Radio Havana Cuba-21 September 2001 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 21 September 2001 . *CUBA AGREES WITH IBERO-AMERICAN CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM, BUT NOTES SOME IBERO-AMERICAN NATIONS REFUSE TO CONDEMN TERRORISM AGAINST CUBA *CUBAN EXPERTS WARN OF IMPENDING MILITARY ATTACKS BY WASHINGTON *PRIME MINISTER OF ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES WRAPS UP OFFICIAL VISIT *VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER ARRIVES IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL *CUBAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON IN BELIZE *FOUR KILLED IN PAKISTAN DURING ANTI-U.S. DEMONSTRATIONS *US VOICES OF PEACE AND RESTRAINT STRIVE TO BE HEARD OVER GROWING DRUMBEAT OF WAR *BROAD-BASED U.S. COALITION ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FROM ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES *RETIRED BRITISH SOLDIER JOINS SOVIET VETERANS WARNING U.S. ABOUT CONFLICT IN AFGHANISTAN . *CUBA AGREES WITH IBERO-AMERICAN CONDEMNATION OF TERRORISM, BUT NOTES SOME IBERO-AMERICAN NATIONS REFUSE TO CONDEMN TERRORISM AGAINST CUBA Havana, September 21 (RHC)--The government of Cuba has expressed its agreement with the Iberoamerican Community's condemnation of the terrorist attacks against the United States, while noting that some members of that community have refused to support condemnations of terrorism against Cuba. An official statement read Thursday evening on national TV explained that this is the reason Havana preferred to issue its own condemnation of the attacks and not endorse the Iberoamerican statement. In recent days the U.S. State Department took public note of Cuba's decision to decline to sign the Iberoamerican condemnation, but the government of Cuba has recalled that on the same day of the attacks the island did not hesitate to issue a statement of solidarity with the American people in the face of what Havana called the brutal and unjustifiable crime that claimed innocent lives. Cuba told the Ibero-American community that it would excuse itself from signing their document, since to do so together with nations that have refused to condemn 40 years of terrorism against Cuba would not be an honorable or principled stance. *CUBAN EXPERTS WARN OF IMPENDING MILITARY ATTACKS BY WASHINGTON Havana, September 21 (RHC)--Cuban journalists and experts in international affairs agree that Washington's race toward military action will have incalculable negative consequences. During Thursday evening's roundtable discussion -- broadcast live on Cuban radio and television -- panelists examined the international situation and warned of imminent military actions by the United States. Randy Alonso, moderator of the nightly news program, noted that U.S. President George W. Bush and other high-ranking government officials have all referred to the impending "war against terrorism" that Washington seems determined to carry out. Panelists on the roundtable discussion aired by Cuban radio and television Thursday evening analyzed the build-up of forces in the Persian Gulf region. The Pentagon is reportedly dispatching tens of thousands of troops to the area, including more than 2200 Marines trained in special operations. Journalists participating in the special program emphasized that military actions will not definitively put an end to terrorism, pointing out that war is merely institutionalized terrorism. They noted that the island has been the direct and indirect victim of terrorist attacks for more than 40 years, reiterating that Cuba has offered its condolences to the victims of last week's tragic events and its willingness to help in an internationally-coordinated effort to eradicate terrorism and its root causes: poverty and injustice. *PRIME MINISTER OF ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES WRAPS UP OFFICIAL VISIT Havana, September 21 (RHC)--The Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, wrapped up his official four-day visit to the island on Thursday. Speaking with reporters before his departure from Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, the Caribbean leader strongly condemned Washington's blockade against Cuba and said that no one can offer a rational explanation of its existence. Calling for an end to the U.S. blockade of the island, the prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines said that this was not only his personal opinion, but also that of other Caribbean countries, the vast majority of the American people and even Pope John Paul II. Ralph Gonsalves expressed his satisfaction with his visit to Cuba, during which important bilateral accords were signed. The prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines added that he was especially pleased to have had "the privilege of speaking with President Fidel Castro for several hours" -- describing him as "an extraordinary leader." *VIETNAMESE FOREIGN MINISTER ARRIVES IN THE CUBAN CAPITAL Havana, September 21 (RHC)--Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien arrived in Havana Thursday night to begin a three-day official visit to the island. Invited by his Cuban counterpart, Felipe Perez Roque, Vietnam's top diplomat met with high-ranking officials on Friday. During his visit to the Cuban Foreign Ministry this morning, the Vietnamese official also signed bilateral agreements to promote and further strengthen the bonds of friendship and solidarity between Havana and Hanoi. Before leaving the Cuban capital on Sunday, the Vietnamese foreign minister will tour places of social and political interest. *CUBAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT RICARDO ALARCON IN BELIZE Belmopan, September 21 (RHC)--Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcón has arrived in Belize. Alarcón is leading a Cuban delegation to the Central American country, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its independence from British rule. During his stay in Belize, the Cuban legislative leader and his accompanying delegation will take part in the official ceremonies and meet with Prime Minister Said Musa. Ricardo Alarcón also plans to gather with nearly 200 Cuban volunteers who are working in Belize in the areas of health care, education, construction and sports. According to Prensa Latina News Agency, 130 young people from Belize are currently studying in Cuba. The only English-speaking country in Central America, Belize is a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). With only 250,000 inhabitants, the country was first under Spanish rule and then a British colony, known as British Honduras. Belize achieved independence from London on September 21, 1981. *FOUR KILLED IN PAKISTAN DURING ANTI-U.S. DEMONSTRATIONS Islamabad, September 21 (RHC)--At least four people were killed Friday in the Pakistani city of Karachi during protests against the United States and against the government's decision to cooperate with Washington in a war against Afghanistan. Three of the fatal victims were killed in an exchange of gunfire with police, while the third was a shop owner beat to death by protesters for defying the nationwide strike called by the Afghanistan Defense Council - grouping more than 30 Pakistani Islamic groups. Eighty to ninety percent of business establishments in the country's principle cities did not open. Pakistani police used tear gas and clubs against demonstrators throwing up barricades with burning tires and throwing rocks. Some 100 demonstrators were arrested. Clashes were also reported in the capital, Islamabad, and in Peshawar and Quetta -- on the border with Afghanistan. During Friday prayers the clergy in Muslim Mosques throughout the country called for resistance against the United States - saying that every attack against Afghanistan will be an attack against the entire Islamic community. *US VOICES OF PEACE AND RESTRAINT STRIVE TO BE HEARD OVER GROWING DRUMBEAT OF WAR Miami, September 21 (RHC)--Some U.S. media outlets continue reporting that the voices of peace and restraint are beginning to emerge on US campuses, straining to be heard over the growing drumbeat of war. Students at more than 140 universities from Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts to the University of California in Berkeley held peace rallies at noon Thursday calling for a diplomatic and peaceful response to terrorism. The "Miami Herald" reported that a diverse nationwide coalition of religious leaders, social activists and business leaders have issued a message that echoes what's being said by some on college campuses: Those responsible for the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon should be brought to justice, but indiscriminate military retaliation would incite more violence, not end it. Also on Thursday, nearly 1.500 religious leaders endorsed a statement by the National Council of Churches of Christ USA calling for "sober restraint," not military retribution. The religious leaders signed a statement entitled "Deny Them Victory: A Religious Response to Terrorism," sending it to President Bush as he was about to address the nation with a decidedly war-prone attitude. The National Council of Churches plans to send the statement to some 140,000 protestant and orthodox congregations next week, and to have it published in news dailies. Surveys in the United States indicate that the majority of the American people are decidedly in favor of a military response, but some liberal organizations are reporting having received phone calls from people feeling intimidated about expressing their opposition to the country's war rhetoric. *BROAD-BASED U.S. COALITION ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS FROM ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES Washington, September 21 (RHC)--A broad range of U.S. groups cutting across ideological and religious lines Thursday announced a campaign to block some of the Bush administration's anti-terrorism measures that would expand police powers, according to the Friday edition of the "Miami Herald." Some 150 groups, from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Gun Owners of America, have formed a coalition called In Defense of Freedom. Veteran ACLU member Morton Halperin, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the groups agree on very little, but do agree on the need to protect constitutional rights. Among some of Attorney General John Ashcroft's counter-terrorism proposals, the FBI and other police agencies could seize billing information such as credit numbers from Internet service providers without a court order, police would also have easier access to unopened e-mail and voicemail messages and immigration officials would have much greater latitude in holding immigrants indefinitely and deporting them with little judicial review. Wade Henderson, director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights -- grouping 180 organizations -- stated that history has shown that in times of national calamity, rights and civil liberties, along with the victims, are the first casualties. *RETIRED BRITISH SOLDIER JOINS SOVIET VETERANS WARNING U.S. ABOUT CONFLICT IN AFGHANISTAN Rome, September 21 (RHC)--A retired British soldier has joined his Soviet counterparts in warning the United States about getting involved in a conflict in Afghanistan. Tom Carew, former member of the British Commando unit known as the SAS, told today's edition of the Italian news daily "La Stampa" that no western soldiers are in a condition to defeat Afghan guerrillas in their own territory. Carew, who trained mujahedeen guerrillas who fought against the Soviet army, said the mountains in Afghanistan are natural fortresses that can easily become traps for any US or other western military contingents. He said the lack of roads and highways and the wild terrain considerably limit the use of armoured vehicles. The retired British military officer said Afghan guerrillas are highly organized, move from one village to another to obtain food and provisions, sleep in mountain crevices and gorges instead of using tents and - unlike western soldiers who carry heavy equipment - move around with little weight on their backs. Carew said they know the mountains like the palms of their hands and use sandals, while the boots of western solders are easily identifiable and make them easy targets. He said that during the Soviet military presence, the guerrillas allowed Russian convoys to advance to later attack them in their center, warning that vast extensions of Afghan territory still contain small land mines the size of tennis balls and difficult to identify. Carew invited the west to meditate on the defeat of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. Russian veterans who fought in Afghanistan have warned that an air campaign in that country would only result in the bombardment of mountains and rocks, while a land operation would require hundreds of thousands of soldiers. (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-24625 2001-Sep-23 04:05:03