Radio Havana Cuba-12 February 2002 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 12 Febuary 2002 . *VISITING US REPRESENTATIVES CALL FOR END TO WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE *US SENATE EXAMINES WASHINGTON'S RETRICTION ON TRAVEL TO CUBA *CUBA RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR BEST HEALTH CARE IN LATIN AMERICA *BRAZILIAN GROUPS CALL FOR INCREASED SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA *ARGENTINE LAWYERS ADVISE AGAINST JOINGING USA's CAMPAIGN AGAINST CUBA *FORMER ENRON CHAIRMAN KENNETH LAY TELLS ANGRY US LAWMAKERS HE WON'T TALK *CHENEY'S STONEWALLING ON WHITE HOUSE-ENRON TIES COMPARED TO WATERGATE *PENTAGON, ON DEFENSIVE, DENY MORE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN AFGHANISTAN *BUSH "AXIS OF EVIL" NOW CRITICIZED WITHIN US CONGRESS *US POLITICIANS WORRY ENRON SCANDAL MAY SPUR CHANGES IN CAMPAIGN FINANCING *Viewpoint: LET'S TALK HUMAN RIGHTS . *VISITING US REPRESENTATIVES CALL FOR END TO WASHINGTON'S BLOCKADE Havana, February 12 (RHC)--Several U.S. congressional representatives held a news conference in the Cuban capital on Monday, calling for an end to Washington's blockade against the island. Sam Farr, a Democratic representative from California, told reporters that his constituents are much different than those in southern Florida. He said his delegation visited Cuba to learn about what is happening on the island -- taking that information back to the United States to help change legislation that prohibits travel and commerce. The U.S. representative said that the agricultural sector is most interested in opening trade with Cuba, noting that farmers in California cannot understand why their government in Washington doesn't allow them to do business with their counterparts in Cuba. And Representative Sam Farr added that his constituents have told him they cannot understand why they can't travel freely to the island. Another member of the congressional delegation, Representative Mike Thompson from California, said that the trip to Cuba has been "a fantastic opportunity to see the achievements in education and agriculture." He emphasized that his delegation was able to talk with anyone and go wherever they wanted. U.S. singer Carole King also traveled with the congressional group from California and spoke with reporters at Monday's news conference in Havana. The popular singer/songwriter said that this was her first trip to Cuba and that she had come as a simple citizen with a message of music. The delegation returned to the United States on Tuesday. *US SENATE EXAMINES WASHINGTON'S RETRICTION ON TRAVEL TO CUBA Washington, February 12 (RHC)--A US Senate panel is examining Washington's restriction on travel to Cuba, which Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Treasury subcommittee, called "ill-advised." On Monday, the subcommittee heard testimony from one American who has been fined for traveling to Cuba to participate in a Canadian-organized bicycle tour, another for making a one-day trip to Cuba to spread the ashes of a deceased family member who was born in pre-revolutionary Cuba, and another for coming to the island to participate in an international tournament of the chess-like game Go. Dorgan called for a revision of this policy, asserting that the one million dollars used to enforce the travel ban should be earmarked for the war on terrorism. He called the policy inconsistent compared to that regarding other communist countries. The Bush administration, in an effort to appease the right-wing Cuban-American community in Florida, has stepped up enforcement of the ban, bringing the number of Americans fined up from 188 in the year 2000 to 766 last year. Last year the House of Representatives voted 240 to 186 to eliminate the Treasury Department funds used to enforce the travel restrictions, and Dorgan said he is committed to bringing the issue to a vote in the Senate this year. *CUBA RECEIVES RECOGNITION FOR BEST HEALTH CARE IN LATIN AMERICA Havana, February 12 (RHC)--Cuba has the best health care in Latin America, according to a new report by the Economic Commission of Latin America (CEPAL). In the latest edition of its publication Annual Statistics, CEPAL reports that Cuba is in first place among all other regional nations -- with the lowest infant mortality and maternal mortality rates, the highest life expectancy and the greatest number of doctors per inhabitant. The report notes that despite the dramatic economic situation following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the tightening of Washington's blockade against the island, Cuba was able to achieve excellent health results in all areas. According to the CEPAL report, the example of Cuba shows that if a commitment is made by governments to provide health care for its people, even serious material and economic shortages can be overcome. *BRAZILIAN GROUPS CALL FOR INCREASED SOLIDARITY WITH CUBA Porto Alegre, February 12 (RHC)--Brazilian activists in 70 solidarity with Cuba organizations have vowed to increase their actions in support of the island this year. According to a document signed in Porto Alegre at the conclusion of a national solidarity meeting, the groups agreed to work for an end to Washington's blockade against Cuba and in support of the island's inalienable right to self-determination and sovereignty. Attending the National Convention in Solidarity with Cuba, 174 delegates from 13 Brazilian States issued a plan of action that includes the strong rejection of Washington's maneuvers to push through a resolution condemning Havana for alleged human rights violations at the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Delegates recalled that the United States lost its seat on the UN commission last year, after a majority of its members expressed disgust with Washington's arrogance. The program of solidarity activities in Brazil also includes events in support of the five Cuban political prisoners, unjustly convicted of endangering Washington's national security and serving time in U.S. prisons. *ARGENTINE LAWYERS ADVISE AGAINST JOINGING USA's CAMPAIGN AGAINST CUBA Buenos Aires, February 12 (RHC)--Attorneys with the Buenos Aires Association of Lawyers have warned Argentine President Eduardo Duhalde about recent statements by officials of his administration that "imply an open interference in the internal affairs of Cuba." In a document entitled "Argentina's Future Vote in the Cuba Case," the lawyers termed as "very disturbing" the position adopted by the country's Foreign Ministry regarding alleged human rights violations on the island. During a recent visit to Washington, Argentina's foreign minister commented that Buenos Aires would support the U.S. position against Cuba at the upcoming UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The Buenos Aires Lawyers Association charged that it is the United States that is responsible for the imposition of a genocidal policy against Havana, which violates the human rights of the entire Cuban people. The attorneys noted that the statements of Foreign Minister Carlos Ruckauf and Argentina's position at the UN commission in April could constitute payment in exchange for promises of U.S. loans to lift the nation out of its current financial and social crisis. Referring to that crisis, the lawyers pointed out that the human rights of the vast majority of the Argentine people are commonly disregarded. *FORMER ENRON CHAIRMAN KENNETH LAY TELLS ANGRY US LAWMAKERS HE WON'T TALK Washington, February 12 (RHC)--Former Enron chairman Kenneth Lay Tuesday told angry US lawmakers that he was, in his words, " deeply troubled about refusing to testify," and that "it may be perceived that he has something to hide." Members of the Senate Commerce Committee conducting the investigation into Enron's spectacular collapse accused Lay of running a sham company and referred to the anger felt at the substantial financial losses suffered by investors and employees. California Senator Barbara Boxer spoke of the impact on her state, where energy deregulation resulted in a severe crisis, accusing Lay of bleeding her state dry. She said that what Lay did was without conscience. Republican Senator Peter Fitzgerald accused Lay of turning Enron into a fraud to later hide behind the Fifth Amendment. Democratic Senator John Kerry said the firm is an example of extensive abuse involving accounting methods that hid the firm's real financial situation and the use of thousands of off-shore tax havens to hide money and avoid paying taxes. Lay's appearance in Congress coincided with an article in "The Wall Street Journal" providing documented evidence that the former Enron chairman had a direct role in the firm's controversial dealings in which profits were inflated and debts were hidden - which Lay has consistently denied. Lawmakers are thus far adamant about not granting Lay or other Enron official immunity from prosecution in exchange for their testimony. Both Democrats and Republicans say too many people have been burned, and immunity would limit a criminal investigation. A survey conducted by CNN and the news daily "USA Today" has found that 4 of every 5 Americans believe Congress should investigate Enron's close ties with President George W. Bush and his administration. *CHENEY'S STONEWALLING ON WHITE HOUSE-ENRON TIES COMPARED TO WATERGATE New York, February 12 (RHC)--In related news, the attorney who led the Richard Nixon White House's attempt to conceal incriminating evidence during the Watergate scandal has accused US Vice President Dick Cheney of sinking to the same depths in the Enron Affair. The Tuesday edition of the British news daily "The Guardian" took note of a stinging opinion article in yesterday's "New York Times" in which John Dean, who served as the White House counsel under Nixon, said that Cheney's efforts to withhold details of his energy taskforce meetings with Enron officials has put the George W. Bush administration into what he called a "cover-up mode." Taking note of Cheney's claim that he was keeping the information secret as a matter of principle, Dean said Nixon was most vocal about maintaining this or that principle when he had the most to hide. "The Guardian" reported that energy task force meetings can only remain secret if all those attending are government employees, and Cheney has already admitted that Enron officials took part -- though without specifying which officials or what was said. According to Dean, Congress clearly has a legal right to the information it seeks. *PENTAGON, ON DEFENSIVE, DENY MORE CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN AFGHANISTAN Washington, February 12 (RHC)--On the defensive, the Pentagon has claimed that casualties in a recent CIA missile attack in southeastern Afghanistan were not innocent civilian villagers. Pentagon spokespersons have also refuted reports that Afghans mistakenly detained in another raid against civilians were not beaten or kicked by US troops, as "The New York Times" and "The Washington Post" reported on Monday. Regarding the CIA missile attack, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem late Monday told reporters that "initial indications would seem to say that these are not peasant people up there farming," during what has been called a grueling round of questioning. Stufflebeem claimed that weapons, communications systems and other material were found at the site of the attack indicating that the victims were not innocent locals. But a Washington Post reporter said he spoke to all the locals, plus the family members of the three victims of the attack, who all said they were collecting scrap metal when they were targeted. Five months after the September 11 attacks, reports of US military mistakes have been growing in recent days. Regarding the Afghans mistakenly arrested by US military forces following an assault in late January that claimed some 17 innocent lives, and who told media outlets how they were beaten, kicked and caged, Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke simply said that they had nothing to indicate that anything like that happened. *BUSH "AXIS OF EVIL" NOW CRITICIZED WITHIN US CONGRESS Washington, Berlin, February 12 (RHC)--Criticism of US President George W. Bush's "axis of evil" speech has continued, both abroad and, for the first time, from within the US Congress. Senate majority lead Tom Daschle became the first US lawmaker to call Bush's speech mistaken, insisting that Washington has to be careful with its rhetoric. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, meanwhile, Tuesday told a local news daily that military action against Iraq without clear evidence of its implication in terrorism would be counterproductive, and that the so-called coalition against terrorism does not constitute a basis for such action - much less in a unilateral manner. Fischer said that a world with 6 billion inhabitants cannot be led to peace by one superpower, regardless of how strong that superpower may be. High-ranking members of the European Union have issued scathing criticism's of Washington's foreign policy following the "axis of evil" speech, leading many observers to assert that the EU-US rift is greater than in the past 50 years. *US POLITICIANS WORRY ENRON SCANDAL MAY SPUR CHANGES IN CAMPAIGN FINANCING Washington, February 12 (RHC)--In other news related to the Enron scandal, the possibility of changing the rules on campaign financing in the United States reportedly has some lawmakers panicking. As a result of the Enron crisis, which has brought politicians' dependence on donations back into the headlines, over the next two days the House of Representatives is scheduled to decide on a plan that campaign finance reformers believe is the best chance ever to restrict controversial handouts to those seeking public office. Though observers say the vote could be very close, there are signs of panic among supporters of the status quo, including Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, who is reported to have privately called the vote "Armageddon." And though President Bush also opposes campaign finance reform, the ill-omened Enron spotlight on the White House has led him to indicate that he will sign whatever bill passes Congress. Nevertheless, the British news daily "The Guardian" Tuesday noted that the connection between wealth and power will never be snapped, that millionaires will always be able to buy their way into office through the weight of advertising if he or she would rather spend their own money instead of buying a new yacht. The newspaper also noted that though the flow of "soft money" would be somewhat stemmed, there are creative ways of handing out these types of contributions -- like setting up legitimate front organizations that don't mention the politician's name, or having all the executives of a major company donate to the same politician. "The Guardian" noted that the old California politician Jess Unruh used to say that money was the mother's milk of American politics. *Viewpoint: LET'S TALK HUMAN RIGHTS As Argentina reels from its economic implosion, it looks to Washington for assistance. The nation that was once one of the ten richest on the planet now goes hat in hand to the folks who control the coffers of the world's international financial institutions. But with Washington -- where there's no excess philanthropy in the air -- there is always a return on its investment. This time the price that Buenos Aires has to pay for President Bush's nod to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, is the condemnation of Cuba at the United Nations Human Rights Commission set to meet in April. Every year the United States frantically gathers together co-sponsors and supporters of a resolution condemning so-called human rights abuses in Cuba. It is a political flurry that involves flattery, cajoling and outright threats. In recent years the vote has been a split down the middle, with exhausted US representatives last year succeeding by one vote. However, the fallout was a frustrated Human Rights Commission removing the US as one of its members - the first time Washington has not had a seat on the Commission since its inception. So Argentine Foreign Minister, Carlos Ruckauf, is shotgunned to denounce Cuba for human rights violations, citing as an example the supposed hordes of Cubans that seek to leave the island to escape the dreadful repression under which we all live. It's hard to believe that he has the presumption to make such a charge when 30 of his fellow citizens were recently shot and killed for protesting the corruption that pervades the Argentinian political and judicial scene, and more than a third of his people have said they would leave the country given half the chance. Anthony Failoa from the Washington Post reported a couple of weeks ago that the Italian, Israeli, Spanish, British, French and German embassies were being overrun with immigration requests. Many people in Argentina have direct family in these countries and have the right to emigrate to them. Italian officials in Buenos Aires say there is a 17,000-person waitlist for citizenship, which they don't expect to be able to clear before 2004. Spain reports requests have increased from 800 to 3,000 people a day. Israel -- no doubt anxious to increase its population to continue its removal of Palestinians from their lands -- is not only offering a free one-way ticket to Tel Aviv, but also housing, job training and financial assistance. With a sixth of the world's Jews living in Argentina - most of them well educated - this could represent a major exodus. Cuba, for all its own economic problems -- from which, it is true, a number of its citizens naturally seek to escape -- is nonetheless still able to provide health care and education to its population free of charge. It is able to maintain the very basic of human rights -- that of housing, education, food and health -- in the face of brutal US invective and economic blockade. It trains thousands of doctors from poverty-stricken regions across the world completely free of charge. Argentina's collapse of its health care system has cut millions of its residents off from doctors and medication they cannot possibly afford. Cuba would be willing to send over medical personnel to help but the Argentinian authorities are hardly likely to approve. The level of corruption that pervades has brought Argentinians to the point where they don't care which party their politicians come from, they want them all out along with the judges that maintained a totally unethical and venal system. Nor does Cuba shoot its people in the streets or let its elderly sell their belongings to pay for a visit to the doctor. Foreign business representatives are always amazed when they start to work here and find that -- unlike other countries, including Argentina -- they don't need to dig into their special slush fund for high level pay-offs. And nobody, but nobody, goes hungry or homeless in Cuba, as a visit to the island will prove. To accuse Havana of human rights violations when it maintains one of the most caring, humanitarian systems on the planet, and given his own nation's abysmal record of human rights -- both past and present -- Mr Ruckhauf should walk in shame and think seriously about casting the first stone in April. (c) 2002 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. 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