Seeing Red

'Together with the U.S. People We Feel Pain and Sadness'

Cuban daily, Granma, 12 September 2001

President Fidel Castro expressed the pain and sadness felt by Cubans alongside the U.S. people at the horrific scenes of this September 11, "a tragic day for the United States," he added.

Announcing the Cuban government's official statement in response to those incidents, he wholeheartedly rejected and condemned the attacks and offered condolences to the U.S. people for the loss of life occasioned, as well as affirming a spirit of cooperation insofar as possibilities allowed.

At the inauguration of the Salvador Allende Teacher Training College at Havana's Sports City coliseum, Fidel stated that the international community's general efforts are directed to bringing to an end a series of current conflicts and international terrorism, by creating a world awareness of terrorism.

Later in his address he noted that this unprecedented incident should serve to create an international front against terrorism, a problem that could be resolved in the first place by putting an end to state terrorism and genocide, and following a policy of peace and international cooperation. In part, this tragedy is a consequence of having applied terrorist methods in all territories.

"Search for peace worldwide in order to protect peoples from that plague of terrorism; national leaders are obliged to seek solutions to situations that are more and more overwhelming," Fidel added and cited, among other scourges, AIDS, hunger, disease, lack of medicines, the economic crisis and the ever-increasing power of the transnationals that governments are too weak to confront.

He emphasized that there has never been any hatred towards the United States in Cuba, "given that we feel totally free with a homeland and without masters." He observed that the island has had to endure more than 40 years of terrorism and gave some examples of incidents, ranging from aircraft hijackings to the more recent plating of incendiary devices in tourist installations, and how various cases were directly communicated to the U.S. government.

THE UNITED STATES HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ORGANIZED EXTREMIST GROUPS

Fidel talked of the ways in which Cuba has defended itself, as well as the aid it has received from its friends, and went on to point out that the United States has the largest number of organized extremist groups, hundreds of them armed, violent and inclined towards the use of force, which makes it the nation most vulnerable to terrorism.

He noted that when he arrived at the event there was no evidence to iicate who was responsible for the incident, as it could involve internal or external groups, but from the details available it is obvious that it was planned with great efficiency, organization and synchronization, committed by informed and trained persons, including pilots capable of flying aircraft to those towers and to the Pentagon, and that it did not necessarily have to be a large group.

The Cuban leader went on to remark that leads would have be sought as this incident has special characteristics, and for that reason, U.S. leaders' most important duty is to fight against terrorism.

He noted that no country in the world, whatever its size, can avoid damaging actions of that type, they are executed by fanatics who have no fear of death, and no global, technological or military power can guarantee its immunity against such incidents.

Fidel warned that it is important to have information on the U.S. government's reaction; potentially dangerous days for the world lie ahead-not for Cuba, the most peaceful country-he noted, ratifying our total absence of fear, that nothing perturbs us, nothing intimidates us and that the Cuba of today is not just any country: "we have a very large moral position and a very solid political position in the world," he noted.

However, he reiterated that there would be tense and risky situations depending on the reaction of the U.S. government.

The Cuban president affirmed that if he could say something on behalf of the U.S. people's well-being, he would suggest to the empire's leaders that they should stay calm, act with equanimity, and not allow themselves to be carried away by acts of rage or hatred, while reiterating that no problem in the world can be solved by force.

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