Terrorism list angers Fidel

Terrorism list angers Fidel
Written by Larry Moonze in Havana, Cuba
Monday, May 04, 2009 2:45:29 PM

CUBAN revolution leader Fidel Castro has said US President Barack Obama must feel ashamed over America’s continued inclusion of Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Castro on Sunday said the United States’ cult of lie was shameful.

He said the US Department of State report released last Thursday April 30 which included Cuba, Syria, Sudan and Iran (all members of the Non-Aligned Movement) as state sponsors of terrorism was unacceptable.

“Thursday, April 30 was unlucky for the United States,” Castro said. “On that day it occurred to them to include Cuba yet again on the list of terrorist countries. Committed as they are to their own crimes and lies, perhaps even Obama himself was unable to untangle himself from that mess. A man whose talent nobody denies must feel ashamed about the empire's cult of lie. Fifty years of terrorism against our homeland come to light in an instant.”

Castro said Cuba has an endless list of America’s terrorist activities against the island over the last 50 years.

“What can one explain to those who know about the horrific event of a plane blown up in mid flight, with its passengers and crew, about the participation of the United States in the events, the recruiting of Orlando Bosch and Posada Carriles, and the supplying of explosives, funds and the complicity of the intelligence agencies and the authorities of that country?” he asked. “How can one explain the campaign of terror that preceded and followed the mercenary invasion of the Bay of Pigs, the attacks on our coasts, towns, transport and fishing vessels, the terrorist actions inside and outside of the United States? How can one explain the hundreds of frustrated assassination plots on the lives of Cuban leaders? What can one say about the introduction of viruses such as hemorrhagic dengue and swine fever that genetically had never even existed in the hemisphere?”

Castro said he had merely mentioned some of the acts of terror in which the United States had played a part.

He said all that he had listed were recorded in the USA’s own declassified documents.

“Don't these events embarrass the current administration?” asked Castro.

Cuba was designated state sponsor of terrorism on March 1, 1982, Iran (January 19,1984), Sudan (August 12,1993) and Syria on December 29,1979.

According to the country reports on terrorism 2008 report issued last Thursday, the US stated that state sponsors of terrorism provided critical support to non-state terrorist groups. It stated that without state sponsors, terrorist groups would have greater difficulty obtaining the fund, weapons, materials and secure areas they required to plan and conduct operations.

On Cuba, the report stated that although Cuba no longer actively support armed struggle in Latin America and other parts of the world, the Cuban government continued to publicly defend the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia (FARC) and provided safe haven to some members of terrorist organizations, though some were in Cuba in connection with peace negotiations with the Governments of Spain and Colombia.

“However, on July 6, 2008 former Cuban president Fidel Castro called on the FARC to release the hostages they were holding without preconditions,” the US Department of State reports. “The United States has no evidence of terrorist-related money laundering or terrorist activities ion Cuba, although Cuba has one world’s most secretive and non-transparent national banking systems. Cuba has no financial intelligence unit. Cuba’s Law 93 Against Acts of Terrorism provides the government authority to track, block or seize terrorist assets.”

It stated that Sudan continued to take significant steps towards better counterterrorism operation.

“Iran and Syria have not renounced terrorism or made efforts to act against foreign terrorist organisatioons and routinely provided safe haven, substantial resources and guidance to terrorist organizations,” reads the report in part.