Subject: [CubaNews] NY Transfer's RHC Weekend Update-06 Oct 2001
Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit
Radio Havana Cuba - Weekend News Update - 06 October 2001
.
*A MILLION RALLY IN HAVANA TO COMMEMORATE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF CUBANA BOMBING
*VENEZUELA TO REQUEST EXTRADITION OF LUIS POSADA CARRILES
*RICARDO ALARCON ON THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
*VENEZUELANS PAY HOMAGE TO VICTIMS OF CUBANA PLANE SABOTAGE
*BARBADOS REAFFIRMS ITS SUPPORT FOR CUBA ON ANNIVERSRAY OF CUBANA DOWNING
*THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS MARCH IN MEMORY OF CHE GUEVARA
*FORMER JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER CONCLUDES VISIT TO CUBA
*UN SECURITY COUNCIL TIGHTENS SANCTIONS AGAINST UNITA
*BAGHDAD ACCUSES WASHINGTON AND LONDON OF STATE TERRORISM
*CHILDREN OF GULF WAR VETERANS SUFFER INCREASED BIRTH DEFECTS
*POLICE OFFICER IN ATLANTA FIRED FOR RACIST ANTI-ARAB SLURS
.
*A MILLION RALLY IN HAVANA TO COMMEMORATE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF CUBANA BOMBING
Havana, October 6 (RHC)--More than one million people rallied at Havana's
Plaza de la Revolucion this morning -- commemorating the 25th anniversary of
the terrorist sabotage bombing of a Cubana airliner. All 73 people on board
that flight were killed.
Among those in attendance at Saturday's massive rally were family members
and friends of those who lost their lives on this date in 1976. The special
Open Tribune included speeches and presentations by Cuban youth, many of
whom were not even born a quarter of a century ago.
One hour into the massive rally, Cuban President Fidel Castro took the
podium to deliver a prepared speech. Comparing the tragic events of last
September 11th in New York and Washington with the sabotage bombing of the
Cubana airliner 25 years ago, Fidel Castro noted that "there was no upheaval
around the world, no acute political crises, no United Nations meetings, nor
the imminent threat of war."
The Cuban leader stated that "perhaps few people in the world understood the
terrible significance of that event," given that hundreds of Cubans had
already been killed in terrorist attacks over the years, since the very
beginning of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.
During his speech Saturday at the Plaza de la Revolucion, Cuban President
Fidel Castro noted that "almost exactly 25 years later, a war with totally
unpredictable consequences would be on the verge of breaking out as a result
of an equally heinous terrorist attack, which claimed the lives of thousands
of innocent people in the United States."
The leader of the Cuban Revolution stated that the practice of hijacking
aircraft had its origins with former members of Batista's dictatorship. The
first incident took place just four months following the triumph of the
Revolution, in April 1959. He said that the perpetrators were never
punished, but instead, allowed to live freely in Miami. While noting that
Cuban authorities have taken strong measures against many who have hijacked
planes to the island, "since 1959, until today, U.S. authorities have not
sanctioned a single one of the hundreds of individuals who have hijacked and
diverted dozens of Cuban aircraft to that country, not even those have
committed murder in the course of the hijacking."
Cuban President Fidel Castro said that his speech today was notinspired in
hate and that he understood that American officials do not even want Cuba to
raise these embarrassing issues, saying that we should simply look ahead.
But he stressed that we must look back and learn from history, in order to
not repeat the errors of the past and to examine "the causes of major human
tragedies, wars and other calamities that perhaps could have been prevented.
There should not be innocent deaths anywhere in the world."
Fidel Castro emphasized that "this massive demonstration against terrorism
has been called to pay homage and tribute to the memory of our brothers and
sisters who died off the coasts of Barbados 25 years ago, and also to
express our solidarity with the thousands of innocent people who died in New
York and Washington."
The Cuban leader concluded his speech before more than one million people
gathered in Revolution Square this morning by saying that "Cuba has the full
moral authority and the right to demand the end of terrorism against Cuba.
Economic warfare, itself a genocidal and brutal act to which our people have
been subjected for more than 40 years, must also end."
*VENEZUELA TO REQUEST EXTRADITION OF LUIS POSADA CARRILES
Caracas, October 6 (RHC)--Venezuela has announced that it will request the
extradition of internationally-renowned terrorist Luis Posada Carriles from
Panama. Posada Carriles is being held in Panama on charges that he planned
an assassination attempt against Cuban President Fidel Castro last November.
The announcement was made in Caracas by Venezuelan Interior and Justice
Minister Luis Miquilena, speaking at an activity to pay tribute to the
victims of the 1976 sabotage bombing of a Cubana airliner. Miquilena stated
that the Venezuelan government's petition is now in the hands of the Supreme
Court of Justice, which will officially make the request to Panamanian
authorities within the next five days.
The Venezuelan government official expressed his hope that the request will
be granted, despite the pressures brought to bear on Panama by Washington.
Panama has already refused Cuba's extradition request, but Caracas had not
yet made a formal petition. Luis Posada Carriles escaped from a Venezuelan
prison in 1985 and had not completed his sentence. Judicial authorities have
stated that Posada Carriles will be tried for breaking Panamanian laws, but
legal experts point out that an alleged criminal can be extradited to
another country following court procedures in Panama.
*RICARDO ALARCON ON THE FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM
Havana, October 6 (RHC)--The best homage to the victims of terrorism
everywhere in the world is that the fight to eliminate it should not be
discriminatory, according to Cuban Parliament Ricardo Alarcon.
Addressing delegates to the 9th International Conference on European
Studies, which concluded four days of sessions in the Cuban capital on
Friday, Alarcon referred to the recent passage of legislation by the Cuban
Parliament condemning terrorism.
In a special session of the Cuban legislative body on Thursday, delegates
unanimously passed a resolution demanding an international struggle against
terrorism that is "sincere, consistent and free of double standards, racism,
hegemonic arrogance and fraudulent manipulation."
To adopt a consequent attitude, said the top Cuban legislator, is the only
effective way to eliminate all forms of terrorist acts, wherever they come
from.
The president of the Cuban parliament reaffirmed that 25 years after the
terrorist sabotage bombing of a Cubana airliner in mid-air -- which claimed
the lives of all 73 passengers on board -- Cuba still demands justice.
In reference to an eventual U.S.-led war against Afghanistan, in retaliation
for recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Alarcon stressed
that terrorism cannot be eliminated with violence and terrorist acts. He
noted that Cuba has repeatedly stated that to eliminate terrorism it is
necessary that the international community unanimously rejects and condemns
all forms of terrorism.
During the four days of sessions of the 9th International Conference on
European Studies, participants exchanged views on the current international
situation and also reviewed bilateral relations between Europe and Latin
America, particularly Cuba. The event was attended by some 100 Cuban and
foreign experts.
The president of the Cuban parliament thanked foreign delegates for their
participation in the conference, which he said is a further demonstration of
the need for a frank dialogue among nations, in light of a globalization
process that is deliberately seeking to erase economic, political and
cultural borders.
*VENEZUELANS PAY HOMAGE TO VICTIMS OF CUBANA PLANE SABOTAGE
Caracas, October 6 (RHC)--A ceremony was held on Friday in the Venezuelan
capital of Caracas to pay homage to the victims of the sabotage bombing of a
Cubana airliner in mid-air 25 years ago.
A delegation from Cuba invited to the activity included relatives of the
victims of the 1976 terrorist attack, which claimed the lives of the 73
passengers on board.
A special moment during the activity was the speech delivered by Odalys
Perez, daughter of Wilfredo Perez, pilot of the Cuban civilian airliner
blown up in flight by two Venezuelan mercenaries at the service of
well-known terrorist Luis Posada Carriles and other notorious Miami-based
terrorist groups.
Carlos Servando Garcia, from the Bolivariana Solidarity Association, one of
the organizers, highlighted Cuba's firm resistance to over four decades of
aggressions launched from the United States.
The thousands of solidarity activists who participated in the activity also
expressed their support for a statement issued by the Cuban Parliament on
the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack against the Cubana airliner.
*BARBADOS REAFFIRMS ITS SUPPORT FOR CUBA ON ANNIVERSRAY OF CUBANA DOWNING
Bridgetown, October 6 (RHC)--A joint statement issued by solidarity
organizations in Barbados expressed their solidarity with the cause of the
Cuban people on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist
sabotage bombing of a Cubana airliner, carried out within Barbadian
airspace.
In the document, the Barbadian Clement Payne Movement and the Barbados-Cuba
Friendship Association reaffirm their support for the Cuban people and their
Revolution, at the same time expressing their condolences to the relatives
of the 73 innocent people that were killed in the terrorist act.
The joint statement stresses that the abominable crime committed on October
6, 1976 is firmly fixed in the minds of the Barbadian people forever. The
statement reaffirms that today, 25 years later, the people of Barbados
strongly support the Cuban people in their demand for justice.
The document also recalls that the 1976 sabotage bombing was the first
terrorist attack ever against a commercial airliner in flight.
The joint communiqu� issued by solidarity organizations in Barbados
concludes by reaffirming that Barbados is firmly behind Cuba in its call to
create a world consciousness against terrorism as the only effective way to
eliminate it and reiterates the sympathies of the Barbadian people with the
families of the victims and in general with the entire Cuban people.
*THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS MARCH IN MEMORY OF CHE GUEVARA
Havana, October 6 (RHC)--Some 5000 students from Santa Clara University
will take part in an eight-kilometer march to commemorate the 34th
anniversary of the death of Ernesto Che Guevara.
The central city of Santa Clara is where Che carried out a major battle
against Batista's troops in December 1958. The resulting rout of government
forces was the turning point in the Revolution and led to victory of January
1, 1959.
A huge monument to Che and his comrades-in-arms, who died alongside him in
Bolivia, is central to Santa Clara's culture. Che Guevara was murdered 34
years ago by the Bolivian army, acting under the orders of the CIA.
His remains were discovered by a joint Cuban and Argentinean forensic team
in 1997 and returned to Santa Clara, where they were interred in a mausoleum
-- a memorial to one of the most famous revolutionary fighters in history.
*FORMER JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER CONCLUDES VISIT TO CUBA
Havana, October 6 (RHC)--Former Japanese Primer Minister Ryutaro Jashimoto
concluded a three-day visit to Cuba, aimed at strengthening bilateral links.
In his last full day on the island, the renowned politician from the ruling
Democratic Liberal Party, visited the world famous Varadero beach resort,
located in central Matanzas province and the Ernest Hemingway Museum in the
Cuban capital.
The former Japanese prime minister presided over the signing of three
bilateral cooperation projects between the two nations and met with various
high-ranking officials, including Cuban Parliament President Ricardo
Alarcon.
*UN SECURITY COUNCIL TIGHTENS SANCTIONS AGAINST UNITA
New York, October 6 (RHC)--The United Nations Security Council has adopted
tighter sanctions against UNITA forces in Angola. Following a meeting of
Security Council members Friday evening, the UN body issued a declaration
prohibiting travel by UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi or his family, as well as
prohibiting travel by other members of the terrorist group's leadership.
Media reports recall that the first sanctions against UNITA were passed by
the UN Security Council in August 1997 -- inscribed in Resolution 1127 --
which calls on member states of the United Nations to adopt measures
prohibiting Jonas Savimbi and other leaders of UNITA to travel to or through
their territories.
In other news from Luanda, this morning's edition of the newspaper Jornal do
Angola reports that Savimbi's current whereabouts are unknown. According to
Charles Wandalika, a former correspondent with a UNITA radio station and one
of Savimbi's sons, the head of the terrorist organization could be either in
the province of Bie, located in central Angola, or the southern provinces of
Cuando Cubango or Moxico.
*BAGHDAD ACCUSES WASHINGTON AND LONDON OF STATE TERRORISM
New York, October 6 (RHC)--The Iraqi Ambassador to the United Nations has
charged that his country is a victim of terrorist actions carried out by the
United States and Britain. Speaking before the UN General Assembly earlier
this week, Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri accused Washington and London of
practicing State terrorism -- referring to constant bombardments and attacks
against Iraq.
Baghdad's representative to the world body -- addressing a special session
of the UN General Assembly on terrorism -- affirmed that the United States
has been the principal promoter of sanctions imposed on Iraq over the past
decade. The Iraqi ambassador emphasized that more than one million 600,000
innocent men, women and children have died as a result of the unjust
sanctions imposed in 1991.
Iraq's ambassador to the United Nations noted that given the many victims of
terrorist acts against his country, the Iraqi people understand the pain and
suffering caused by the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on September 11th.
Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri stressed that Washington and London have
deliberately carried out acts of terror that have destroyed or damaged
nearly every area of the country's infrastructure -- including schools,
hospitals, factories, residential neighborhoods, streets, bridges,
electrical generating plants and oil refineries.
And the Iraqi ambassador to the UN concluded his remarks on Thursday,
calling for a clear definition of terrorism -- so that the word most used
throughout the world today will not be abused for purely political purposes.
*CHILDREN OF GULF WAR VETERANS SUFFER INCREASED BIRTH DEFECTS
New York, October 6 (RHC)--Children born to U.S. combat veterans of the
1991 Gulf War suffer birth defects two or three times higher than normal.
According to a study published by the magazine Journal of Epidemiology,
birth defects in children of Gulf War veterans were detected almost
immediately following the confrontation against Iraq.
The study, based on interviews with more than 21,000 soldiers who fought in
the conflict, reveals that various birth defects appeared in children born
to women whose partners returned from the Gulf War -- with double the normal
rate. It further shows that women veterans giving birth after they
themselves fought in the Gulf War were at least three times higher than
normal.
The new study, conducted by the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs and
physicians at John Hopkins University in Washington, points to an extremely
high rate of miscarriages among veterans from the Gulf War.
Returning from the Persian Gulf, more than 90,000 combatants have complained
of health problems -- including nausea, nervousness, dizziness, muscle pains
and fatigue.
Medical studies are still being conducted to determine the exact causes of
what has become known as "the Gulf War syndrome."
*POLICE OFFICER IN ATLANTA FIRED FOR RACIST ANTI-ARAB SLURS
Atlanta, October 6 (RHC)--A police officer in the U.S. city of Atlanta,
Georgia has lost his job after disseminating racist, anti-Arab messages by
electronic mail. According to news reports, shortly after the tragic events
of September 11th in New York and Washington, Officer Ray Sanford called for
the deaths of "millions of Arabs" and suggested -- in his words -- "the
total elimination of the Arab World."
The former Atlanta police officer's e-mail message also called for the
starvation deaths of the entire population of Afghanistan and bombing the
Mecca -- "so the Muslims will have to pray in front of a crater 40
kilometers wide."
Sanford reportedly sent the racist messages to a long list of e-mail
addresses, prompting Atlanta's police chief to ask for his resignation after
a number of recipients complained to the police department.
(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]
=================================================================
nytcari-10.07.01-01:56:29-13900
_________________________________________________
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] ____________
