Re: [microsound] [OT] arafat

[© <chris@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> it is really sad that i was more moved by arafat's speech and cuba's
> offer of medical aid than our own bush's robotic emotionaless puppet
> visage last night. (and several friends have said the same thing as
> well)
> 
> also this morning i saw images on the internet of palestinian's
> waiting in line to give blood and arafat giving blood.
> which was quite moving.


I have had a difficult time finding links to this article.. so I though it
would be good to post it here:


Cuba's Castro urges U.S. to "keep calm"
By Andrew Cawthorne

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Fidel Castro, a
longtime political foe of the United States, has
warned of "dangerous days" ahead for the world and
urged U.S. policy-makers to keep calm following deadly
attacks in Washington and New York.

The controversial communist leader also said
Washington's own past use of "terrorism" against other
countries was partially to blame for the three crashes
of hijacked planes against New York's landmark World
Trade Centre and the Pentagon outside Washington.

The attacks killed thousands of people.

"In part, these tragedies are a consequence of having
applied terrorist methods - against Cuba for many
years, and in the case of other countries --because
they have spread the idea of terrorism," Castro said
in an evening speech.

Cuba, which is on the U.S. list of states allegedly
sponsoring terrorism, in turn accuses Washington of a
four-decade-old policy of "terrorism" and "genocide"
against Havana through an economic embargo and support
for acts of violence.

Castro, who spoke at the inauguration of a school,
said Tuesday's events had thrown the world into
uncertainty, and urged restraint from the United
States. "It's very important to know what the U.S.
government's reaction will be. There are possibly
dangerous days ahead for the world," he said.

"If on one occasion it is permissible to make a
suggestion to the enemy... we would urge the leaders
of the imperial power to be calm, act with equanimity,
and not be dragged by moments of anger or hatred ...
into wanting to hunt people, tossing bombs all over
the place."

Rather, Castro said, the United States and the world
should seek to tackle the roots of terrorism like
unresolved international conflicts and an unjust
socio-economic order.

"SEARCH FOR PEACE"

"Search for peace everywhere to protect all peoples
against this plague of terrorism," Castro said,
drawing an ovation from his audience of several
thousand. "None of the world's problems, including
terrorism, can be resolved by force."

Earlier, Havana expressed its "solidarity" and "pain"
after the attacks, and offered air and medical
facilities to help.

"We deeply regret the loss of human life, and our
position is of total rejection of this sort of
terrorist attack," Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez
Roque told reporters.

Cuba, which lies 90 miles (140 km) south of Florida,
offered to receive aircraft blocked from entering the
United States because of the closure of airports
there.

An official government statement added Havana's offer
to cooperate with medical aid to the United States.
Castro said that could range from sending blood to
medical personnel as needed.

"The Cuban government heard news of the attacks with
pain and sadness," the communique said. "At this
bitter time, our people express solidarity with the
U.S. people and express total willingness to
cooperate, as far as our modest possibilities allow."

But in a reminder of Cuba's hostile relationship with
its northern neighbour, Perez said the islanders could
sympathise with victims of Tuesday's attacks because
"Our people have suffered four decades of terrorism,
and we know very well the consequences of this sort of
act."

Pre-empting possible speculation -- which has not
emerged -- that Havana might have had a hand in
Tuesday's events, Perez said: "About any idea of Cuban
involvement, I don't think that's even worth referring
to. No one could be thinking such a barbarous thing."

Castro, in his nearly two-hour speech, noted the
"efficiency, organisation and synchronisation" of
Tuesday's attacks, and suggested it was not
necessarily the work of a big group. "Nobody knows the
damage small groups of 20, 25 or 30 people - fanatics
or people committed to certain ideas - can do," he
said.

A leading Cuban dissident also sent condolences in an
open letter to Bush, and Cuban musicians in Los
Angeles for Tuesday night's cancelled Latin Grammy
awards announced they were also cancelling a concert
scheduled for Wednesday.