From: NY Transfer News <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 00:02:23 -0400 (EDT)
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [CubaNews] RHC News Update (English) 14 June 2001
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - News Update - 14 June 2001
.
*FIDEL EMPHATICALLY DENIES CUBA PLANS TO LAUNCH "CYBER-ATTACKS"
*HAVANA PEDIATRICS CONGRESS FOCUSES ON ADVANCES IN MICROSURGERY
*BEE-STNG VENOM IS THERAPY FOR ARTHRITIS AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
*CUBAN AND DOMINICAN UNIVERSITIES STRENGTHEN TIES
*VIEQUES: ACTIVISTS VOW TO END BOMBING BEFORE NAVY WITHDRAWAL IN 3003
*BUSH, EUROPEAN LEADERS AGREE TO DISAGREE ON GLOBAL WARMING
*PARIS WEEKLY REPORTS THAT FRANCE EXPORTED TORTURE TO ARGENTINA
Viewpoint:
*FOR MIDEAST TALKS TO RESUME, A REAL CEASEFIRE IS ESSENTIAL
.
*FIDEL EMPHATICALLY DENIES CUBA PLANS TO LAUNCH "CYBER-ATTACKS"
Pinar del Rio, June 14 (RHC)--Cuban President Fidel Castro said today that
Cuba would never use its scientific development to launch a cybernetics
attack against anyone. At a rally in Pinar del Rio Province on the occasion
of the electrification of 1946 rural schools using solar panels, the Cuban
leader made reference to accusations against Cuba during recent hearings of
the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee.
Admiral Thomas Wilson, head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA),
told the Committee that though Cuba has ceased to be a conventional military
threat, the island could launch an informatics attack that would disrupt
Washington's intelligence systems.
Fidel Castro said that Cuba would never use something as useful to humanity
as the Internet to create informatics viruses and elaborate cybernetic
attacks, adding that it would also be out of the question since it could be
used justify to U.S. military aggression.
He recalled declassified U.S. documents detailing the proposals the
Pentagon made to former President John F. Kennedy in 1962 to justify a
military aggression against Cuba, including U.S. attacks against its own
forces and civilians that could be blamed on Cuba.
Fidel Castro called the suggestion by Admiral Wilson "yet another effort to
deceive American and world public opinion," stating that Cuba's policy is
one of cooperation against the use of informatics technology that would
adversely affect communications and the interests of humanity.
*HAVANA PEDIATRICS CONGRESS FOCUSES ON ADVANCES IN MICROSURGERY
Havana, June 14 (RHC)--From its introduction in Cuba eight years ago, the
island's pediatricians have been using microsurgery with local anesthetics
to treat children with abdominal and thoracic problems.
Minimally invasive surgery, one of the topics under discussion at the
Pediatrics 2001 Congress currently underway in Havana, was pioneered by the
William Soler Children's Hospital. It reduces post-operative complications,
and is much cheaper since it can be performed on an outpatient basis.
Fiber-optic devices are used to view the problem area via a small incision,
with another small incision and special surgical instruments allow the
surgeon to carry out complex operations without the use of a general
anesthetic.
Pediatrics 2001 wraps up tomorrow in the Cuban capital.
*BEE-STNG VENOM IS THERAPY FOR ARTHRITIS AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
Havana, June 14 (RHC)--Employing a traditional countryside cure, Cuban
doctors have been using bees to help patients suffering from arthritis and
multiple sclerosis, the Cuban news daily Granma reports.
Referred to as "apipuncture," the method involves encouraging bees to sting
the affected area. The venom from the sting stimulates the natural
production of cortisone by the patient's body without the side effects
suffered from standard steroid injections. The bee venom is used in in
conjunction with honey, royal jelly and bee glue, or propolis.
For the last three years, Dr. Sergio Gutierrez Araluce, who specializes in
traditional medicine at the Calixto Garcia university hospital in Havana,
has been developing and employing apipuncture. The stings are applied to
specific points on the body where they are left for some 15 to 20 minutes to
ensure the optimum amount of venom enters the body.
Honey and propolis are also used to treat burns; these remedies heal skin
three times faster than conventional treatments.
*CUBAN AND DOMINICAN UNIVERSITIES STRENGTHEN TIES
Havana, June 14 (RHC)--As a symbol of cooperation in the field of education,
Miguel Rosado, Director of Santo Domingo's Autonomous University, signed an
agreement Wednesday between his university, one of the most important
centers of higher education in the region, and the University of Havana
along with the Jose Antonio Echeverria Higher Polytechnic Institute.
The link between Dominican and Cuban universities has been a tradition, and
this time its objective is to develop basic, applied and technological
science in important areas of post-graduate education as well as the
teaching of courses via the Internet.
After the signing of the agreement, the Dominican ambassador to Cuba, Rafael
A. Baez, underscored that this important step will strengthen the historical
ties between the two nations, since it contributes to improve both nation's
best resource: their people.
*VIEQUES: ACTIVISTS VOW TO END BOMBING BEFORE NAVY WITHDRAWAL IN 3003
Gothenburg, June 14 (RHC)--President George W. Bush has confirmed rumors
that the U.S. Navy will withdraw from Vieques no later than May 2003. At a
news conference in Sweden, where he is participating in his first gathering
with European Union heads of state, Bush admitted that Puerto Ricans don't
want the Navy there.
The decision has angered some Pentagon officials and conservative members of
Congress. Some observers are speculating that the importance of the
Hispanic vote for his 2004 re-election bid played a role in Bush's decision.
The move is also seen as a way to take the steam out of the July 29th
referendum in Vieques, approved this week by Puerto Rico's Congress.
Originally, the U.S. had approved a referendum for next November on whether
Vieques residents wanted the Navy out by May 2003. That referendum will now
reportedly be cancelled. Three Congressional members of Puerto Rican origin
-- Luis Gutierrez, Jose Serrano and Nydia Velazquez -- said they believe the
White House plan is an effort to avoid the embarrassment of an overwhelming
defeat in the referendum. Democratic Senator John Kerry called the proposal
insufficient, insisting that Washington should do everything possible to
withdraw from Vieques before 2003.
The announcement coincides with the Navy's plan to begin a new round of
target practice in Vieques next Monday. The Committee for the Rescue and
Development of Vieques has announced that the civil disobedience campaign
against the bombing will continue.
*BUSH, EUROPEAN LEADERS AGREE TO DISAGREE ON GLOBAL WARMING
Gothenburg, June 14 (RHC)--U.S. President George W. Bush and leaders of the
European Union have politely agreed to disagree on the issue of global
warming. At Bush's first gathering with EU leaders Thursday in Sweden, the
two sides publicly acknowledged their disagreement over the Kyoto Protocol
on global warming.
Both sides, however, also agreed to continue working together in all the
forums pertaining to the issue of climate change -- though the nature of
that joint cooperation is uncertain, given Washington's unilateral
withdrawal from the Protocol. Bush also attempted to placate his European
allies with a promise to attend next July's United Nations-sponsored
Conference on the Environment.
In the joint U.S.-EU declaration, the Europeans also supported Bush's
position concerning the need for more research into the effect of
contaminating gas emissions on climate -- a position that places in doubt
the scientific conclusions that have been reached thus far.
*PARIS WEEKLY REPORTS THAT FRANCE EXPORTED TORTURE TO ARGENTINA
Paris, June 14 (RHC)--The weekly "Le Point" published in Paris asserts that
France taught methods of torture and forced disappearance to the military in
Argentina and other Latin American countries. The seven-page article is
entitled "How France Exported Torture to Argentina: General Aussaresses'
Other Dirty War" -- a reference to the retired French military officer who
recently published his memoirs concerning the systematic practices of
torture, forced disappearances and assassinations committed by the French
military during its war against independence forces in Algeria.
Quoting French and Argentine military officers and civilian authorities by
named, and citing official documents, "Le Point" says that France helped to
prepare the entire generation of Argentine soldiers who launched the Dirty
War in 1973, which culminated in the military dictatorship of 1976.
The Parisian weekly noted thta cooperation began in 1957, when Argentine
Colonel Carlos Rosas -- who had studied at the War Academy in Paris -- and
Argentine General Ramon Camp issued an invitation from the Buenos Aires War
Academy to French Lieutenant Colonels Patrice de Naurois and Pierre Badie.
Their collaboration led to the creation of a course on "Inter-American
Anti-Marxist Struggle ." The course covered social control of the population
and the destruction of revolutionary forces, Thirty-nine military officers
from 13 countries in Latin America and the United States. participated.
"Le Point" writes that when Argentina's Dirty War began in 1973, Argentine
military officers requested French military instructors -- a request that
received a green light from the French Prime Minister Pierre Messmer.
Viewpoint:
*FOR MIDEAST TALKS TO RESUME, A REAL CEASEFIRE IS ESSENTIAL
The word from the Middle East is that the Palestine National Authority, in
order to secure a ceasefire in the occupied territories, has accepted a
proposal made by the head of the CIA, George Tenet. However, in agreeing to
the U.S. proposal, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat stated that Israeli
troops must withdraw from their positions in the occupied territories.
Arafat also demanded that the blockade keeping Palestinian workers from
entering areas held by Israel be lifted.
Those are the minimum indispensable conditions required to resume peace
talks. So far there is no guarantee that Israeli troops will actually
comply. After the announcement that Israel would accept the ceasefire
proposal, violence continued with the deaths of several Palestinians and at
least one Israeli. The military blockade continues in the occupied
Palestinian territories, with no signs that troops are planning to abandon
the area.
International solidarity with the Palestinians has increased considerably in
recent months and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has spoken with
representatives of the two sides trying to find a way to help consolidate
the ceasefire.
U.S. President George W. Bush has declared his support at least for the
ceasefire and has made half-hearted calls for the Israelis to sit down with
the Palestinians and continue the peace talks. One thing is clear: without a
withdrawal -- even a partial one -- of Israeli troops, who have been firing
continually on Palestinians, the ceasefire will be just an idea that will do
little to resolve the present crisis.
Palestinian protests continue to follow the format of the Intifada, with
street demonstrations and stone-throwing against the occupation troops.
On Wednesday, Cuban President Fidel Castro attended a televised round table
in Havana on solidarity with the Palestinian people. Palestinian Foreign
Minister Farouk Khadoumi and other Palestinian leaders spoke about the
current situation. They reiterated their reservations about the sincerity of
the position of Israel and the United States. Hopefully, there will be
significant changes if Washington truly pressures the Israelis to stop the
violence and return to the peace talks, as the international community has
demanded.
(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: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
=================================================================
_________________________________________________
KOMINFORM
P.O. Box 66
00841 Helsinki
Phone +358-40-7177941
Fax +358-9-7591081
http://www.kominf.pp.fi
General class struggle news:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Geopolitical news:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
__________________________________________________
