RHC Weekend-29 September 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - Weekend News Update - 29 September 2001 . *PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO ERADICATING TERRORISM IS STILL POSSIBLE - FIDEL *FATAL ATTACK ON JOURNALIST IN NORTHERN IRELAND *PALESTINIANS CONTINUE TO DIE IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES *VENEZUELAN UN AMBASSADOR URGES US TO AVOID VENGEANCE *NICARAGUAN FOOD CRISIS IS GETTING WORSE, SAYS UNICEF *30,000 TAKE PART IN TRIBUTE TO CHILEAN VICTOR JARA . *PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO ERADICATING TERRORISM IS STILL POSSIBLE - FIDEL Havana, 29th September (RHC)--Cuban President Fidel Castro said Saturday that a peaceful solution is still possible to the threatened military reprisal that the United States is planning in retaliation for the attacks on New York City and Washington DC over two weeks ago. Fidel Castro was speaking to a gathering of 100,000 in the Cuban city of Ciego de Avila who were calling for the release of the five Cubans imprisoned in the US for protecting the island against acts of terrorism perpetrated by right-wing groups in Florida. He said that the United Nations was the place to settle issues of international terrorism and these days some people talk of the use of nuclear weapons as lightly as if one were going to drink a glass of water. Others speak in truly biblical terms, added the Cuban leader, without any consideration of the possible further loss of US lives. "We are and always will be against terrorism and against war," said the President, adding that there is currently an international air of confusion and panic in response to Washington's war preparations. He said that it was a grave error of the United States and its rich allies in NATO to believe that the strong nationalism and profound religious sentiments of Muslim peoples could be neutralized with money and promises. Such beliefs create feelings of xenophobia, hatred and disdain of Muslim countries. Reminding those present that Cuba was one of the first to respond to the attack against the United States by calling for a concerted international campaign against terrorism, Fidel Castro added that he had no doubt that the Third World would join forces to fight against such terrorism. He said that the exploitation and humiliation of these countries over centuries had taught them the importance of peace and justice. *FATAL ATTACK ON JOURNALIST IN NORTHERN IRELAND London, Sept 29 (RHC)--Irish journalist Martin O'Hagan was attacked and killed last night outside his home in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland. A columnist with the Dublin newspaper 'The Sunday World', O'Hagan was returning home after spending the evening with his wife. According to television sources, the journalist had previously received several threats on his life from unionist paramilitary groups. O'Hagan recently revealed alleged secret links between the security forces in Northern Ireland and extreme unionist paramilitary groups. Soon after the assassination, the B.B.C. received a phone call from a member of the "Red Hand Defenders" or RHD claiming responsibility for the death of O'Hagan. According to sources in London, the initials RHD have been used in the past as a cover for the actions of other paramilitary groups that defend unionism. *PALESTINIANS CONTINUE TO DIE IN OCCUPIED TERRITORIES Havana, September 29 (RHC)--Hundreds of young Palestinians in the Occupied Territories on Saturday commemorated the first anniversary of their "Intifada" or people's uprising against Israeli occupation. A 17 year-old youth was killed and 82 wounded when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a crowd of stone-throwing youngsters. At least ten of the many wounded were in critical condition. In the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinians and Israelis exchanged gunfire. A 52 year-old Palestinian bystander was killed and 15 people were injured. The clashes place in danger the fragile truce that went into effect just last week. In the City of Gaza, more than 10,000 Palestinians marched through the streets in commemoration their second Intifada. Masked gunmen fired assault rifles into the air promising to fight until victory. A year ago now Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon violated the sanctity of one of Islam's holiest sites, al Aqsa, by visiting it in the company of a large body of soldiers. Since that date almost 700 Palestinians have been killed, 130 of whom were children under 15 years of age. Sharon has called a meeting of his Defence Council claiming that Palestinians have violated the truce. On Friday the Palestinian cabinet issued a call to the Palestinian people to avoid violence, warning that they must not give the Israeli occupiers an excuse to launch a military operation against them. *VENEZUELAN UN AMBASSADOR URGES US TO AVOID VENGEANCE Bogotá, September 29 (RHC)--The Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations, Milos Alcalay, on Saturday urged the international community to avoid what he called the "thirst for vengeance" in the fight against terrorism led by the United States. The Venezuelan diplomat warned that the situation is critical and he said that the world must chose whether to fight terrorism using international law or resorting to vengeance. The 189 UN member nations unanimously approved a resolution condemning the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C. last September 11th. The government of U.S. President George W. Bush is leading an international campaign against terrorism whose first task is to capture Osama Bin Laden, "dead or alive." Washington considers Bin Laden to be the principal suspect in the terrorist attacks on the United States. Venezuela's UN ambassador warned of the dangers of persecuting the terrorists with a series of indiscriminate attacks which, he said, could spiral out of control. Alcalay added that there is a group of hawks in the United States who want to fight terrorism with terrorism; to respond to the deaths of innocent people in the United States with the deaths of other civilians in other countries. Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations concluded by saying that the world supports U.S. President George W. Bush in his fight against terrorism, but that fight must be waged with intelligence. *NICARAGUAN FOOD CRISIS IS GETTING WORSE, SAYS UNICEF Managua, September 29 (RHC)--The Nicaraguan representative to the United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF, Juan Aguilar, has warned that if this year's crop harvest fails due to drought there will be a large number of undernourished children in his country next year. In comments to the Nicaraguan daily, La Prensa, Juan Aguilar said that 31 people in every 100 are suffering from malnutrition in the Central American nation. These figures have little changed since 1998. According to the United Nations Development Program or UNDP, 12% of all Nicaraguan children are underweight and one in four under the normal stature for their age. Many children and pregnant women suffer from an iron deficiency and require dietary supplements. Aguilar said that the World Food Program is taking measures to prevent hunger by distributing food in the areas of the country most affected by the recent drought. A few weeks ago, Nicaragua's president, Arnoldo Alemán, was severely criticized both at home and abroad for saying that there was no hunger in his country. *30,000 TAKE PART IN TRIBUTE TO CHILEAN VICTOR JARA Santiago de Chile, September 29 (RHC)--More than 30,000 people protesting against ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet and carrying world peace placards participated last night in a tribute concert to honor the Chilean singer Victor Jara, arrested and assassinated after the military coup in Chile in 1973. The concert, called 'Always with Victor Jara' took place in the National Stadium in Santiago de Chile with the particiaption of Chilean popular singers and bands, including Illapu, Inti Illimani, Godwana and the singer Joe Vasconcellos. Victor Jara was detained and tortured as a result of his opposition to the military coup headed by Pinochet and died in the Chilean stadium, which had been converted into an open-air prison for those opposing the regime. Since then Victor Jara has had special significance for Chilean artists. The concert, which lasted four hours had a very emotional opening when 40 singers interpreted the theme 'La Partida'; written by Victor Jara, the song which was the background music of the Chilean television network during the government of Salvador Allende. Each musical act played for an hour and the tribute to Victor Jara ended when all the groups came up on the stage to sing a new version of 'El derecho de vivir en Paz' - the right to live in peace. This song was composed by the assassinated folklorist as a protest against Vietnam and was particularly appropriate last night because of world tension after the attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th. The tribute to Jara commemorated his 69th birthday. It also served as a fundraiser for the creation of an Arts and Cultural Center to promote popular Chilean artists. (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-9455 2001-Sep-30 19:54:50