Radio Havana Cuba-01 November 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 01 November 2001 . *CHISSANO: "THE CUBAN REVOLUTION MADE OUR VICTORY POSSIBLE" *CUBA: A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR THOSE WHO WANT A BETTER WORLD *CONTINENTAL AIRLINES BEGINS CHARTER FLIGHTS FROM THE U.S. TO CUBA *PRESIDENT OF PRINCIPALITY OF ASTURIAS BEGINS OFFICIAL VISIT *WASHINGTON POST REPORTS THAT US GOVERNMENT SEES PUBLIC SUPPORT SLIPPING AWAY *US BOMBS AFGHAN HYDROELECTRIC DAM, RISKING THOUSANDS, SAYS TALIBAN *SHARON IS CREATING A WHOLE GENERATION OF TERRORISTS: MUBARAK *TONY BLAIR SUFFERS PUBLIC REBUFF IN SYRIA *ANOTHER FIVE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN MEXICO RECEIVE DEATH THREATS *ARGENTINA'S AILING ECONOMY REFUSED MORE MONEY BY IMF *FLOODING FOLLOWS SEVERE DROUGHT, FAMINE IN HONDURAS . *CHISSANO: "THE CUBAN REVOLUTION MADE OUR VICTORY POSSIBLE" Matanzas, November 1 (RHC)-- Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, currently on an official visit to the island, affirmed that the Cuban Revolution greatly contributed to the victory of his people. Speaking with reporters on the beaches of Playa Girón -- site of the Bay of Pigs invasion -- the Mozambican president said the liberation struggles of the African continent were greatly helped by Cuba's victory against the CIA-organized forces in 1961. He noted that the struggle against Portuguese colonialism was just beginning in Mozambique when Cuba gained its independence, adding, "Had you not won [the fight against the U.S.-backed invaders], our success would have been impossible". On Wednesday, the African leader toured areas in Matanzas province, where the Cuban people defeated the mercenary invasion at Playa Girón in April 1961. Joaquim Chissano was accompanied by Cuban Vice President José Ramón Fernández, who personally took part in the battle to defend the island from the invaders. Fernández told the visiting Mozambican leader that the defense forces at Playa Girón were always confident of victory and fought heroically with courage and enthusiasm to protect the achievements of the Cuban Revolution. He said that as a direct legacy of that victory 40 years ago, "today the people are united as a single fist". Earlier, the Mozambican president toured the Latin American School of Medicine and the International School of Sports and Physical Education, both located on the outskirts of Havana. He praised Cuba's gains in health and education, noting that the Cuban Revolution has generously offered its help in these and other areas to the rest of the Third World. The African leader told journalists that one of today's major concerns in the world is poverty, but that wars and conflicts are currently getting all the attention. Joaquim Chissano said: "In our opinion, the fight against poverty and the search for solutions to the most urgent problems of humanity are the only way to resolve conflicts." And he added, "We must discover the fundamental, root causes of these conflicts and do whatever we can to eliminate them". The Mozambican president will continue to visit places of social and economic interest during his stay in Cuba, which ends Saturday, November 3rd. *CUBA: A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR THOSE WHO WANT A BETTER WORLD Havana, November 1 (RHC)-- "Cuba has become a point of reference for those who want a better world." According to Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcón -- speaking in Havana at the closing of an event on Jose Marti -- the Cuban Revolution "is seen by millions as an example of a more just society". Ricardo Alarcón reminded those present that "Cuba is still in the sights of imperialism, which will do anything possible to destroy us." And the legislative leader noted that the Cuban people have an enormous responsibility: to defend the gains of the Revolution. The president of Cuba's parliament referred to the long history of U.S.-sponsored terrorism -- from direct and indirect attacks against Cuba to the fact that Osama bin Laden himself was trained by the CIA to fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. *CONTINENTAL AIRLINES BEGINS CHARTER FLIGHTS FROM THE U.S. TO CUBA Havana, November 1 (RHC)-- The representative of a major U.S. airline anticipated Thursday an increase in passenger traffic between the United States and Cuba in coming months. In statements to reporters at Havana's Jose Martí International Airport, the president of Continental Connection, Thomas Cooper, said Continental has consolidated into one the activities of over half a dozen tour operators who had for years been flying charters to Cuba. The Continental executive said that by the end of the year, with passenger traffic between Cuba and the U.S. stabilizing again -- following the tragic events of September 11th -- there will be at least 3000 travelers per week. Most of these passengers, he said, would be Cuban-Americans. *PRESIDENT OF PRINCIPALITY OF ASTURIAS BEGINS OFFICIAL VISIT Havana, November 1 (RHC)-- The President of the Principality of Asturias, Vicente Alberto Alvarez Areces, began an official visit to the island on Thursday. President Alvarez Areces arrived in the Cuban capital Wednesday evening and is accompanied by a large delegation of government officials and business representatives from the Spanish autonomous community. This is the first visit of the Asturian president since taking office in July 1999. During their stay -- which runs through Sunday, November 4th -- the Asturian delegation will visit places of interest and plans to meet with members of the Asturian community in Cuba. *WASHINGTON POST REPORTS THAT US GOVERNMENT SEES PUBLIC SUPPORT SLIPPING AWAY Washington, November 1 (RHC) -- "The Washington Post" has reported that the United States and Great Britain, concerned that they are losing the war for international public opinion, have launched a public relations effort to aggressively counter Taliban claims of massive civilian deaths and destruction from US bombs in Afghanistan. The two governments have reportedly established round-the-clock information centers that operate at the White House and on Downing Street, with a third center staffed by diplomats, military officers and communications officials to be opened in Islamabad, Pakistan within days. Grumbling over media access to information on the war, however, can still be heard in the U.S. press. An article Thursday in the "Los Angeles Times" entitled "Media Still Waiting To Be Called Up" noted that as U.S. military forces wage an unprecedented war on terrorism thousands of miles from home, Americans are eager to know how the troops are doing, but have to rely largely on the Pentagon to evaluate its own success. Noting that Pentagon officials have said repeatedly that the war effort is succeeding, the news daily affirmed that congressional critics and even some US allies question this assertion - wondering if the campaign is stalling, perhaps even backfiring, given continued resistance by Taliban rulers, the accidental bombing of civilian targets and the failure to capture Osama Bin Laden. The article quotes Clark Hoyt, Washington editor of the Knight Ridder newspaper chain, who stated that in the long run, when all that people learn about the war comes through official government channels and enemy channels, it can lead to questions of government credibility. *US BOMBS AFGHAN HYDROELECTRIC DAM, RISKING THOUSANDS, SAYS TALIBAN Kabul, November 1 (RHC) -- The U.S. military's bombardment of a hydroelectric dam in Afghanistan is reportedly threatening the lives of thousands of civilians. The Taliban regime Thursday charged that the Kajakai Dam, the largest in the country, was severely damaged Wednesday in seven air strikes against the installation - affirming that any further bombardment would lead to massive flooding. The Taliban also asserted that there are no military installations near the dam, located in the south of the country. The hydroelectric facility was built 30 years ago with U.S. help, has a capacity of 2.7 billion cubic meters of water and supplies water to irrigation canals for 75,000 farmers. *SHARON IS CREATING A WHOLE GENERATION OF TERRORISTS: MUBARAK Cairo, November 1 (RHC) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is creating a new generation of terrorists with his policy of destruction and violence in occupied Palestinian territories. In an interview published Thursday by the Spanish news daily "Pais", Mubarak affirmed that Sharon should understand that his policy of bloodshed and massacres will never contribute to Israel's security, and that there will never be peace without a just solution to the Palestinian problem. In related news, the United States government has again blocked a condemnation of Israel in the UN Security Council. Washington Wednesday opposed a resolution condemning Israel's reoccupation of autonomous Palestinian zones, instead supporting a weaker official communiqué which has less weight than a resolution. In recent months, the US has also rejected any UN involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict despite coming under increasing pressure to do more to put an end to more than a year of violence in occupied territories. *TONY BLAIR SUFFERS PUBLIC REBUFF IN SYRIA Damascus, November 1 (RHC) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair's drive to strengthen the anti-terrorist coalition and the Middle East peace process Wednesday suffered what's being called a very public rebuff at the hands of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. While visiting Damascus, Blair had to stand and listen to the Syrian President condemning the bombing of Afghan civilians and what he called the double-standard policies of western nations in the Middle East conflict. The diplomatic rebuff came at a joint press conference during which the British Prime Minister reportedly looked distinctly uneasy as applause broke out in the audience during al-Assad's condemnation of the bombing of Afghanistan. In reference to a definition of the word terrorism, the Syrian President said Israel is practicing state terrorism every day. Blair later flew to Saudi Arabia, where the Prime Minister's spokesman admitted that he had won no direct support for the bombing campaign. *ANOTHER FIVE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN MEXICO RECEIVE DEATH THREATS Mexico City, November 1 (RHC) -- In the aftermath of the assassination in Mexico of a prominent attorney and human rights activist, another five have received death threats. An anonymous threat was sent to the Mexican news daily "Reforma" against Miguel Sarre, of the Committee to Humanize Incriminatory Practices, Sergio Aguayo, of the Mexican Human Rights Academy, Edgar Cortez, of the Miguel Agustin Human Rights Center, Juan Antonio Vega, of the group All Rights for All, and Fernando Ruiz, of the Council on Law and Human Rights. The authors of the note claimed responsibility for the October 19 assassination of Digna Ochoa, an attorney who defended, among others, imprisoned Zapatista rebels. Mexican authorities, under fire at home and abroad for Ochoa's murder, announced special measures to protect the activists. The announcement coincided with the establishment of a permanent governmental working commission that will hold regular talks with Mexican human rights leaders on the Ochoa crime and the country's general human rights situation. The activists are demanding a thorough investigation and results in the assassination of Ochoa, who for more than five years received threats and suffered intimidation. She had been kidnapped and tortured twice and once was forced to flee the country. Two years ago the Interamerican Human Rights Court ordered the Mexican government to provide her with special protection. *ARGENTINA'S AILING ECONOMY REFUSED MORE MONEY BY IMF Buenos Aires, November 1 (RHC) -- Argentina's investment risk factor broke another record Thursday following the International Monetary Fund's announcement that there will be no more money for that nation's ailing economy. The IMF said Argentina will first have to comply with the measures adopted last July in its 7th economic shock program, which includes zero-government spending. The announcement coincides with another government postponement in the revelation of an 8th economic package due precisely to rebellious provincial governors who say zero-spending will leave their coffers empty. President Fernando de la Rua has been desperately attempting to garner the support of provincial governors, even those from his own political party. After a series of postponements in revealing his new economic program, the de la Rua administration had promised to do so on Wednesday, but again balked. The Argentinean President received further bad news today with the withdrawal from the ruling Alliance of the majority of House Deputies belonging to the left-center coalition FREPASO. That leaves the opposition Justicialista Party, winner of last month's legislative elections, with 99 House Deputies compared to the Alliance's 87. *FLOODING FOLLOWS SEVERE DROUGHT, FAMINE IN HONDURAS Tegucigalpa, November 1 (RHC) -- The afflicted Central American nation of Honduras has gone from drought and famine to flooding. Following a severe drought that destroyed 240 thousand acres of crops, leaving more than 300,000 people without sufficient food, flooding has now left 6 people killed, 14 disappeared and 25,000 homeless. The flooding caused by a tropical depression threatening to become a hurricane comes almost exactly three years after Hurricane Mitch, the country's worse natural disaster ever. The hurricane left more than 5,600 people killed, 8,000 disappeared and material losses to the tune of more than five billion dollars. And in some zones the rain that began 6 days ago is already surpassing the amount that Mitch dropped over the country, according to Honduras' National Meteorological Service. On the border with Nicaragua, thousands of members of the Misquita ethnic group are reportedly isolated. (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-2544 2001-Nov-02 03:05:17