Radio Havana Cuba-08 January 2002 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 08 January 2002 . *TRIAL OF US BLACK LEADER FORMER H. RAP BROWN PROMISES TO BE CONTROVERSIAL *WIDESPREAD HUNGER, STARVATION REPORTED IN AFGHANISTAN'S REMOTE MOUNTAINS *SUPPORTERS OF HUGO CHAVEZ TAKE TO THE STREETS TO PROTEST SMEAR CAMPAIGN *INDIA BRUSHES OFF PAKISTAN'S PLEDGE TO CRACK DOWN ON ISLAMIC MILITANTS *POLITICAL DISSENT IN THE US CAN BRING FEDERAL AGENTS TO YOUR DOOR, *SPECIAL EDUCATION: A SPECIAL PRIORITY OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION *PAN-AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION AWARDS DISTINCTION TO CUBAN PEDIATRICIAN *CUBA'S LARGEST THERMOELECTRIC PLANT TO BE MODERNIZED *Viewpoint: CUBA - THE BIG LITTLE HARVEST . *TRIAL OF US BLACK LEADER FORMER H. RAP BROWN PROMISES TO BE CONTROVERSIAL Atlanta, January 8 (RHC)--In the US, a former black militant who renounced violence and became a Muslim cleric is due to face trial this week in a murder case that according to some observers will highlight the racial and religious divisions in American society. Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, known in the 1960s as H. Rap Brown, is charged with killing one police officer and wounding another in Atlanta, Georgia almost two years ago when he resisted efforts to arrest him on minor charges. Socially and politically active in Atlanta's black community, Al-Amin had denounced a police harassment campaign against him that included efforts to set him with trumped up charges. The accused has insisted that he is the victim of a government conspiracy that dates back to the days of the late FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and the agency's illegal Counter-Intelligence Program - known as COINTELPRO. Defense attorneys are affirming that ballistics evidence in the case contradicts statements made by both officers immediately following the gunfire. In a telephone interview from his cell, Al-Amin told the "New York Times" that the FBI has a file on him containing 44,000 documents. He said that at some point they had to justify all the investigations and money spent trying to incarcerate him, but that more than anything else, they still fear a personality, a charcter coming up among African-Americans who could galvanize support among all the different elements in the African-American community. The trial is expected to revive memories of the civil rights struggle in the south, during which as H. Rap Brown the accused battled for the voting rights for disenfranchised blacks as a leader of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He later became a member of the Black Panther Party, then in 1971 was sentenced to five years for a New York bank robbery that ended in a shoot-out with police. Jury selection was to begin Tuesday after the original hearing slated for September was postponed due to concerns about a prejudicial atmoshphere following the terror attacks. Judge Stephanie Manis has threatened to declare Al-Amin in contempt of court and stripped from him his jail phone privileges for speaking with newspapers and writing letters to the congregation at his mosque. She said the defendant has the right to proclaim his innocence in the courtroom, but not in public. With 1,500 potential jurors summoned, it could take as long as a month to seat a panel. *WIDESPREAD HUNGER, STARVATION REPORTED IN AFGHANISTAN'S REMOTE MOUNTAINS Kabul, New York, January 8 (RHC)--Aid workers in Afghanistan are reporting starvation and widespread hunger due to drought and war in the country's remote mountain regions, where those barely surviving have resorted to eating bread made from grass and small amounts of barley flour. This situation has been reported in Bonavash, the most accessible village in the remote mountain region of Abdullah Gan, home to some 10,000 people. According to aid workers, people in even more distant reaches, days away by donkey, are worse off. Idrees Rahmani, the International Rescue Committee's acting northern Afghanistan coordinator, said Abdullah Gan is a humanitarian crisis. Rahmani said hundreds of thousands of others are also living in desperate conditions in the mountain regions along the former front lines between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. Thousands of bags of wheat flour from the World Food Program meant to save the people of Abdullah Gan sit stacked in a compound in the small town of Zari, four and a half hours away by donkey along mountain trails - with aid workers trying to figure out the logistics of distribution. In New York, United Nations spokesman Fred Eckhard, who said he's seen the reports of starvation in Afghanistan, affirmed that getting the aid from its depots to remote villages where it's most needed hasn't been easy. It would reportedly cost 10 dollars a bag to rent donkeys to haul the food in the mountains to the nearest villages, such as Bonavash, but would cost much more to reach those further away. *SUPPORTERS OF HUGO CHAVEZ TAKE TO THE STREETS TO PROTEST SMEAR CAMPAIGN Caracas, January 8 (RHC)--Hundreds of Venezuelans Monday took to the streets to denounce the mainstream media campaign against President Hugo Chavez. Chavez sympathizers attempted to block the headquarters of the news daily "El Nacional," accusing the media firm of lying and of conspiring against the government. Some 400 journalists and workers in the building temporarily shut themselves inside until police dispersed the protesters with tear gas under the orders of the mayor of Caracas, Alfredo Pena, a former Chavez supporter who passed over to the opposition. As the protesters were being dispersed, the National Guard appeared on the scene, sparking fears that the soldiers would clash with police in support of the demonstrators. President Chavez has recently launched a series of denunciations against mainstream media outlets that harshly and systematically attack his government. In one denunciation, the Venezuelan president said those same newspapers never used such vicious language against the corrupt governments that gutted the oil-rich nation's economy - leaving in their wake an immense poverty rate and a social catastrophe. *INDIA BRUSHES OFF PAKISTAN'S PLEDGE TO CRACK DOWN ON ISLAMIC MILITANTS Islamabad, New Delhi, January 8 (RHC)--India has brushed off Pakistan's pledge to further crackdown on Islamic militants. Under pressure from Britain and the United States within the context of the so-called war on terrorism, Pakistani military leader Pervez Musharraf said his country rejected terrorism in all its forms. The statement came in a joint news conference with visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair. But Pakistani and Indian forces Tuesday traded fire across their border as India demanded actions, not words. The border has seen the biggest military buildup in 15 years after the December 13 suicide attack on India's Parliament, which New Delhi says was carried out by Pakistan-based Islamic militants. India remains opposed to peace talks without a major shift in Pakistan's attitude, and said there was no room for a mediator. India wants Pakistan to end its sponsorship of the groups, dismantle them and hand over to Indian authorities 20 Islamic leaders. *POLITICAL DISSENT IN THE US CAN BRING FEDERAL AGENTS TO YOUR DOOR, Washington, January 8 (RHC)--In the aftermath of September 11, political dissent in the United States can bring federal agents to your door, according to "The Christian Science Monitor." The publication's Tuesday edition focused on the case of Donna Huanca's Houston Art Car Museum, which had a distorted painting of George W. Bush. The painting brought FBI special agent Terrence Donahue and Steven Smith of the Secret Service to the establishment's door, saying they were investigating reports of "anti-American activity" at the tiny art gallery. But according to the Monitor, the incident represents more than just a disturbing day for one museum staffer. The news daily affirmed that across the US growing numbers of Americans are facing similar interrogations for having criticized the government, President Bush, or the war on terrorism. While admitting that by responding to a torrent of tips federal agents are doing exactly what many Americans want them to do, "The Christian Science Monitor" also affirmed that as the nation mounts a zealous campaign against domestic terror, some observers say federal agencies are walking a delicate line between checking out leads and trampling on free speech. First Amendment scholar David Cole at Georgetown University in Washington said if the FBI is investigating art exhibits at museums then the line has already been crossed. He said any credible leads where federal criminal activity may be undertaken should be investigated, but not political conduct. The article used several other examples, one of a Durham Technical Community College student in North Carolina who faced 40 minutes of grilling by police and Secret Service agents because she had a poster criticizing Bush's unflinching support of the death penalty. Another highlighted a San Francisco resident who received an FBI visit for criticizing Bush and his policies at the gym where he works out. According to Barry Steinhardt, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington, all of this speaks to the new McCarthyism, where political dissent is being equated to treason. *SPECIAL EDUCATION: A SPECIAL PRIORITY OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION Havana, January 8 (RHC)--Special Education is a special priority of the Cuban Revolution. During a roundtable discussion Monday evening, broadcast live on radio and television, Cuban President Fidel Castro praised the humane work of thousands of teachers in the area of Special Education. Speaking at the end of the two-hour roundtable discussion, the Cuban leader thanked those who have dedicated themselves to helping young people with physical or psychological problems and learning disabilities. Cuban Minister of Education Luis Ignacio Gomez was also a panelist on Monday evening's roundtable. He noted that 429 schools serve the island's Special Education program, including 13 daycare centers, 42 special classrooms and 23 hospital classrooms. Cuba's minister of education pointed out that more than 1000 young people are unable to attend school and receive classes at home. Last week, the island celebrated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Special Education. On Friday, January 4th, Cuban President Fidel Castro inaugurated a new school for autistic children at Ciudad Libertad, located in the Havana neighborhood of Marianao. Until the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, Ciudad Libertad was the location of the Batista dictatorship's largest military base. During his speech, the Cuban leader noted that special treatment for autistic children is extremely expensive -- reaching up to 10,000 dollars a month in the industrialized world. He emphasized that in Cuba -- where 180 young people have been diagnosed as autistic -- all medical care is free-of-charge. Fidel Castro said that of an estimated 600 million with learning disabilities worldwide, only three percent receive special attention. In Cuba, every child has a classroom and, in some rural areas, there are schools that have a university-trained specialist, a television, a computer and two solar panels at the service of one child's education. The Cuban leader said that with all the social programs being developed by the Revolution in the field of Special Education, Cuba could become a reference point for the world. *PAN-AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION AWARDS DISTINCTION TO CUBAN PEDIATRICIAN Havana, January 8 (RHC)--The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has awarded a top Cuban pediatrician with the distinction of "Public Health Hero of the Americas." Jose R. Jordan Rodriguez was notified of the decision by PAHO's General Director Doctor George A. O. Alleyne. The head of the Pan-American Health Organization said that the Cuban pediatrician was a member of "a select group of men and women who have vision, determination, knowledge and dedication" in the area of health care. According to Dr. Alleyne, Jordan is considered a hero for his outstanding work in the field of public health. In a front-page article published in Tuesday's edition of the daily Granma, the Cuban pediatrician said he was honored by the distinction, but that his greatest honor has been to work in the Cuban health care system over the past 40 years -- a system that offers free medical attention to all. The 80-year-old doctor told Granma that he has been privileged to see how Cuba -- despite more than four decades of an economic blockade by Washington -- has been able to lower the infant mortality rate to 6.2 for every 1000 live births. Jose R. Jordan Rodriguez graduated from medical school in 1944 and serves as the President of the National Council of Health Academies. He is also a member of the World Health Organization's Panel of Experts in Accident Prevention and the International Association of Pediatrics. *CUBA'S LARGEST THERMOELECTRIC PLANT TO BE MODERNIZED Matanzas, January 8 (RHC)--The largest thermoelectric plant in Cuba will be modernized over the next three months -- making the facility much more efficient and cost-effective. Work on the Antonio Guiteras Plant, located in central Matanzas province, will begin on January 20th and run through the month of April. Cuba's electrical company, Union Electrica, announced that the modernization project will cost an estimated $25 million -- but that the investment will be recovered in less than one year with the cost-saving measures. Among the improvements will be to recondition the plant, allowing for the burning of national crude oil. Experts say that with this step, the country will save millions of dollars by substituting Cuban oil for imported fuel. Union Electrica also revealed that nearly 90 percent of the island's electrical needs can be supplied with the use of Cuban fuel oil. According to the company, this is possible thanks to the discovery of important oil fields on the island's northern coast -- between Puerto Escondido and Cardenas -- in the province of Matanzas. Authorities urged citizens to carefully conserve electricity -- as always -- but especially during the three months that the Antonio Guiteras Plant will be remodeled. *Viewpoint: CUBA - THE BIG LITTLE HARVEST Many feared that the damage done by Hurricane Michelle when the storm smashed into the island in November affecting 54 per cent of Cuba's sugar plantations, would make this season's harvest extremely difficult. After a hasty start as a result of the hurricane's ferocious winds, the traditional "small" beginning harvest that runs through December 31 yielded acceptable results. The mini-harvest netted more than 150,000 metric tons, nearly a hundred thousand more than the last small harvest, the best in the last 15 efforts. It should also be noted that the cane cutters and the drivers of the mechanical harvesters were working in fields filled with plants doubled over and snapped off by Hurricane Michelle, which leveled more than 624 thousand hectors of cane. Even with this modest beginning of the large harvest for the 2001-2002 period, experts say it signals the recovery of Cuba's sugar industry. This is so primarily because the cane-cutters are cutting the plants more efficiently so that the quality of the harvest has been better with fewer losses. Thanks to this turning of the tide Cuba will have no difficulty complying with its promised raw exports for the beginning of January. Careful not to celebrate too soon, because in the past sugar production has proved to be irregular with a tendency to decline, reports on the excellent beginning of the harvest have encouraged Cuban experts. Cuban sugar production has dropped in the past few years, registering 4.4 million tons in l996 and just a million tons in l998, which was the worst harvest in half a century, after managing to produce seven and eight million tons at the beginning of the '90s. Last season's harvest wasn't any better: it only produced 3.5 million tons of sugarcane, sparking a million dollar-drop in exports. But it must not be forgotten that sugar still is a pillar of the Cuban economy, despite the fact that tourism has overtaken it in hard currency earnings. Cubans are determined that the sugar industry become more efficient and productive in order to survive in a world market, which is ever more erratic, with prices slipping and tough competition from synthetic sweeteners. More than 500,000 Cubans work in the island's sugar industry and another two million are employed in related sectors. The only way to revive sugar production in Cuba is to increase efficiency and make sugar mills more profitable; to conserve materials and fuel thereby reducing costs. And the first phase of this season's harvest, the "small harvest" is proof that the industry is finally on the right track. (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-20051 2002-Jan-09 05:47:44