Radio Havana Cuba-21 February 2002 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 21 Febuary 2002 . *ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: ROUNDTABLE ON RECENT ECONOMIC FORUMS *CONGRESS ON THE IMPACT OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY ON CULTURE UNDERWAY *CUBAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES COMMEMORATES 40th ANNIVERSARY *FOREST AREA COVERS 22 PERCENT OF THE ISLAND *COLOMBIA: MAJOR MILITARY ATTACK ON FORMER OPPOSITION-CONTROLLED AREAS *US: LEGAL ACTION PLANNED AGAINST CORPORATIONS THAT BENEFITED FROM SLAVERY *ARGENTINE PRESIDENT "SURPRISED" THAT ALMOST HALF THE POPULATION IN POVERTY *VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO SPIRAL IN ISRAELI-OCCUPIED PALESTINE *THOUSANDS OF PASHTUNS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN FLEE ETHNIC REPRESSION *MEXICAN COURT ORDERS INVESTIGATION OF 1968 TLATELOLCO MASSACRE *Viewpoint: SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE NEXT ARMS RACE . *ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: ROUNDTABLE ON RECENT ECONOMIC FORUMS Havana, February 21 (RHC)--A roundtable discussion on recent economic forums was aired Wednesday night on Cuban radio and television. The program, which was also broadcast live on the international shortwave frequencies of Radio Havana Cuba, featured several participants at the World Social Forum, held in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Panelists noted that the meeting in Porto Alegre was the second annual social forum -- attended by more than 60,000 people, representing hundreds of non-governmental and community organizations. Participants at the World Social Forum debated the issues of poverty, unemployment and other vital social issues. The roundtable discussion also examined the World Economic Forum, which recently took place in New York City. This meeting -- bringing together heads of corporations, businesspeople and some of the world's wealthiest personalities -- is traditionally held in Davos, Switzerland. Panelists noted that this year, even those who were conspiring on how to make bigger profits were forced to admit that global social problems were affecting their bottom line and that measures had to be taken to stem poverty and other social ills. It was also noted that last week's meeting of economists held in Havana dealt with the failures of neo-liberal globalization. A consensus was reached among participants at the gathering, who agreed that neo-liberalism and its political structures are responsible for the serious social and economic problems facing today's world. *CONGRESS ON THE IMPACT OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY ON CULTURE UNDERWAY Havana, February 21 (RHC)--The Fifth International Congress on the Impact of Computer Technology on Culture was inaugurated on Wednesday in the Cuban capital. The meeting is one of 12 congresses, which are running parallel to the 8th International Convention on Computer Science, "Informatics 2002." Addressing participants during the inaugural session of the congress, Cuban Culture Minister Abel Prieto announced that 40 Cuban municipalities are accessible on the Internet, while 11 of the island's 14 provinces already have their own Web sites. Cuba's minister of culture noted that computer technology has opened new possibilities to disseminate Cuban culture -- particularly music, literature and fine arts. Abel Prieto announced that the Cuban Book Institute has widely promoted the works of young Cuban writers on its Web page -- www.cubaliteraria.com. He said that particular Web site has become a kind of cultural encyclopedia, which gained special importance during the days of Havana's International Book Fair, which wrapped up in the Cuban capital last Sunday. Commenting on this year's book fair, Abel Prieto said that more than 230,000 people attended the event at the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress, overlooking Havana Bay. He added that one million books were sold, at an average cost of around five Cuban pesos. Following the successful ten-day run in the Cuban capital, the book fair is now traveling to another 18 cities around the island before it ends next month in Santiago de Cuba. After learning about Cuba's experiences on the global, "information highway," delegates from Brazil and Mexico to the international convention underway in Havana suggested the publication of a directory with a list of all Cuban Web sites -- to be distributed throughout the world. *CUBAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES COMMEMORATES 40th ANNIVERSARY Havana, February 21 (RHC)--The Cuban Academy of Sciences commemorated its 40th anniversary on Wednesday with a wide range of special events. Among the activities was an awards ceremony to give recognition to several accomplished Cuban scientists: Lazaro Hernandez, a biologist at the Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology; and Alex Fragoso Sierra, a chemist at the University of Havana. According to this morning's edition of Granma, the Cuban Academy of Sciences is now accepting applications for new associated members younger than 35 years of age. The newspaper notes that Cuba has entered a new century and millennium with its sights set on even greater scientific accomplishments. *FOREST AREA COVERS 22 PERCENT OF THE ISLAND Caracas, February 21 (RHC)--The area of the island covered by forests has grown from 14 to 22 percent since the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. According to Fabio Fajardo, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, while other countries are losing their forest areas, Cuba is actively planting trees and working to increase its coverage. The Cuban minister spoke during the second work session of the Forum on High Level Cooperation between Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, which wrapped up Wednesday in Caracas, Venezuela. Fabio Fajardo noted that at least 20 percent of the island's cultivable land has high levels of salt, admitting that erosion is one of the most serious environmental problems confronting Cuba. The deputy minister of science and technology said that erosion in Cuba is not a result of poverty -- as it is in many other Third World countries -- but rather a consequence of out-of-date, inappropriate practices. *COLOMBIA: MAJOR MILITARY ATTACK ON FORMER OPPOSITION-CONTROLLED AREAS Bogotá, February 21 (RHC)--Colombian President Andres Pastrana has broken off the rebel-government peace process and ordered troops into the formerly guerrilla-controlled demilitarized zone. Early Thursday morning jets carrying 500-pound bombs massively bombarded the vast territory of 42,000 square kilometers established over 3 years ago to begin peace talks after Pastrana accused the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces of hijacking a commercial airplane and kidnapping a Senator on board. The rebels have denied involvement in the kidnapping, accusing Pastrana and his administration of once again siding with the oligarchy that has dominated the country for the past 200 years through either the Liberal or Conservative parties. The rebels said that by sending in government troops, this bipartisan system of corruption and exploitation once again uses a military apparatus that has been the major component of state terrorism. Pastrana also accused the rebel organization of using the demilitarized zone for illegal activities not included in an original agreement, including the planting of illicit drug crops, building clandestine runways and maintaining ties with what he called international terrorists. The Colombian president had never before issued charges of this nature. Pastrana said his administration would protect the civilian population in the formerly demilitarized area, but residents have already begun to receive death threats from right wing paramilitaries. Just hours after Pastrana's speech, a list with the names of 30 people threatened with death for allegedly collaborating with the guerrillas appeared in San Vicente del Caguan, the site where rebel and government negotiators held numerous rounds of peace talks. *US: LEGAL ACTION PLANNED AGAINST CORPORATIONS THAT BENEFITED FROM SLAVERY February 21 (RHC)--African-American attorneys and academics are gearing up to begin legal proceedings against US firms and banks that benefited from slavery. Seeking apologies and economic compensation, a growing reparations movement in the United States is targeting insurance companies like New York Life and banks like J.P. Morgan and Chase Manhattan, according to an extensive commentary in today's edition of the newspaper "USA Today." The black professionals have other corporations in their sights, like the Union Pacific railroad firm, the Westpoint Stevens textile company and the giant publishing houses Knight Ridder and Advance Publications. Promoters of the initiative include renowned Harvard graduate attorneys Charles Ogletree and Cornel West, as well as the attorney who won compensation from the Department of Agriculture for black farmers who suffered discrimination. The extensive "USA Today" report noted how the Mobile and Girard Railroad offered slave owners 180 dollars apiece for use of their slaves in 1856, noting that it's one of 39 slave-built lines that are today part of the Norfolk Southern firm. Documents have been obtained of New York Life insurance company policies taken out on slaves by their masters. Other documents show how a merchant bank that today is called Brown Brothers Harriman was built by lending to southern planters, brokering slave-grown cotton, acting as a clearing house for the slavery south's complex financial system and lending money to farmers so they could buy slaves. African-Americans involved in the reparations movement say it is particularly necessary to address the issue since racism and racially-based inequalities have not abated in the United States. *ARGENTINE PRESIDENT "SURPRISED" THAT ALMOST HALF THE POPULATION IN POVERTY Buenos Aires, February 21 (RHC)--Following the most massive protest in Argentina in recent weeks, President Eduardo Duhalde expressed his surprise regarding a government report placing almost half the nation below the line of poverty. Deputy Economy Minister Jorge Todesca revealed Wednesday that 47 percent of Argentineans live in poverty and extreme poverty. The statistic, however, measures only the period between October, 2000, and October 2001. In that period, one million 400 thousand more Argentineans fell below the poverty line, though considering the tens of thousands of job losses since last October, that figure has certainly grown considerably. Duhalde said that the number of household heads without jobs is much greater than he and his administration had estimated. The revelation came as tens of thousands took to the streets throughout the country to mark the 2-month anniversary of the social uprising that left 30 killed, 200 wounded, thousands arrested and led to the resignation of then-President Fernando de la Rua. The protest is being called the most massive since Duhalde swore in as the country's 5th president in two weeks on January 2nd. The protests coincided with a growing neighborhood assembly movement in the capital and in the larger Buenos Aires. Hundreds of such assemblies have sprung up in recent weeks, demanding a change in the government's economic policies and launching scathing attacks against the International Monetary Fund. Thursday morning, as new protest actions began, Interior Minister Rodolfo Gabrielli warned of another social explosion. *VIOLENCE CONTINUES TO SPIRAL IN ISRAELI-OCCUPIED PALESTINE Gaza City, February 21 (RHC)--As Israeli tanks and troops raided the Gaza strip killing 5 Palestinians, wounding 30 and demolishing a television center in the ever-spiraling violence, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he would not lead Israel into war - but promised more raids. With more rocket attacks on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound, Palestinian officials accused Israel of moving the 17-month conflict into a new phase, vowing to fight on until all Israelis leave occupied territories. As the raids began, local mosques in Gaza City hailed people over loudspeakers to fight the Israeli troops. Israel launched its land, sea and air raids on Gaza City, Ramallah, Nablus, several other towns and refugee camps early Wednesday morning after Palestinian militants shot dead 6 Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near Ramallah before escaping unhurt. According to many observers, the Palestinian's growing tactical prowess, improving weaponry and battlefield daring have many Israelis with a sense of reliving the two-decade war in Lebanon - only this time much closer to home and with many more casualties. News correspondents are reporting that for many Israelis, Lebanon was their country's Vietnam, a quagmire that devoured men and resources, sapped the nation's morale and divided its people. *THOUSANDS OF PASHTUNS IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN FLEE ETHNIC REPRESSION Kabul, February 21 (RHC)--As US and British intelligence services warn of chaos in Afghanistan, long ago predicted by critics of Washington's massive bombardment of the country, thousands of Afghan Pashtuns are fleeing ethnic repression in the north of the country. The Pashtuns are charging that anti-Taliban commanders of different ethnic origins have been inciting people to loot their homes and in some cases kill them. United Nations spokesman Yusuf Hassan called the ethnic repression "a very disturbing picture of gross human rights violations. The Taliban were dominated by Pashtuns, Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, while the US-backed Northern Alliance was largely Tajik and Uzbek. Observers have long asserted that post-Taliban Afghanistan will probably be unable to rein in the ethnic, tribal and personal rivalries that have plagued the nation for more than two decades. The UN has reportedly complained to the interim government, but many of those areas lack any national authority, with large parts of Afghanistan controlled by local warlords. The events coincide with numerous press reports about a classified Central Intelligence Agency document that according to anonymous officials in Washington warns that the country could again descend into civil war. At the same time, London's MI5 intelligence service has warned that Britain is facing a potentially huge increase in heroin trafficking due to a massive and unchecked replanting of the opium crop in Afghanistan. The Vienna-based UN office for drug control and crime prevention, in a field study just concluded in Afghanistan, found that substantial regrowing has taken place in several provinces. *MEXICAN COURT ORDERS INVESTIGATION OF 1968 TLATELOLCO MASSACRE Mexico City, February 21 (RHC)--Following a court order, Mexico's federal district attorney's office has opened an investigation into the 1968 massacre of protesting students. On Wednesday, a federal court gave the district attorney's office 24 hours to open the investigation that last January was ordered by the Supreme Court. Four years ago, Mexico's Attorney General's office had argued that it was not capable of responding to a legal petition by student leaders and family members of the victims due to a statute of limitations. But Mexican and international human rights organizations believe that there is no statute of limitations since the massacre can be considered a crime against humanity. The plaintiffs accused former Presidents Gustavo Diaz Ordaz and former Interior Minister Luis Echeverria. Though Diaz Ordaz is deceased and Echeverria is 80 years old, those carrying out the judicial action are hoping that there collaborators will be called to testify regarding what is known as the Tlatelolco massacre. Mexican President Vicente Fox promised to open the secret archives on the massacre when he assumed office last December, but no documents have yet been declassified. National opinion was rocked last week when the Mexican news daily "El Universal" showed unpublished photographs of some of the victims of the massacre, with bullet and bayonet wounds and some with crushed skulls. The photos constitute the first documentary evidence that the number of victims were in the hundreds, and not the 30 that authorities had officially stated. *Viewpoint: SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE NEXT ARMS RACE On Tuesday, the Secretary General of NATO, George Robertson, appeared before the European Parliament to announce that Europe should face the reality of the great difference in military potential between the United States and NATO and should consequently choose between what he called "modernization or marginalization." Robertson said that Europe should dedicate more to military spending in keeping with its economic and political power. If not, said NATO's Secretary General -- and this is the most telling part of his discourse -- the United States would have greater military might which would place it on an unequal footing with NATO in any future joint venture. What, one wonders, was Robertson trying to say? The US Congress has already voted an additional $48 million for the Pentagon to spend at will. It has long been the most powerful player on the planet. And when it wants things done in Europe it comes knocking on NATO's ever-open door happy to provide the military might if NATO can provide the international legitimacy to bomb Third World nations into the dark ages. Since September 11th dangerous legislation has been passed in the United States and in Great Britain -- it's closest ally in Europe and NATO. The military and political power is already in place. Why on earth is Robertson playing to European nationalism by warning that NATO won't be able to get things done in the future without US help? George Robertson is clearly seeking to increase European military might to act in accordance with Washington -- not as a balance to it. Thus, the US would be able to pursue its enemies to the four corners of the planet whenever it saw fit -- the combined might of the US and NATO an impossible match for any alliance of nations to resist. Without bringing itself up to par, he said, Washington would have to act alone in future conflicts or, worse, not act at all. This is not an option, he added. Robertson has even gone so far as to suggest that the purchasing source of this increased military strength should be the US itself. Who is this man who seeks to start another dangerous arms build-up across Europe and provide President Bush with the most power of any one leader in history -- aside from a significant amount of cash? George Robertson was Britain's former Labour Party Foreign Secretary who always defended NATO's role in international affairs and strongly opposed unilateral disarmament when his party advocated it. He has always been on the right of Labour politics. He was chosen to head NATO after Tony Blair had a few words with former US President Bill Clinton following Robertson's total support of the bombing of Serbia and his full championship of Washington's position relating to Kosovo. Robertson is thus directly indebted to the US for his current employment. It appears that he now seeks to return the favor. Washington, for its part, has always sought to have NATO shoulder the burden of military spending while remaining under US control. The NATO General Secretary -- who is the vice-chairman of the British/American Parliamentary Group -- supports this and other provisions that benefit the United States, both militarily and financially. However, he is playing a hazardous game. His insistence on building up Europe's military power which is today sought after by Washington, could tomorrow be seen as a threat to US dominance and bring NATO into conflict with its all powerful ally. Robertson's compliance to Washington is not only likely to dangerously link NATO even further with Washington, it is also likely to set the scene for the next arms race -- this time between Europe and the United States. (c) 2002 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-18573 2002-Feb-22 01:50:19