RHC Weekend Update-04 August 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - Weekend Update - 04 August 2001 . *US CHARGES TWO CUBAN-AMERICANS WITH SMUGGLING HUMANS AFTER 6 DIE *CUBAN TOURISM PROSPECTS ARE ENCOURAGING *PANAMA THANKS CUBA FOR ASSISTANCE OF SPORTS SPECIALSITS *CUBA'S ANIER GARCIA LOOKS TO WIN WIN THE 110 METER HURDLES *20,000 RALLY FOR RELEASE OF FIVE CUBANS HELD IN MIAMI *PALESTINE AUTHORITY WARNS OF WAR, CALLS AGAIN FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS *ISRAELI TROOPS DESTROY PALESTINIAN POLICE STATION IN GAZA *PERUVIAN INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS MORE DETAILS ON CIA AND MONTESINOS . *US CHARGES TWO CUBAN-AMERICANS WITH SMUGGLING HUMANS AFTER 6 DIE Havana, August 4 (RHC)--On Friday, U.S. prosecutors filed charges against two Cuban-Americans suspected of illegally transporting Cubans to Miami. At least six Cuban would-be immigrants died in the crossing, including three young children. Federal agents are investigating whether the two Cuban-Americans, Osvaldo Fernandez Marrero and Roberto Montero Domingues, can be charged both with trafficking in human trade and murder in the incident, which occurred on Wednesday. A total of 22 Cuban survivors were rescued after the accident, in which the the overloaded boat capsized in the Florida Keys. Two bodies were recovered; on Thursday the Coast Guard gave up its search for four others, a woman and three children who are presumed drowned. Though Cubans intercepted on the high seas are usually returned to Cuba under bilateral migration accords, the survivors were taken to the United States to be questioned about the tragedy. U.S. Coast Guard officials U.S. and Cuban Coast Guard authorities have determined that smuggling rings are increasingly used to transport Cubans to the United States. *CUBAN TOURISM PROSPECTS ARE ENCOURAGING Havana, August 4 (RHC)--During a full session of Cuba's National Assembly on Friday, Cuban president Fidel Castro voiced optimism that Cuba's tourism prospects are excellent due to the island's ecological wealth, its safety and its rich history and culture. Cuban tourism minister Ibrahim Ferradaz stated that during the past ten years the sector has increased its profits 800%, its visitors BY 500% and it has tripled hotel capacity in Cuba. In addition, Ferradaz highlighted tourism's contribution to the country's total treasury, taking into account that the balance of payments was about 4.1 percent in 1990, while it surpassed 40 percent in the year 2000. During the same period, the contribution of domestic producers of goods and services to the sector increased from 12 to 61 percent, which President Castro called very significant.Tourism has also led to the creation of nearly 200,000 jobs. *PANAMA THANKS CUBA FOR ASSISTANCE OF SPORTS SPECIALSITS Havana, August 4 (RHC)--The President of the Panama's Olympic Committee, Meliton Sanchez, describes the work of Cuban sports specialists in his country as "remarkable." Sanchez said the assistance of Cuban trainers and technicians is already bearing fruit, especially in baseball, where Cubans Alfonso Urquiola and Rene Belloare are working with local athletes. The Panamanian sports official added that Cuban technicians are respected for their discipline and commitment to their work. He said dozens of Cuban experts are working in a variety of sports in Panama, including baseball, boxing, track and field, and judo. Sanchez noted that the regular exchange of sports delegations is an excellent opportunity to boost sports and improve bilateral relations. Cuba and Panama will meet face-to-face on Sunday for the last ticket available for the Gold Cup, organized by the Regional Soccer Confederation, set for the United States in January. *CUBA'S ANIER GARCIA LOOKS TO WIN WIN THE 110 METER HURDLES Havana, August 4 (RHC)--Cuban hurdle runner Anier Garcia is confident that he will make it over the course in less than 13 seconds to win the gold at the Edmonton World Championship currently underway in Canada. A gold medal winner in the Sydney Summer Games with a time of 13 seconds flat, the Cuban athlete admitted that his U.S. rival Allen Johnson is doing very well this year, with 13.15 seconds, and said that the race should be faster this time. The 25-year-old Cuban athlete noted that his victory in Australia changed his life because people recognize him and express their admiration and support. Garcia would like to break the world record currently held by the British Collin Jackson, 12.91 seconds, established in the Stuttgart 1993 World Championship. The Cuban hurdle runner says his dream is to be head coach in the future and to train youngsters who look up to him as a role model. *20,000 RALLY FOR RELEASE OF FIVE CUBANS HELD IN MIAMI Havana, August 4 (RHC)--Cuban Defense Minister Raul Castro presided over Saturday's Open Tribune meeting, held in Abreus Municipality in Cienfuegos Province. More than 20,000 local residents turned out to call for the return to Cuba of the five Cubans imprisoned in Florida for collecting information on terrorist activities planned against the island. The rally was the first mass demonstration held since July 26th, where more than 1.2 million Cubans marched in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana to demand the release of the five men. Commanders of the Revolution Juan Almeida, Ramiro Valdés and Guillermo García were on hand for the Open Tribune in Abreus Municipality. In the wake of the death of six Cubans at sea this week, participants also demanded an end to the 1966 Cuba Adjustment Act which promotes illegal and dangerous trips by undocumented Cubans hoping to get permanent residence in the United States, The demonstrators called for an end to the U.S blockade against the island. *PALESTINE AUTHORITY WARNS OF WAR, CALLS AGAIN FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS Gaza, August 4 (RHC)--The Palestine National Authority has warned that the escalating violence in the Middle East could lead to war and has renewed its call for international observers to monitor the volatile situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Meanwhile, an Israeli military intelligence report downplayed the dangers and accused the Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat and Syrian president, Bashar Asad, of not wanting to end the conflict. In its weekly meeting, the Palestinian Council of Ministers examined the violence and in particular the Israeli policy of selective killings: 56 have occurred since the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada which began last September. The latest was the killing of Jamal Mansour, leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, in the West Bank. Two children and five other Hamas members also died in the attack. These "elimination" operations have sparked so much anger among Palestinians that the Palestinian police fear the Intifada will spiral out of control. Palestinian law enforcement is attempting to stem the growing influence of the Islamic Hamas and Jihad groups and have been cracking down on Palestinians who collaborate with Israeli security forces in their selective killings. "If the international community doesn't pressure Tel Aviv into accepting an observer force in the Palestinian territories, they run the risk of a destructive war," says an official Palestinian document on the subject. *ISRAELI TROOPS DESTROY PALESTINIAN POLICE STATION IN GAZA Tel Aviv, August 4 (RHC--Israeli tanks and bulldozers leveled a Palestinian police station in the Gaza Strip on Saturday. Palestinian security forces exchanged gunfire with Israeli solders and paramilitaries during the operation. According to an Israeli spokesperson, razing the police station was in retaliation for a mortar attack on a Jewish settlement which injured two people. In other violence on Saturday, Israeli troops critically wounded a five-year-old child and his grandfather in the West Bank district of Tulkarem. The leader of the Palestinian Fatah organization in the West Bank, Marwan Barghouthi, also narrowly escaped injury today from an Israeli helicopter rocket attack aimed at his car. Israeli military radio acknowledged the attack but said they had been targeting Mohammad Abu Halawa, a Palestinian activist Tel Aviv claims has killed eight Israelis. Witnesses said that a first missile fired from the helicopter missed the Fatah leader's car, which was parked outside the office of Palestine National Authority president, Yasser Arafat. A second missile hit its target, pulverizing the car. Marwan, who was inside the office at the time, is considered by Tel Aviv to be the principal organizer of the Intifada in the West Bank. *PERUVIAN INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS MORE DETAILS ON CIA AND MONTESINOS Lima, August 4 (RHC)--The US Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA, paid the Peruvian secret service run by former strongman Vladimiro Montesinos $1 million a year over ten years, allegedly to fight drug-trafficking -- dspite of evidence that Montesinos was involved in the business himself. Montesinos -- currently under lock and key in Peru while Lima investigates his intricate web of corruption, drug and gun running, abuse of power and murder -- has begun divulging his contacts with the CIA. Charges being prepared against Montesinos by Peruvian prosecutors include his of sale of arms to drug-traffickers in Colombia. According to declassified documents, the CIA was warned by Peruvian army sources as far back as 1991 that Montesinos was doing his best to frustrate regional efforts at drug interdiction. Another declassified document from the US Drug Enforcement Agency indicates that in 1996 US authorities were aware that Montesinos and the chairman of Peru's joint chiefs of staff, Gen. Nicolás Hermoza Ríos (also now in jail), were taking protection money from drug traffickers. However, the warnings were ignored and the CIA continued funding the Peruvian National Intelligence Service chief. Unless he is helped in his defense by US government sources, Montesinos has threatened to expose more than just this CIA contact. When he was forced to flee the country before an international hunt netted him, Montesinos' video cache was found -- hundreds of videotapes that could incriminate dozens of Peruvian politicians. Some of these tapes have already led to arrests, but Fujimori's former right-hand man says he has much more information stored in his head. Montesinos says two CIA officers can vouch that he had nothing to do with the purported gun and drug-running. Peruvian investigators are also following an international paper trail that has led them to uncover almost $300 million stored by Montesinos in secret bank accounts around the world. They suspect much of it is re-routed CIA money. The case is so big that it rocked the very foundations of Peru's political system. It led to the flight and forced resignation of President Alberto Fujimori, and the setting up of an anti-corruption court overseen by six judges. Montesinos has 57 cases against him coupled with 168 criminal investigations. According to CIA and US State Department records, he was cultivated by the CIA as far back as 1974. (c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved. ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= rhc-eng-17268 2001-Aug-04 22:23:07