From: "Walter Lippmann" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001 19:52:25 -0700 To: "CubaNews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [CubaNews] The cold war has not ended This is a Roundtable discussion in which experts took up recent US "cyberwar" allegations abainst Cuba ___________________ GRANMA June 18, 2001 The cold war has not ended Roundtable denounces U.S. attempts to justify aggression against Cuba, with the new pretense that the island poses a threat of informatics warfare, which only the United States has used, in Yugoslavia BY ALBERTO N��EZ BETANCOURT (Granma daily staff writer) THE new imperialist scheme of accusing Cuba of posing a cybernetic terrorist threat will not detain our will to develop information technology, a commitment that affects not only universities but all levels of education, extending to the most distant territories of the nation. This slander reveals the enemy's true fear about the possibilities offered to the Cuban people by the Revolution: that of becoming increasingly more cultured and therefore freer. The premeditated conspiracy of the press, high-level U.S. officials and Miami mafia spokespersons was the subject of the roundtable broadcast by Cuban television and attended by President Fidel Castro Ruz. Rogelio Polanco, editor-in-chief of Juventud Rebelde newspaper, explained that the absurd story of a possible cybernetic attack began to circulate on February 7, during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. He announced that a media campaign was immediately orchestrated, with the fabrication of that phantom and employing terms such as "asymmetrical war," the "potential threat" of disorganizing the U.S. armed forces, and a "potential technological danger." This is another attempt to discredit Cuba, which has achieved an admirable level of technological development. According to them, we are now an informatics threat, just like in the past we have been categorized as a nuclear threat, a migratory threat, or a biological threat. L�zaro Barredo commented that this is no more than another maneuver by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to create a pretext for aggression against Cuba, based on the false idea that our country poses a threat. He stressed that the campaign emerged after Fidel's inauguration of the computer center in Pinar del R�o early this year. Another panelist, B�rbara Betancourt from Radio Havana Cuba, explained that the concept of asymmetric war, proposed by the U.S. media, implies that a country of inferior strength can wage a battle against an industrialized country. The absurd suggestion is that Cuban security agents are the only ones who operate computers and send e-mail, and are capable of planning cyberterrorism against the United States by introducing computer viruses. Tubal P�ez, president of the Cuban Journalists' Union, characterized the declarations of U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as incredibly cynical, trying to make the United States look like a victim threatened by small countries. This is a tactic used often by rich countries to justify abusive actions against the poor, P�ez noted. The concept of cyberwar or informatics warfare, which have emerged in these times of technological development, were explained by informatics security specialist Gonzalo Garc�a, who analyzed the potential methods of real attacks against U.S. networks, based on information revealed abroad. According to these sources, the attacks could be carried out from Cuba, or from another country through a Cuban network. These descriptions by Cuba's enemies of possible direct and indirect attacks are really an attempt to increase tensions between the two countries. The specialist added that our defense against such possible cyberspace aggressions should be based on prevention. Barredo recalled the many times that the United States has alleged that Cuba poses a threat to U.S. security. For example, it used as a pretext the construction of the Juragu� nuclear power plant, even though such a danger was disproved repeatedly by our authorities. He cited how recently declassified documents bring to light multiple variants aimed at creating a conflict between the two countries, such as using airplanes painted with Cuban insignia, sinking boats full of immigrants in order to blame Cuba, and planning acts of provocation and attacks against themselves from the Guant�namo military base. National defense expert Alcibiades P�rez asked the question of who is making these accusations against Cuba. He then argued that it is very clear that the United States is the main cyberthreat on the planet. P�rez dismantled the fallacy that the United States is a victim. An article in Time magazine revealed the possibility of infecting those considered enemies with completely modern computer plagues, through the introduction of viruses. He added that the United States has admitted that it used computer viruses during the war in Yugoslavia. And that is the country that is accusing Cuba of being a danger to its informatics networks. These new technologies have also been used for U.S. espionage all over the world, explained roundtable moderator Randy Alonso. Then journalist B�rbara Betancourt discussed the many ways in which these individuals can spy on everything spoken or written through fiber optics. For example, through surveillance systems the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have identified all the participants in the Pinochet case, as well as the leaders of the movement against neoliberal globalization. Currently, the United States is making the largest investment in the history of espionage: $25 billion USD in 20 years, for the construction of a new generation of spy satellites to replace those currently operating. Fernando Arrojas, director of the Central Institute of Digital Research (ICID), spoke about Cuba's work in the world of informatics. He categorized the U.S. accusations as shameless and invited anyone to witness the results of the ICID automated systems in sugar refineries, hotels and many other economic and social institutions. He referred specifically to the medical equipment produced at the center he directs, as well as other scientific entities, noting that this equipment represents an unquestionable contribution to Cuba's public health services. Cuba does not utilize informatics for aggressive ends, in the first place because of the ethics it upholds. Beatriz Alonso, general director of CITMATEL, explained that Cuban institutions' use of the Internet makes it possible to access information necessary in today's world. There are no Cuban sites offering pornography, terrorist information or other vices which proliferate in some capitalist societies, among which the United States ranks in first place. In Cuba, Internet use has been established on an ethical and humanitarian basis, and those who are given access must agree to a code of ethics. We are facilitating our professionals' and technicians' possibilities to exchange information, publicizing the development achieved by Cuba, and offering sources of knowledge to our students. As for how Cuba can defend itself from attack, Gonzalo Garc�a said that the first thing was to create an informatics culture within the population and have increasingly skilled personnel. The panelists agreed that while Cuba advocates an international informatics security network, it is precisely the United States which opposes any regulations to combat cyberterrorism. Towards the end of the roundtable, Dr. Daysi Rivero, member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, on behalf of the scientific community, read a declaration condemning the new maneuver. She called on scientists from the United States and around the world not to be confused and to recall that the history of Cuban science has many examples of working for important causes. One example is Dr. Carlos J. Finlay, who discovered the vector for yellow fever in the late 19th century. Today, thousands of our scientists are making important contributions benefiting the people of Cuba and other nations. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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