US Designates Cuba State Sponsor of Terrorism

[Judi Lynn]

US Designates Cuba State Sponsor of Terrorism
VOA News
30 Apr 2004, 11:24 UTC


The United States has praised efforts by countries across Latin America to fight terrorism in 2003, but again designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism.

The U.S. State Department, in its annual report on terrorism, says Cuba continued to provide support to U.S.-designated foreign terrorist groups. The report, released Thursday, says Cuba also acted as host to several terrorists, including members of the Basque separatist group ETA.

The United States also named Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism in 2002.

This year's report also criticized Venezuela's efforts in the global war on terror - saying its cooperation was inconsistent. The report said President Hugo Chavez's "stated ideological affinity" with Colombian groups designated by Washington as terrorist organizations limits Venezuelan cooperation with Colombia in fighting terrorism.
(snip/...)

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=3D3EA510-9D46-4B6D-9993FBAE6A24457F

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Bush Mentions Plan for a Free Cuba at Florida Fundraiser

April 29, 2004

Don Donelson

CORAL GABLES, Fla.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - President Bush addressed a small crowd of supporters at a fund-raiser in Coral Gables, Fla., last Friday. The cost for admission started at $2,000; some patrons may have paid up to $25,000 to attend the 30-minute speech.
(snip)

He declared the fight for freedom shouldn't be isolated to the Middle East; it should also focus on our own back yard. Bush outlined his future policy on Cuba with two words, "Cuba Libre" , drawing raucous applause and chants of "Viva Bush" from the crowd.

"George W. Bush has been a consistent defender of the principles of liberty, freedom and respect for human rights in both Cuba and Haiti," U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen told The Hurricane. "His opponent has been all over the board on this issue and has established that he can not be trusted to do what is right for the Cuban and Haitian people."

Bush ended his speech amidst cheers from the solely Republican crowd. Outside the fund-raiser, small groups of protestors were demonstrating and confronted Bush supporters as they exited the event. No major incidents were reported.
(snip)

http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=15925

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Cuba Breaks Own Record for Simultaneous Chess Matches
VOA News
30 Apr 2004, 11:29 UTC


Officials in Cuba say 13,000 chess players, including former world champion Anatoly Karpov, have broken Cuba's own world record for most people playing chess at the same time.

Chess players played their matches Thursday in a large square in central Cuban town of Santa Clara, at the foot of the tomb of Latin revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Organizers say Mr. Guevara was also an avid chess fan.

Mr. Karpov contributed to the record by playing several opponents simultaneously during Thursday's event.

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Cuba set the previous record for group chess when 11,320 people gathered in Havana in December of 2002. Cuban leader Fidel Castro took part in that event. Event organizers say Mr. Castro did not participate in Thursday's record-breaking effort.
(snip/)

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=3740503A-D83A-4E6B-BEC389349A0E6B19



Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

[BayCityProgressive]

1. Screw Bush

Venezuela and Cuba have done nothing wrong.

[Ekova]

2. So the Whitehouse is using the land of

a state sponsor of terrorism to house so called enemy combatants... Or does that land in Cuba actually belong to the U.S.? Maybe it belongs to God? Perhaps it belongs to Zarniwoop?

'Do you rule the Universe?' said Zaphod.
The man smiled at him.
'I try not to,' he said. 'Are you wet?'
Zaphod looked at him with astonishment.
'Wet?' he cried. 'Doesn't it look as if we're wet?'
'Thats how it looks to me,' said the man, 'but how you feel about it might be an altogether different matter.'

I've never seen a collection of people in such desperate need of some introspection.

[donsu]

3. yeah, Cuba sends out their medical people to help others

and takes in people in need of medical help (Russian kids for example)


those Cubans are really bad terrorists

[Judi Lynn]

7. I just read about that the other day: Chernobyl victems

Found this item in a quick grab from google:

A unique ongoing project is a treatment and rehabilitation community just outside of Havana for the victims, especially children, of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. This self-contained "town" provides medical care, but also offers therapy and numerous programs to assist the victims in their overall recovery, and to help them to ultimately be reintegrated into the larger society. Not surprisingly, many of the victims and their families have opted to stay in Cuba, rather than return to the Ukraine, where they have faced ridicule and discrimination. Some have become Cuban citizens.

http://www.blythe.org/snapshots/

[Minstrel Boy]

4. Bush's America is the world's greatest terrorist.

Fuck him, and Viva Castro.

[Just Me]

6. I was gonna say: "World designates USA as most dangerous terrorist"

Oh,...well,...I just said it, anyway!

:bounce:

[Judi Lynn]

8. Never have seen the photos of Trudeau and wife and kid visiting Cuba

nor that intense one of Fidel Castro attending Trudeau's funeral in Canada.

I have heard that they were good friends during the years after they met.

Thanks a lot for a chance to see these shots. They're great.

[Minstrel Boy]

9. Then you'll like this page:

A collection of photos of Trudeau visiting Castro over the years:

http://www.nscuba.org/Trudeau/photos.html

Though I never voted for him, nobody's cooler than Trudeau.

[Judi Lynn]

11. My God, what a treasury! Holy smokes!

I've only seen a few before making sure I've got them saved.

I'm going to share this link with the guys I met at the old CNN Cuba-US Relations message board. They are going to silently scream!

I have NEVER seen even one of Trudeau's trip to Cuba, have only read his son's remarks made about those times. Wow.

Thanks a TON!

[Minstrel Boy]

12. You're welcome! Somewhere I have old copies of

Granma kicking around, documenting Trudeau's first visit, sent to me by Radio Havana. (I was a funny kind of 14-year old.)

Here's Castro's official remarks, on his visit for Trudeau's funeral:

I have come from Cuba at this time of profound sadness for the Canadian people to pay my respects to the unforgettable memory of Pierre Trudeau, a world-class statesman for whom I had personal bonds of friendship born of feelings of sincere admiration.

I always considered him to be a serious political leader, with real concerns for the problems of the world and of the Third World, a rational politician who made a transcendent contribution to modern Canadian history, a righteous and courageous man who encouraged, in difficult circumstances, relations between his country and Cuba.

I had the privilege of having had with him long and numerous exchanges about ideas and points of view. Though we didn't always share the same point of view, our exchanges were, however, invariably respectful.

I share in these moments of pain and sadness for Pierre Trudeau's family and for all Canadians. I also cannot forget that two years ago, this family had to deal with a terrible tragedy in the death of Michel Trudeau. I knew him when he was very young, as his father brought him to Cuba when he was barely four months old and I held him more than once in my arms. I have brought with me some photographs of these unforgettable days to give to the Trudeau family.

I wanted to come personally to show the respect, friendship and sympathy I feel for the people of Canada, which is one of the few developed countries in the Western world to not have practised colonial exploitation and with which we have shared years of fruitful economic and cultural exchanges.

The people and the Cuban government express their deepest condolences to the family of Pierre Trudeau, to the people of Canada and to its government.
http://www.nscuba.org/Trudeau/Fidel.html

[Judi Lynn]

13. Touche, and so elegantly done!

~ ~ ~ I wanted to come personally to show the respect, friendship and sympathy I feel for the people of Canada, which is one of the few developed countries in the Western world to not have practised colonial exploitation and with which we have shared years of fruitful economic and cultural exchanges. ~ ~ ~

Seems like a great friendship, with real respect on both sides. Trudeau was definitely an enlightened leader.

[denverbill]

5. What a farce. The anti-Castro terrorists in Miami are a bigger problem.

Daddy Bush pardoned Orlando Bosch however, even though he blew up a Cuban civilian airliner.

I guess bombing civilian airplanes isn't terrorism if those killed aren't Americans.

[Judi Lynn]

10. You're so right.

What kind of country could call itself civilized when its President pardons a mass-murderer (73 people in the La Cubana airliner killed in flight, including Guyanese students and the entire Cuban Olympic fencing team) like Orlando Bosch, who had been refused entry into over 30 countries, and the Miami City Commissioners actually created a day named after him?

That's a little below the standards we claim to honor.