Talk of germ weapons in Cuba jolts Congress***Some voiced contentment that their long-standing concerns about Cuba have been given credence. ''I am happy to see that the administration has finally come forth with an acknowledgement of Cuba's capabilities,'' said Rep. Bob Menendez, a Cuban-American Democrat from New Jersey. ``Cuba's biotechnology industry is not just for medical reasons. . . . I think they could be making a variety of things, from anthrax to smallpox to other agents.'' Advocates of relaxing tensions with Cuba scoffed at Bolton's charges. ''Where's the evidence?'' asked William Delahunt, D-Mass., who is a leader of the Cuban Working Group, an informal congressional bloc opposed to the embargo. ``Accepting what they have to say as fact is high risk.''***
Libya lashes out at what it sees as American allegations that it exchanged biotechnology with Cuba***TRIPOLI, Libya, May 08, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- The Libyan government denounced what it said are American charges that Cuba shared bioweapons technology with the north African country, saying that such "empty allegations" constitute terrorism. "This is no more than the usual ways that America uses to wage campaigns against people, by resorting to threat, terrorism and extortion," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassouna al-Shawish said Tuesday. His remarks were carried by Libya's official newsagency, JANA.***