From: NY Transfer News <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2001 22:23:46 -0400 (EDT)
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Subject: [CubaNews] NY Transfer's RHC Weekend-04 August 2001
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - Weekend Update - 04 August 2001
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*US CHARGES TWO CUBAN-AMERICANS WITH SMUGGLING HUMANS AFTER 6 DIE
*CUBAN TOURISM PROSPECTS ARE ENCOURAGING
*PANAMA THANKS CUBA FOR ASSISTANCE OF SPORTS SPECIALSITS
*CUBA'S ANIER GARCIA LOOKS TO WIN WIN THE 110 METER HURDLES
*20,000 RALLY FOR RELEASE OF FIVE CUBANS HELD IN MIAMI
*PALESTINE AUTHORITY WARNS OF WAR, CALLS AGAIN FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS
*ISRAELI TROOPS DESTROY PALESTINIAN POLICE STATION IN GAZA
*PERUVIAN INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS MORE DETAILS ON CIA AND MONTESINOS
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*US CHARGES TWO CUBAN-AMERICANS WITH SMUGGLING HUMANS AFTER 6 DIE
Havana, August 4 (RHC)--On Friday, U.S. prosecutors filed charges against
two Cuban-Americans suspected of illegally transporting Cubans to Miami. At
least six Cuban would-be immigrants died in the crossing, including three
young children.
Federal agents are investigating whether the two Cuban-Americans, Osvaldo
Fernandez Marrero and Roberto Montero Domingues, can be charged both with
trafficking in human trade and murder in the incident, which occurred on
Wednesday.
A total of 22 Cuban survivors were rescued after the accident, in which the
the overloaded boat capsized in the Florida Keys. Two bodies were recovered;
on Thursday the Coast Guard gave up its search for four others, a woman and
three children who are presumed drowned.
Though Cubans intercepted on the high seas are usually returned to Cuba
under bilateral migration accords, the survivors were taken to the United
States to be questioned about the tragedy. U.S. Coast Guard officials U.S.
and Cuban Coast Guard authorities have determined that smuggling rings are
increasingly used to transport Cubans to the United States.
*CUBAN TOURISM PROSPECTS ARE ENCOURAGING
Havana, August 4 (RHC)--During a full session of Cuba's National Assembly
on Friday, Cuban president Fidel Castro voiced optimism that Cuba's tourism
prospects are excellent due to the island's ecological wealth, its safety
and its rich history and culture.
Cuban tourism minister Ibrahim Ferradaz stated that during the past ten
years the sector has increased its profits 800%, its visitors BY 500% and it
has tripled hotel capacity in Cuba.
In addition, Ferradaz highlighted tourism's contribution to the country's
total treasury, taking into account that the balance of payments was about
4.1 percent in 1990, while it surpassed 40 percent in the year 2000. During
the same period, the contribution of domestic producers of goods and
services to the sector increased from 12 to 61 percent, which President
Castro called very significant.Tourism has also led to the creation of
nearly 200,000 jobs.
*PANAMA THANKS CUBA FOR ASSISTANCE OF SPORTS SPECIALSITS
Havana, August 4 (RHC)--The President of the Panama's Olympic Committee,
Meliton Sanchez, describes the work of Cuban sports specialists in his
country as "remarkable." Sanchez said the assistance of Cuban trainers and
technicians is already bearing fruit, especially in baseball, where Cubans
Alfonso Urquiola and Rene Belloare are working with local athletes.
The Panamanian sports official added that Cuban technicians are respected
for their discipline and commitment to their work. He said dozens of Cuban
experts are working in a variety of sports in Panama, including baseball,
boxing, track and field, and judo. Sanchez noted that the regular exchange
of sports delegations is an excellent opportunity to boost sports and
improve bilateral relations.
Cuba and Panama will meet face-to-face on Sunday for the last ticket
available for the Gold Cup, organized by the Regional Soccer Confederation,
set for the United States in January.
*CUBA'S ANIER GARCIA LOOKS TO WIN WIN THE 110 METER HURDLES
Havana, August 4 (RHC)--Cuban hurdle runner Anier Garcia is confident that
he will make it over the course in less than 13 seconds to win the gold at
the Edmonton World Championship currently underway in Canada.
A gold medal winner in the Sydney Summer Games with a time of 13 seconds
flat, the Cuban athlete admitted that his U.S. rival Allen Johnson is doing
very well this year, with 13.15 seconds, and said that the race should be
faster this time.
The 25-year-old Cuban athlete noted that his victory in Australia changed
his life because people recognize him and express their admiration and
support. Garcia would like to break the world record currently held by the
British Collin Jackson, 12.91 seconds, established in the Stuttgart 1993
World Championship.
The Cuban hurdle runner says his dream is to be head coach in the future and
to train youngsters who look up to him as a role model.
*20,000 RALLY FOR RELEASE OF FIVE CUBANS HELD IN MIAMI
Havana, August 4 (RHC)--Cuban Defense Minister Raul Castro presided over
Saturday's Open Tribune meeting, held in Abreus Municipality in Cienfuegos
Province. More than 20,000 local residents turned out to call for the return
to Cuba of the five Cubans imprisoned in Florida for collecting information
on terrorist activities planned against the island.
The rally was the first mass demonstration held since July 26th, where more
than 1.2 million Cubans marched in front of the U.S. Interests Section in
Havana to demand the release of the five men.
Commanders of the Revolution Juan Almeida, Ramiro Vald�s and Guillermo
Garc�a were on hand for the Open Tribune in Abreus Municipality. In the wake
of the death of six Cubans at sea this week, participants also demanded an
end to the 1966 Cuba Adjustment Act which promotes illegal and dangerous
trips by undocumented Cubans hoping to get permanent residence in the United
States, The demonstrators called for an end to the U.S blockade against the
island.
*PALESTINE AUTHORITY WARNS OF WAR, CALLS AGAIN FOR INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS
Gaza, August 4 (RHC)--The Palestine National Authority has warned that the
escalating violence in the Middle East could lead to war and has renewed its
call for international observers to monitor the volatile situation in Gaza
and the West Bank.
Meanwhile, an Israeli military intelligence report downplayed the dangers
and accused the Palestinian president, Yasser Arafat and Syrian president,
Bashar Asad, of not wanting to end the conflict.
In its weekly meeting, the Palestinian Council of Ministers examined the
violence and in particular the Israeli policy of selective killings: 56 have
occurred since the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada which began last
September.
The latest was the killing of Jamal Mansour, leader of the Islamic
Resistance Movement, or Hamas, in the West Bank. Two children and five other
Hamas members also died in the attack.
These "elimination" operations have sparked so much anger among Palestinians
that the Palestinian police fear the Intifada will spiral out of control.
Palestinian law enforcement is attempting to stem the growing influence of
the Islamic Hamas and Jihad groups and have been cracking down on
Palestinians who collaborate with Israeli security forces in their selective
killings.
"If the international community doesn't pressure Tel Aviv into accepting an
observer force in the Palestinian territories, they run the risk of a
destructive war," says an official Palestinian document on the subject.
*ISRAELI TROOPS DESTROY PALESTINIAN POLICE STATION IN GAZA
Tel Aviv, August 4 (RHC--Israeli tanks and bulldozers leveled a Palestinian
police station in the Gaza Strip on Saturday. Palestinian security forces
exchanged gunfire with Israeli solders and paramilitaries during the
operation. According to an Israeli spokesperson, razing the police station
was in retaliation for a mortar attack on a Jewish settlement which injured
two people. In other violence on Saturday, Israeli troops critically wounded
a five-year-old child and his grandfather in the West Bank district of
Tulkarem.
The leader of the Palestinian Fatah organization in the West Bank, Marwan
Barghouthi, also narrowly escaped injury today from an Israeli helicopter
rocket attack aimed at his car. Israeli military radio acknowledged the
attack but said they had been targeting Mohammad Abu Halawa, a Palestinian
activist Tel Aviv claims has killed eight Israelis.
Witnesses said that a first missile fired from the helicopter missed the
Fatah leader's car, which was parked outside the office of Palestine
National Authority president, Yasser Arafat. A second missile hit its
target, pulverizing the car. Marwan, who was inside the office at the time,
is considered by Tel Aviv to be the principal organizer of the Intifada in
the West Bank.
*PERUVIAN INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS MORE DETAILS ON CIA AND MONTESINOS
Lima, August 4 (RHC)--The US Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA, paid the
Peruvian secret service run by former strongman Vladimiro Montesinos $1
million a year over ten years, allegedly to fight drug-trafficking -- dspite
of evidence that Montesinos was involved in the business himself.
Montesinos -- currently under lock and key in Peru while Lima investigates
his intricate web of corruption, drug and gun running, abuse of power and
murder -- has begun divulging his contacts with the CIA. Charges being
prepared against Montesinos by Peruvian prosecutors include his of sale of
arms to drug-traffickers in Colombia.
According to declassified documents, the CIA was warned by Peruvian army
sources as far back as 1991 that Montesinos was doing his best to frustrate
regional efforts at drug interdiction. Another declassified document from
the US Drug Enforcement Agency indicates that in 1996 US authorities were
aware that Montesinos and the chairman of Peru's joint chiefs of staff, Gen.
Nicol�s Hermoza R�os (also now in jail), were taking protection money from
drug traffickers. However, the warnings were ignored and the CIA continued
funding the Peruvian National Intelligence Service chief.
Unless he is helped in his defense by US government sources, Montesinos has
threatened to expose more than just this CIA contact. When he was forced to
flee the country before an international hunt netted him, Montesinos' video
cache was found -- hundreds of videotapes that could incriminate dozens of
Peruvian politicians. Some of these tapes have already led to arrests, but
Fujimori's former right-hand man says he has much more information stored in
his head. Montesinos says two CIA officers can vouch that he had nothing to
do with the purported gun and drug-running.
Peruvian investigators are also following an international paper trail that
has led them to uncover almost $300 million stored by Montesinos in secret
bank accounts around the world. They suspect much of it is re-routed CIA
money.
The case is so big that it rocked the very foundations of Peru's political
system. It led to the flight and forced resignation of President Alberto
Fujimori, and the setting up of an anti-corruption court overseen by six
judges. Montesinos has 57 cases against him coupled with 168 criminal
investigations. According to CIA and US State Department records, he was
cultivated by the CIA as far back as 1974.
(c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved.
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