Iran and Castro: October surprises

The Washington Times ^ | January 27, 2004 | Constantine C. Menges

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The clerical dictatorship in Iran wants the defeat of President Bush because his commitment to political democracy in Afghanistan, Iraq and his endorsement of freedom for the people of Iran threatens a regime that knows it is deeply unpopular. Mr. Castro also wants to see Bush defeated because his determination to help democratic allies could threaten the emerging pro-Castro axis in Latin America. Both dictatorships have plans that could result in visible and sharp foreign policy setbacks that might cost President Bush the 2004 election.

[nopardons]

They make my teeth ache, but it's the same principle. :-)

[blackbart.223]

"Or maybe I am having a heart attack."

Don't do that just yet. It would screw up some interesting debate.

[gatorbait]

No, USEFUL IDIOTS, more like.

What's useful about them? :-)

[HitmanLV]

Looking forward to casinos in Havana once again, the intoxicating beat of the cuban music, and those strong cigars, once again!

[nopardons]

The Dems want us divided and they are doing everything they can to dishearten us and/olr get us to NOT vote for P:resident Bush.Ergo....they are " useful " FOR the Dems.

[onyx]

WOW Luis. Right On! Post your Q & A often. Maybe, just maybe, some people might get the message.


We need a proper graphic --- to showcase your brilliance.

[gatorbait]

Oh I know, just the fact they are ballast, in reality ....

[gatorbait]

I forgot, they do make great Garden gnomes..

[nopardons]

See? you keep forgetting. LOL

BTW....have you seen the garden gnome commercial for TRAVELOCITY ? I usually shut commercials off immediately, but this one is adorable. :-)

[gatorbait]

Yeah.. makes one think of....

[nopardons]

It certainly does. LOL

[Luis Gonzalez]

**PING**

[Patriot_from_CA]

Me too....Castro sure knows how to ruin a great party. I think I'll mix up a Cubalibre right now.

[kingu]

Cuba isn't worth the trouble until Castro is dead, which might not be so far distant in the future. Venezuela, though, is and continues to be the much bigger threat. Just like Iraq, you have a general population that is being highly suppressed, and unfortunately, just like Iraq you have a country that produces oil.

Personally, I think the White House is giving the wrong attitude toward him. Each time someone leaks a 'big threat' statement, it boosts this guy's ego and he does more. Chavez is a joke, rules like an idiot, and should be laughed at during every opportunity.

He's giving money to a politician in Bolivia? A hearty laugh and a statement: Intriguing, it must be a backup plan for when the people of his country get tired of stealing food because they are starving and oust the man. He embodies the true spirit of those who would be dictator but don't have the guts to do it right; someone who must buy every friend he has. We around here pitty him, and have hope that the people will rise up and put in a real leader who will not steal their nation's treasures to inflate their ego.

Alas, mocking him seems to be the last choice of the State Department or anywhere in the executive branch, and I think that is a desperate mistake.

[Pro-Bush]

BUMP! Excellent article.

Castro accuses Bush of plotting with Cuban American exiles to kill him

[Patriot_from_CA]

Yep...both Castro and Chavez have made hundreds of mortal enemies. I don't think Lloyd's will sell them life insurance at any price.

[carl in alaska]

Let's just say Lloyds will only sell them a strictly limited amount of life insurance at an exceptionally high price.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

[I wouldn't put it past Castro/Chavez to cook-up an assassination (the old man has one and a half feet in the grave and would consider it going out with guns blazing) and spin his "assassination" 'till the cows come home to tork this hemisphere further toward communism. After all isn't GW a preemptive strike kinda guy? I can see the headlines now. Too conspiratorial? Maybe.]

Castro accuses Bush of plotting to assassinate him HAVANA (AFP) - Cuban leader Fidel Castro accused US President George W. Bush of ordering his assassination and vowed to "go down fighting" if there was a US invasion.

In a five hour speech, Cuba's 77-year-old communist president shot down rumours about his health and heightened his attacks on the "belligerent behavior" of the United States and its leader.

"We knew that Mr. Bush had made a commitment with the mafia of the Cuban-American Foundation to kill me. I accuse him of this," Castro told some 1,000 representatives from 32 nations attending a conference in Havana against the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas.

"This dead man can still talk. This dead man can make plans. This dead man ... is not dead yet," Castro said Friday.

Castro has been at the centre of rumours about his health since the mayor of Bogota, Luis Eduardo Garzon, said after a recent visit to Cuba that he had found Castro "very sick" and "physically limited".

Castro said that Bush had conspired with the anti-communist Cuban-American community in Florida to kill him.

Tensions have been rising again between the United States and Cuba in recent month with Bush entering into a re-election campaign and Castro cracking down on the pro-democracy opposition in the island he has ruled for 45 years.

Castro said that Cuba does not want "a war (against) Yankee imperialism" but he insisted that the communist "will not budge at all from our principles."

The Cuban leader was given thunderous applause when he said: "I am not asking to survive a war. I've already done my part and I still have to do what I have to do. With weapons in hand, I don't care how I die, but I'm confident that if they invade us, I will go down fighting."

He went on "These idiots had better not believe we're wasting our time, because we really work at our job. This country will never give up. It will never lay down its weapons."

Castro spent much of his improvised address discussing the history of North and South America and the world, criticizing "neo-liberal capitalism" and globalization.

But he also spent 45 minutes reading news agency reports of what he called "hostile" statements by senior US officials.

Bush has set up a special government commission to monitor events in Cuba and at a recent summit of the Americas in Mexico called on other leaders to work for a speedy and peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba.

The US administration has also sought to increase pressure on Latin American nations which it considers have been too friendly with Castro.

Roger Noriega, the US under secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, recently accused Cuba of "actions to destabilize Latin America (that) are increasingly provocative to the inter-American community."

He has said that the United States will quickly send aid to Cuba after Castro's death. "Castro will not live forever and there will be democratic change and a democratic government in Cuba," Noriega said. "The stakes are very high for us."

Cuba has in turn stepped up island-wide preparations for any kind of attack from the United States.

The 130,000 committees of the defence of the revolution and other local organisations have been told to "step up revolutionary vigilance".

The Cuban parliament, highlighting what it called the "increasing aggressiveness of the United States" has ordered an increase in defence spending, which had been cut in recent years. [End]

[kingu]

The Cuban parliament, highlighting what it called the "increasing aggressiveness of the United States" has ordered an increase in defence spending, which had been cut in recent years.

Defense spending, the downfall of more communists than anything else. Buy more, buy more, the Yankees are coming. Spend more on defense so that when your economy completely collapses you can ask the US for a loan.

[carl in alaska]

Castro said that Cuba does not want "a war (against) Yankee imperialism" but he insisted that the communist "will not budge at all from our principles."

Well Fidel, you better not send any of your bio weapons into America or you're going to get a very short war with us Yankees that ends with your demise falling into the catagory of "collateral damage." (Heck, one of our JDAMs strayed a little off course into his palace....must have been caused by a Soviet-made GPS jammer.)