He's dead, Vlad.
Posted on 08/14/2006 1:54:26 AM PDT by familyop
MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday congratulated Cuban leader Fidel Castro on his 80th birthday, praising him as one of the world's most outstanding politicians, the Kremlin said.
The Russian president also wished Castro, who was forced to step aside as president two weeks ago because of illness, a speedy recovery.
"You are well known in Russia as one of the most authoritative and outstanding political leaders today,'' Putin said in a telegram.
He added that Russia and Communist Cuba would continue to be "active partners, with the aim of developing ties in various spheres in the interests of both our peoples and ensuring peace and stability.''
Russia in recent years has sought to revive relations with its Soviet-era ally. In 2000, Putin became the first post-Soviet Russian leader to visit Cuba.
Moscow has also forged ties with other countries viewed as hostile in Washington, including Iran and Venezuela, which has signed multi-billion-dollar deals to buy Russian fighter jets, military helicopters and Kalashnikov assault rifles.
Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who shares the anti-U.S. views of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and Castro, also sent a congratulatory message to the Cuban president.
Lukashenko, dubbed "Europe's last dictator'' in Washington, has been in power in his tightly-controlled former Soviet nation since 1994. He had warm words for Castro's efforts to resist "diktat'' in world affairs - a thinly-veiled dig at alleged U.S. hegemony - saying that Belarus shared the same goal.-AP
Castro actually turned 79 not 80.
He was born 1927, but his father bribed with 100 pesos in 1941 to get his age changed so he could attend a higher school.
Castro never corrected the change because later 26 was an important "revolutionary" number.
No, he's dead.
Pictures of him holding a recent newspaper article but no video?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060813/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cuba_castro_17
Him being alive is about as likely as their copy of photoshop being legit.
What'd Vlad do, hold a seance?
Putin- Hezbollah - two ends of the same horse.
well isn't that special.
Yea, I heard they volunteered a FULL day.
Bird of a feather...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.