|
|
|
 |
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
|
It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
|
Posted on 10/03/2003 3:09:41 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev came to the defense of Cuba on Thursday, saying it was a Third World nation that fell victim to confrontations between the two super powers during the Cold War.
"Now that we have ended the Cold War, it's time to lift the embargo," he said during a forum at the University of North Florida.
Gorbachev is also to meet with government officials in Miami late Saturday concerning U.S. trade sanctions that were imposed against the Communist nation more than 40 years ago.
"If you look at all the pluses and minuses, you will see that they are all the result of the unique situation, the difficult situation in which Cuba was caught," said Gorbachev. "Nevertheless, the Cubans are a healthy nation, an educated nation with good potential."
He also commented on the war in Iraq.
"I think that operation was a mistake," he said. "... I think the negative consequences of that operation have been numerous."
Gorbachev said no one wanted Iraq to have weapons of mass destruction, but said the United Nations Security Council was the place to resolve the problem.
"Now we are all back at the United Nations in the Security Council, even though that Security Council was so heavily criticized." he said.
"In fairness," he continued, "our political leaders make mistakes. Sometimes all of them make mistakes. ... I am not here to justify what others did."
He warned, though, against further unilateral action.
"If we act unilaterally, I think we could see a terrible mess, a brush fire -- a kind of global fire that could be extremely difficult to stop. ...
"Perhaps there are some people in the United States who would like to see the world divided. The United States on one side and the rest of the world on the other side. But I'm sure that's not what the American people want."
Gorbachev, who won the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize, led the Soviet Union from 1985 until its dissolution in 1991. His call for "glasnost," or openness, in the USSR in 1986 signaled the beginning of the end of the Cold War.
Gorbachev appeared in Jacksonville with former President Ronald Reagan's son, Michael, a nationally syndicated radio talk show host.
Hardly. It was Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars," and low oil prices, along with the Pope John Paul II, that brought down the USSR.Gorbachev was hoping to allow just enough social and economic freedom to keep the communist engine alive as he fought to compete with U.S. military might. But the Left always put the peace laurel on Gorbachev's head.
|
|
|
|
|
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
|
It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
|
As far as Whorebachev's analysis, the entire 3rd world and especially the Middle East is a victim of Soviet pot-stirring. Russia should be obligated to clean up the messes the Soviets left behind: environmental, financial, and political.
IFCO does not limit its activity to pro-Castro factions, though. Its management maintains relationships with extremist Islamist groups as well. Walker travels frequently to Iraq, usually alongside Ramsey Clark. IFCO is a member of ANSWER Steering Committee.) Bernstein is a member of the American Muslim Council's campaign against the use of secret evidence. Clement met with Palestinians during a WILPF "solidarity" conference in May 2002. IFCO is also a fiscal sponsor of the National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom (NCPPF). The co-founder of NCPPF was the recently indicted terrorist financier Sami Al-Arian.
However, NION's links with Muslim terrorists are not just indirect, through IFCO. NION invited both Sami Al-Arian and Lynne Stewart to address their October 6, 2002 rally in Central Park. Stewart was indicted for passing messages on behalf of her terrorist client Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman.
One of the members of NION's Advisory Board, Abdeen Jabara, is a member of the legal advisory board for the American Muslim Council. He is a past president of the Arab-American Ant-Discrimination Committee, a board member of William Kunstler's Center for Constitutional Rights, and a co-counsel with Lynne Stewart for Sheik Rahman, the terrorist convicted for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The American Muslim Council is one of the current members of Al-Arian's NCPPF (the same group to which IFCO's Bernstein belongs). Leaders of the AMC have been quoted as praising Hamas and Hezbollah. Jabara's AMC advisory board colleagues include Fakhri Al-Barzinji. Al-Barzinji is involved in Mar-Jac Poultry, which was raided last year by the FBI for links to Sami Al-Arian.
Bashir Ahmad is another of Jabara's AMC advisory board colleagues. Ahmad is a member of the SAMAD Group (a financial operation) and Justice Taqi Usmani works for the SAMAD Group. Taqi Usmani is a suspected major player in the Muslim Brotherhood International money laundering network of Dallah Al-Baraka, Al-Taqwa, Al-Rahji Investment and Development Corp. Taqi Usmani operates the Al-Balagh.net, which has a online bookstore in California selling books written by individuals who are on the U.S. and UN terrorist lists.
Jabara is a member of the legal advisory board for the Council for Palestinian Restitution and Repatriation (CPRR) as well. The non-profit CPRR exists to "provide legal assistance to Palestinian refugees and their heirs and to educate the public about the legitimate rights of Palestinians."
Two members of the CPRR, Ishaq Farhan and Abdulateef Arabiyat, are members of the Islamic Action Front (IAF)-an Islamist party affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
Abdeen Jabara also works closely with another IFCO project called the Coalition Against the "Counter Terror" Act. He distributes its flyers and has appeared in a video for the group, which may be purchased for $15 a copy - from IFCO.
Apparently someone is buying. According to a New York Post report, "the most recent IRS records available for IFCO, from the year 2000, show that the foundation took in $1,119,564 in contributions. A Not In Our Name statement report that they have taken in more than $400,000 in recent months for the purpose of publishing their statement.".........***
CW: Hardly. It was Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars," and low oil prices, along with the Pope John Paul II, that brought down the USSR.
There is no contradiction between the two statements. In fact, the article did a great job finding the words to make the characterization true.
This needs to be repeated over and over again: Cuba can trade with anyone else on this Great Big Orb, including Canada and Mexico who are joined to us at the hip via NAFTA. Cuba's misery is entirely the fault of its government, and no one else.
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.