third World.
The argument is always that the recipe is long-term and that trickle-
down will eventually take place. However, the increasing poverty in
those countries that have implemented free-market economic models
show their complete inability to provide for the well-being of their
impoverished inhabitants. Free-market globalization is dangerous by
nature and threatens even the sovereignty of these nations.
Everything is privatized and put into the hands of the market,
discarding social programs and the equal distribution of wealth.
Although it is rarely pointed out, the current trend will inevitably
lead to the elimination of the Sate, that is, the elimination of the
representative of the people's interests.
As Alan Greenspan says, the US economy may recover in the coming
months. However, the social problems in underdeveloped nations will
continue to affect the majority of their peoples thereby creating a
situation of unpredictable consequences.
*WASHINGTON MANEUVERING FOR UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION VOTES AGAINST
CUBA
The government of Argentina has announced, as expected, that once
again it will bend to the will of Washington and vote against Cuba in
the next UN Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva. It is of
paramount importance for the new Bush government to push through an
anti-Cuba resolution, which will be presented either directly by
Washington or by a stand-in country.
The bait this time will be the possibility to be part of the North
American Free Trade Agreement, considered to be the ultimate prize by
some governments of the hemisphere who are desperately seeking a way
to improve their flagging economies and to pay off their unplayable
foreign debts.
However, it is a trap from which it will be practically impossible to
escape without having to make major social changes.
The United States has been unable in more than 40 years of aggression
and lies to wear down the resistance of the Cuban people and to erase
their example to the world. Washington has been roundly defeated in
the last eight consecutive years in the United Nations General
Assembly where a growing number of developed and undeveloped nations
have condemned the inhuman economic blockade imposed against Cuba for
more than four decades. Washington has been completely isolated on
this issue and has only managed to count on the votes of two or three
countries that historically do as they are told.
Last year 167 of the more than 180 countries that make up the
United Nations, voted against U.S. designs to employ economic
pressure against any country that refuses to bend to its interests.
Washington has tried to compensate for this humiliating defeat by
pressuring member nations of the U.N. Human Rights Commission in
Geneva to condemn Cuba for supposed human rights violations. Each
time the U.S. has succeeded in the maneuver, the resolution has
barely squeaked by and has left in its trail a series of acts of
pressure and downright blackmail.
Now, on the pretext of preparing for the next Summit of the Americas
- from which Cuba is excluded - the possibility of becoming part of
the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas is being held out to nations
whose economies are drowning in foreign debt and whose populations
are suffering under cruel free-market driven adjustment measures.
Washington has made sure that those counties know that if they vote
against Cuba in Geneva they will have a better chance of climbing on
board the new Free Trade Agreement with the Americas.
So far the Argentinean government is the only one that has publicly
taken the bait by announcing from Washington D.C. that it will vote
against Cuba in Geneva, despite the fact that the move is not
supported by the Argentinean people.
(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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rhc-eng-13883 2001-Feb-17 23:10:55 " JC
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