Biggles of 266
1st Level Red Feather
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2001
- Messages
- 1,126
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In reference to something Biscuit said in another thread, this is for discussing the possible evil intentions of that world power, Cuba.
From www.TerrorismAnswers.com
Does Cuba support terrorism?
The U.S. government says yes, but many experts are skeptical. The State Department placed Cuba on its list of states that sponsor terrorism in 1982, citing Fidel Castro's training and arming of communist rebels in Africa and Latin America. But intelligence experts have been hard pressed to find evidence that Cuba currently provides weapons or military training to terrorist groups. In 1998, a comprehensive review by the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Cuba does not pose a threat to U.S. national security, which implies that Cuba no longer sponsors terrorism.
Why does the United States list Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism?
U.S. government sources offer three reasons:
Cuba is providing safe haven to eight Americans who face criminal charges in the United States. The United States and Cuba have let their pre-1959 extradition treaty lapse, and recent U.S. ideas about updating the treaty have been scuttled by pressure from anti-Castro Cuban-American members of Congress.
Since the late 1980s, Cuba has given sanctuary to up to 20 members of the Basque terrorist group ETA under an arrangement between former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez and Cuban President Fidel Castro. The current Spanish government has not asked to have them extradited.
The State Department says that Colombia's two leftist rebel groups—the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), both of which regularly carry out acts of terrorism—maintain a “permanent presence” in Cuba. But experts agree that the Castro government ceased arming or training the former group in 1991 and never gave military support to the latter. The Colombian government, the United Nations, and the European Union all say that Cuba has played a useful role in advancing peace talks with the rebels. Moreover, both rebel groups also have offices in many other Latin American capitals and in many European capitals.
Does Cuba have weapons of mass destruction?
In May 2002, Undersecretary of State John Bolton accused Cuba of having a limited biological weapons program and selling dual-use biotechnology to rogue states. Bolton did not name the states in question but noted that Cuba visited Iran, Libya, and Syria last year. But some experts doubt that Cuba’s sophisticated pharmaceutical industry has been turned to biowarfare.
Does Cuba have ties to states that sponsor terrorism?
Yes, but we don’t know how closely they cooperate. In 2001, Castro visited Iran, Libya, and Syria, but other than a commitment to ongoing trade and plans for some public health exchanges, which were announced during Castro’s visits, we know very little about these countries’ dealings with Cuban intelligence or other ties. Cuba also has diplomatic ties with North Korea and nominal ties with Iraq. During his visit to Iran, Castro said, “Iran and Cuba, in cooperation with each other, can bring America to its knees.”
How did Cuba react to the September 11 attacks?
Within hours of the attacks, Cuba offered medical assistance to the victims and opened Cuban airports to U.S. commercial planes diverted because of the crisis. That night, Castro condemned terrorism on national television. In subsequent weeks, the Cuban government signed all 12 U.N.-sanctioned international anti-terrorism treaties.
At the same time, Cuban officials also used the opportunity to repeatedly complain about Cuba's own experience as a victim of what it calls “U.S.-sponsored terrorism,” including attacks by U.S.-backed anti-Castro groups. The complaints went over poorly in Washington, where they were viewed as evidence of Cuba's waffling commitment to fighting terrorism.
Has Cuba been in contact with U.S. intelligence since September 11?
Yes. Notwithstanding Cuba's presence on the terrorist list, experts say that U.S. and Cuban officials have held low-level talks aimed at getting Cuban help in collecting intelligence and identifying fugitives from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network. But these discussions have reportedly yielded few results, and counterterrorism experts say communist Cuba knows little about the Islamist groups behind the September 11 attacks.
How did Cuba react to the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan?
Cuban rhetoric became more hostile after the U.S. bombing in Afghanistan began, although it continued to condemn terrorism. “It would seem that this war has targeted children, the civilian population and the International Red Cross hospitals and facilities as enemies,” Cuba's foreign minister said in a November 2001 speech at the United Nations.
I found another website, but it's way too long to copy here. Try here.
Any thoughts on anything above?
Biggles
From www.TerrorismAnswers.com
Does Cuba support terrorism?
The U.S. government says yes, but many experts are skeptical. The State Department placed Cuba on its list of states that sponsor terrorism in 1982, citing Fidel Castro's training and arming of communist rebels in Africa and Latin America. But intelligence experts have been hard pressed to find evidence that Cuba currently provides weapons or military training to terrorist groups. In 1998, a comprehensive review by the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Cuba does not pose a threat to U.S. national security, which implies that Cuba no longer sponsors terrorism.
Why does the United States list Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism?
U.S. government sources offer three reasons:
Cuba is providing safe haven to eight Americans who face criminal charges in the United States. The United States and Cuba have let their pre-1959 extradition treaty lapse, and recent U.S. ideas about updating the treaty have been scuttled by pressure from anti-Castro Cuban-American members of Congress.
Since the late 1980s, Cuba has given sanctuary to up to 20 members of the Basque terrorist group ETA under an arrangement between former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez and Cuban President Fidel Castro. The current Spanish government has not asked to have them extradited.
The State Department says that Colombia's two leftist rebel groups—the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), both of which regularly carry out acts of terrorism—maintain a “permanent presence” in Cuba. But experts agree that the Castro government ceased arming or training the former group in 1991 and never gave military support to the latter. The Colombian government, the United Nations, and the European Union all say that Cuba has played a useful role in advancing peace talks with the rebels. Moreover, both rebel groups also have offices in many other Latin American capitals and in many European capitals.
Does Cuba have weapons of mass destruction?
In May 2002, Undersecretary of State John Bolton accused Cuba of having a limited biological weapons program and selling dual-use biotechnology to rogue states. Bolton did not name the states in question but noted that Cuba visited Iran, Libya, and Syria last year. But some experts doubt that Cuba’s sophisticated pharmaceutical industry has been turned to biowarfare.
Does Cuba have ties to states that sponsor terrorism?
Yes, but we don’t know how closely they cooperate. In 2001, Castro visited Iran, Libya, and Syria, but other than a commitment to ongoing trade and plans for some public health exchanges, which were announced during Castro’s visits, we know very little about these countries’ dealings with Cuban intelligence or other ties. Cuba also has diplomatic ties with North Korea and nominal ties with Iraq. During his visit to Iran, Castro said, “Iran and Cuba, in cooperation with each other, can bring America to its knees.”
How did Cuba react to the September 11 attacks?
Within hours of the attacks, Cuba offered medical assistance to the victims and opened Cuban airports to U.S. commercial planes diverted because of the crisis. That night, Castro condemned terrorism on national television. In subsequent weeks, the Cuban government signed all 12 U.N.-sanctioned international anti-terrorism treaties.
At the same time, Cuban officials also used the opportunity to repeatedly complain about Cuba's own experience as a victim of what it calls “U.S.-sponsored terrorism,” including attacks by U.S.-backed anti-Castro groups. The complaints went over poorly in Washington, where they were viewed as evidence of Cuba's waffling commitment to fighting terrorism.
Has Cuba been in contact with U.S. intelligence since September 11?
Yes. Notwithstanding Cuba's presence on the terrorist list, experts say that U.S. and Cuban officials have held low-level talks aimed at getting Cuban help in collecting intelligence and identifying fugitives from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network. But these discussions have reportedly yielded few results, and counterterrorism experts say communist Cuba knows little about the Islamist groups behind the September 11 attacks.
How did Cuba react to the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan?
Cuban rhetoric became more hostile after the U.S. bombing in Afghanistan began, although it continued to condemn terrorism. “It would seem that this war has targeted children, the civilian population and the International Red Cross hospitals and facilities as enemies,” Cuba's foreign minister said in a November 2001 speech at the United Nations.
I found another website, but it's way too long to copy here. Try here.
Any thoughts on anything above?
Biggles
