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"The war has begun, Editorial from Granma
newspaper, October 8, 2001
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Speech delivered by Cuban President Fidel Castro
at a massive demonstration commemorating the 25th anniversary of the terrorist
act against a Cubana jetliner off the coast of Barbados (Havana Revolution
Square, October 6, 2001)
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Statement by the Permanent Representative of
Cuba to the U.N., Ambassador Bruno Rodriguez, before the General Assembly
under item "Measures to eliminate international terrorism" (New York, October
1st, 2001)
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Speech delivered by Cuban President Fidel Castro
in Ciego de Avila (September 29, 2001)
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Speech delivered by Cuban President Fidel Castro
in San Antonio de los Baños (September 22, 2001)
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"Everything is not lost, yet", Statement by the
Government of Cuba (September 19, 2001)
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"None of the present world problems can be
solved with the use of force", Speech delivered by Cuban President Fidel
Castro on September 11, 2001
THE WAR HAS BEGUN
Editorial from Granma newspaper, October 8, 2001
Yesterday, at 9:00
p.m. Afghanistan time, the war began or rather the military attack against
Afghanistan. The word war suggests a conflict between more or less similar
parties, where the weaker has, at least, a minimum of technical, financial and
economic resources to defend itself. However, in this case, one of the parties
has absolutely nothing. Still, let us call it a war. He who ordered the
beginning of the military operations called it that way.
This is really a sui generis war. An entire country is being turned into
a testing ground for the most sophisticated weaponry ever invented. The experts
and specialists at the research centers and military workshops, who have
invested tens of billions of US dollars in the creation of deadly devices, will
follow attentively every detail of their creatures’ performance.
Whatever the pretexts, this is a war in which the most sophisticated
technology will be used against people who cannot read or write. A country whose
Gross Domestic Product is 20 billion US dollars every year will be fighting
another with approximately one thousand times less, therefore, for economic,
cultural and religious reasons this will be a war of the old colonizers against
the old colonized; of the most developed against the least developed; of the
richest against the poorest; of those who call themselves civilized against
those they consider ignorant and barbaric.
It is not a war against terrorism, which should and could have been
defeated by truly efficient, swift and lasting means available. It is a war in
favor of terrorism, since the military operations will make it more complicated
and difficult to eradicate it. It is like pouring oil on the flame.
From now on, there will be a real avalanche of news about bombs,
missiles, air strikes, the advance of armored vehicles with troops of ethnic
groups allied with the invaders, the dropping of paratroops or the ground
advance of elite forces of the attacking countries. Rather soon, there will be
news about occupied cities, the capital included, and TV images of whatever
censure permits or escapes control. The fight will be against the people of that
country and not against the terrorists. There are no battalions or armies of
terrorists. This is a sinister concept and an insidious method of struggle
against a ghost.
These events will be compounded with triumphant statements, chauvinistic
exaltation, boasting, braggadocio and other manifestations of arrogance and of a
spirit of racial and cultural superiority.
Then, there will be the great question: Will resistance stop and every
contradiction disappear or will the true war begin, that which was defined as
long and open-ended? This is certainly the main question in the minds of those
who are now taking pride in having launched this adventurous war.
Millions of refugees are already spreading everywhere, and the greater
difficulties are still to come. Let us wait for the events to unfold.
Our people will be informed with utmost objectivity of every new
occurrence, giving them more or less space in the press, radio and television
depending on their importance. At the same time, we shall avoid disruptions of
our everyday activities and the usual information and recreation
programs.
We shall remain most attentive to the enormous efforts being made in
matters related to our social and cultural development and be particularly
watchful and mindful of production and services, which are today more important
than ever, given all the inconveniences that the ongoing events will bring on
the already deteriorated world economy whose effects no country will be able to
avoid. However, no other country is better prepared and organized, and more
aware than ours, to face whatever difficulties may come. Likewise, we shall
continue to concentrate on our defense as we have always done.
Once again, there will be hesitation and panic in the world. Later, as
the foreseeable problems begin to arise, there will be a growing awareness and a
universal repudiation of the war that has just begun. Even the American people, who are today
shocked by the horrible tragedy, will sooner or later understand.
Even when the opposition and condemnation of terrorism and the war, that
have been the basis of our stance,
--shared today by many people in the world-- have sustained an expected blow with the
beginning of the military operations, we shall persist struggling with all our
capabilities for the only possible solution: the cessation of the military
operations and the eradication of terrorism through the cooperation and support
of all countries, and through the unanimous repudiation and condemnation of the
international public opinion under the leadership of the United Nations
Organization.
STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA, H.E. AMBASSADOR BRUNO RODRIGUEZ
PARRILLA, BEFORE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY UNDER ITEM: “MEASURES TO ELIMINATE
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM”.
New York, October 1st,
2001
Mr. President,
In a speech delivered just two days ago before one
hundred thousand countrymen, President Fidel Castro stated:
“The
unanimous shock suffered by all peoples of the world on September 11, due to the
insane terrorist attacks against the American people, has created exceptional
conditions for the eradication of terrorism without the need to unleash a
useless and perhaps endless war.
“Terror has always been an instrument of the
worst enemies of Mankind bent on suppressing and crushing the peoples’ struggle
for freedom. It can never be the instrument of a truly noble and just
cause.”
Later on,
he went on to add:
“Many
seem not to have realized yet that, on September 20, before the United States
Congress, the end of independence was decreed for every other state --without
exceptions-- as well as the end of the United Nations’ role.
“Cuba was
the first country to speak of the need for an international struggle against
terrorism just a few hours after the tragedy brought on the American people on
September 11. We also said that: ̀None of the present problems of the world can
be solved by force. [...] The international community should build a world
conscience against terrorism. [...] Only the intelligent policy of seeking
strength through consensus and the international public opinion can decidedly
uproot this problem [...] this unimaginable event should serve to launch an
international struggle against terrorism. ...] The world cannot be saved unless
a path of international peace and cooperation is pursued.
“I harbor
no doubts that the Third World countries
--I dare say almost everyone of them without exception, despite their
political and religious differences-- would be willing to go alongside the rest
of the world in this struggle against terrorism as an alternative to war.
“For
these people, saving peace with dignity, with independence and without a war is
the cornerstone of the struggle that we should wage together for a truly just
world of free peoples.”
Mr.
President,
International cooperation should be arranged to launch effective global
actions, in accordance with International Law, the Charter of the United Nations
and the relevant international conventions, based on the extraordinary power of
consensus and the sovereign and combined will of all States.
Cuba has
expressed: “It would suffice to return to the United Nations Organization the
prerogatives that it has been deprived of and let the General Assembly, its most
universal and representative body, be the center of that fight for peace --regardless of its limitations due to
the arbitrary veto right of the Security Council Permanent Members, most of them
also a part of NATO-- and for the eradication of terrorism with total and
unanimous support from the world opinion. […] It is indispensable to return to
the United Nations its role in the attainment of peace.”
The
United Nations Organization is precisely that universal coalition we need to
fight terrorism. No amorphous and
unpredictable coalition, NATO or any other military organization, or group of
States –regardless of its power-- could replace the United Nations in a global
and legitimate action against terrorism.
The United Nations should not give up its functions or prerogatives in
favor of something imposed by any country, nor should it indulgently serve
hegemonic interests.
It befits
the United Nations, and no one else, to address in a deep, calm, resolute and
forceful way, the serious challenges of a globalized world, including terrorism
as a matter of urgency.
The
United Nations counts on the universal involvement of States. It has a
historical and moral authority, as well as principles and rules accepted by all;
and it is entitled to adopt and codify standards. It can act on all areas, and its
numerous and diverse bodies have great potential.
We
support the Secretary General’s statement that: “This
Organization is the natural forum in which to build such a universal
coalition. It alone can give global
legitimacy to the long-term struggle against terrorism.”
The
United Nations even has the prerogative to use force to defend the principle of
collective security. However, this
exceptional prerogative must be used with utmost prudence and
responsibility.
Mr.
President,
The
United Nations has made great efforts to fight terrorism, as reflected in the
existing Conventions and other recently adopted instruments, as well as the many
resolutions adopted by the General Assembly and other bodies.
To move
forward, we must address all forms and manifestations of terrorism in every
corner of the world with absolute honesty and avoiding hegemonic interests or
national ambition, and State terrorism cannot be the exception.
The
overwhelming political will of States to fully implement international
instruments must prevail without any double standards, or political selectivity,
without treating differently those who live in affluent societies and without
allowing States and their armed forces, especially the most powerful, to act in
disregard of legislation and International Law.
Mr.
President,
We share
the calls for prudence and moderation coming from all regions. One cannot respond to the September
11th terrorist attacks with vengeance and war actions that would lead
to a still unimaginable spiral of violence and barbaric acts. The solution
cannot be to pass legislation or decrees that condone summary executions, that
let States kill foreign citizens or act covertly in other countries
disrespecting laws and borders, or use force within other States. That would divert the world from its
purpose of eradicating terrorism, and would mean the end of collective security
mechanisms. It would mean the rule of force and the beginning of the end of the
so often proclaimed rule of law.
Terrorist
acts are usually carried out by extremist groups, and even by lone
individuals. Faced with an event of
this nature –however grave-- the right to self-defense must not be invoked by a
powerful State to unilaterally unleash a war that could go global and have
unpredictable consequences bringing the death of an unthinkable number of
innocent people. Instead, that
right must be exercised as the right of all to the common defense of all. The South countries would eventually be
the potential victims of actions of force if today we accept war under the
pretext of fighting terrorism.
Cuba
supports the many ongoing initiatives and those under discussion, which might
contribute to UN actions, including those submitted by the Non-Aligned Movement,
such as the call for a high level conference on international terrorism, the
creation of an international cooperation center, and the negotiation of a
comprehensive convention on international terrorism. We are also willing to consider
constructively other initiatives that might contribute to the struggle against
terrorism and might have the legitimacy invoked by the Secretary General.
Mr.
President,
While the
Security Council has made specific efforts and adopted several resolutions in
the past, terrorism has been an area in which prudence has prevailed. In the few cases where specific acts of
terrorism have been addressed, this has been done to meet the specific interests
of some of its Permanent Members.
On the
other hand, Cuba appealed to the Security Council to act in 1976 when Cubana
Aircraft CU 455 was blown up in flight, killing 73 people on board. However,
draft resolution S/23990 submitted by Cuba was not even considered.
I have
just reviewed that draft resolution once again, comparing it to the one the
Security Council adopted last Friday night, and I have found that although ours
was more moderate, it proposed some of the concepts and measures contained in
the recent one.
In its
preamble, the Cuban draft considered the suppression of international acts of
terrorism essential for the preservation of international peace and security. It
emphasized the need to deal effectively with terrorism. It reaffirmed that it
was every State’s duty to refrain from organizing, instigating, assisting,
participating in and consenting to terrorist acts within its territory. Our text took note that one Permanent
Member of the Security Council had stated that it had evidence in its possession
relating to that act. It also took into account the fact that the mastermind of
the terrorist act, Orlando Bosch, resided in the territory of that same State,
where –by the way-- he still lives; and that the co-author, Luis Posada
Carriles, had been later employed by the Government of that same State after the
appalling crime. The Cuban draft
resolution also urged the Council involvement in the struggle against
international terrorism, invoking Chapter VII of the Charter.
The
Resolution did not ask for the use of force or sanctions, but simply asked the
Council to condemn the bombing of the passengers’ aircraft in flight; to
indicate the obligation to clarify the crime and to punish the guilty parties.
It asked the State concerned to provide all the information and evidence in its
possession relating to the past and current residence of the terrorists who were
in its territory, and to adopt effective measures to prevent its territory from
being used to prepare, organize and carry out terrorist acts against Cuba. And it asked the Council to keep that
matter under consideration.
After
Cuba spoke, the Permanent Member concerned took the floor for five minutes only
to state the following: “I frankly cannot help but wonder why we are here … By
meeting today … we lose our most valuable commodity: time.” And that was the end of the
meeting.
However, after a quick and not particularly
transparent negotiation, the Security Council has recently adopted a resolution
that orders States to work on urgent legislative modifications, that demands
immediate reports and creates a sort of antiterrorist general headquarter.
The
Council has decided to fight terrorism in many different areas, from economic
and financial areas to illicit drug trafficking, border control,
money-laundering, forgery of documents, traffic in explosive materials, nuclear,
chemical, biological and other weapons.
It also deals with issues relating to transnational organized crime,
weapons of mass destruction, communications technologies, and the exchange of
intelligence information on individuals and entities that practice
terrorism.
The
implementation of that resolution requires the previous identification of those
persons and a clear definition of what is to be considered a terrorist act. It is not difficult to guess where those
interpretations will come from.
The
Security Council has been pushed to give legal support to hegemonic and
arbitrary decisions made by the ruling Power, which violate the Charter and
International Law, and that trespass on the sovereignty of all States. To achieve that, it usurps once again
the functions of the General Assembly, the only body whose universal composition
and democratic method could legitimize such far-reaching decisions. The Council uses the unbelievable method
of making it mandatory for all States to accept some rules contained in
conventions against terrorism, which are up to every State to decide whether
they want to be signatories or not.
The
Security Council, a hostage of the veto right, could only exercise a selective,
capricious, arbitrary and ineffective dictatorship, instead of the moral
leadership required for a comprehensive struggle against terrorism in a
globalized world.
Terrorism
cannot be eradicated if some terrorist acts are condemned while others are
silenced or justified. It is an
ethical imperative, for example, to put an end to the use of veto to prevent
international actions from protecting the Palestinian people against the
countless State terrorism acts they are suffering.
It is
Cuba’s opinion that any use of force against terrorism should require explicit
and previous authorization of the Security Council, as provided by the
Charter. Cuba also believes that
neither of the two resolutions adopted by the Council in the wake of the
September 11 attacks could be invoked to unleash unilateral military or force
actions.
Despite
some arbitrary methods and decisions by the Security Council, our country will
cooperate, as always, in good faith with the Council in accordance with the
Charter, and will enforce its own legislation sovereignly adopted by our people
according to international law, and which strongly and firmly opposes any act of
terrorism, whoever its perpetrator might be, as well as other serious
international crimes being committed in the world.
This
statement we can make with the full moral strength that emanates from our
straight behavior. Our finances are
transparent and our banks do not treasure any laundered or illegitimate money.
Our institutions are not involved in illegal sales of information or technology
nor do we tolerate the traffic in arms or dangerous substances. Likewise, our
borders do not protect transnational crime.
The
specific measures put forth in the resolution adopted by the Security Council
and that Cuba supports must be applied first of all to the large banks where, as
everyone knows, money is laundered.
I must
categorically state that Cuba will never take part in any military action.
Mr.
President,
In my
memory today are the 3478 Cubans who have died the victims of acts of aggression
and terrorism, and the claim for justice of 2099 people who are disabled due to
those same acts.
In my
mind is also Felix García, a diplomat with the Cuban Mission to the United
Nations, who was murdered here in New York, exactly on September 11, 1980. His
murderer was arrested last November in Panama, together with Luis Posada
Carriles, during an Ibero-American Summit. They had been working on a plot to
assassinate President Fidel Castro and to that end they were to blow up a
university auditorium where thousands of students would be gathered. Posada
Carriles and his group have neither been extradited nor punished. There are
reasons to fear their escape even before they are taken to a court of law or
with total impunity.
In the
1990’s alone, a total of 68 terrorist acts were perpetrated against Cuba, 33 of
them in the last five years.
Our
country speaks with full moral authority because it has never committed any
terrorist act, not even the attempt to eliminate –in an act of legitimate
self-defense-- the direct perpetrators and authors of such abominable crimes,
financed and carried out against our people by the Cuban American National
Foundation and other mob groups in Miami. However, over the last few years,
bombings, assassination attempts against Cuban leaders and attacks against
crucial facilities for our economy have been organized with total impunity from
abroad.
Only our
people’s consideration and respect for the victims of the September 11 attacks,
as well as the seriousness of the current situation that brings us together to
seek for constructive solutions, have inspired me to contribute to the spirit of
this debate by avoiding any mention of the origins of terrorism against Cuba, by
not making specific reference to the real causes, the accomplices, the real
culprits, the financial flows, the venal courts that absolve criminals and the
territories where terrorist organizations acting against Cuba are based.
I share
the hope that the September 11 tragedy will lead to reflection and, in line with
the desire of the American people, to changes in those policies that encourage
and basically justify terrorism against my people. Terrorism against Cuba must be brought
to an end.
I must
state that, in face of impunity, Cuba has every right to defend itself against
terrorism. The five Cuban youth,
who are unjustly incarcerated and enduring a humiliating treatment in Florida,
do not repent of having saved heroically the lives of both Cubans and
Americans.
As
President Fidel Castro has indicated: “Cuba, with the moral authority of being
the country that has suffered the most and the longest from terrorist actions,
the one whose people are not afraid of anything because there is no threat or
power in the world that can intimidate it, claims that it is opposed to
terrorism and opposed to war. Although the possibilities are now remote, Cuba
reaffirms the need to avert a war of unpredictable consequences whose very
authors have admitted not to have the least idea of how the events will unfold.
Likewise, Cuba reiterates its willingness to cooperate with every country in the
total eradication of terrorism.
“Whatever
happens, the territory of Cuba will never be used for terrorist actions against
the American people and we will do everything within our reach to prevent such
actions against that people. Today we are expressing our solidarity while
appealing to peace and calmness.
Finally,
the President of our country, expressing the unanimous sentiment of our people,
stated:
Our
independence, our principles and our social achievements we will be defend with
honor to the last drop of blood, if we are attacked!
Thank you
very much.
Statement by the Government of the Republic of
Cuba
EVERYTHING IS NOT
LOST, YET
September 19,
2001
Under the effect of the shock caused to the world by the appalling and
brutal terrorist action that targeted the American people on September 11,
underlined by painful reports and images of grief and sorrow, certain minds
driven by feelings of hatred and arrogance have taken to the sinister task of
reviving old methods and doctrines which lie at the very source of terrorism and
the extremely grave tensions affecting the world today.
At a time when the only advisable thing to do is to calmly and
courageously seek for a definitive solution to terrorism and other tragedies, by
universal consensus, a rude language full of rage and a spirit of vengeance,
that had not been heard since the days prior to World War II, is being used by
influential political leaders in the United States.
Any honest person would have the right to ask if it is really justice
what they want or rather to use the hurting and outrageous tragedy to impose
methods, prerogatives and privileges leading to the establishment of an
unrestricted tyranny over every people on Earth by the most powerful state in
the world.
Some senior officials have openly claimed that all restrictions should be
lifted on the right of American institutions and officials to murder any person,
even if that requires the use of the most despicable criminals. Such a
prerogative had been used in the past by U.S. leaders to eliminate patriots like
Patricio Lumumba in 1961, and to arrange coup d’état and carnage which have
taken the lives of hundreds of thousands and millions who have been tortured,
vanished or removed by diverse means.
Cuba has denounced hundreds of plans of assassinate its leaders and has
tirelessly demanded punishment for those responsible and for the authors of
countless acts of terrorism which have claimed a high number of human lives from
our people. The very U.S. Senate investigated and exposed several actions
carried out against Cuba using various means that did not leave out any form of
murder no matter how uncouth and revolting. A peculiar kind of science was
developed to that end.
The world has not given its unanimous support or expressed its most
sincere condolences to the noble American people to let such sentiments be used
to elaborate doctrines that would spread chaos and bloody events throughout the
planet. The fact that a State proclaims an alleged right to kill wantonly
anywhere in the world in contempt of legal procedures, courts of law or even the
presentation of evidence is as serious as terrorism itself, and one its most
despicable manifestations. Such policy would constitute a barbarian and
uncivilized action that would tear to pieces every rule and legal bases on which
peace and coexistence between nations might be built.
Amidst the panic and confusion created by this whole situation and
despite the extreme gravity of introducing such procedures in international
affairs, the political leaders of various states have failed to speak out –with
few exceptions-- against the emergence of a fascist and terrorist trend implicit
in such statements.
One of the first consequences of this has been the acts of xenophobia and
terror perpetrated against people of a different nationality or religion.
Although terrorism is absolutely repugnant and immoral, the American people
would never favor the brutal method of murdering other people in cool blood,
breaking the law, punishing without evidence or denying fundamental principles
of equity and justice with the pretext of fighting it. Such methods would take
the planet back to law of the jungle, tarnish the United States’ reputation and
destroy its prestige while further inciting the hatred that is today at the root
of so much grief and sadness. The American people want justice, not
revenge!
Cuba said from the very first moment that in today’s world no problem can
be solved with the use of force and that, in order to fight terrorism, it was
necessary to build an awareness and a universal union capable of definitely
eradicating this and other scourges and tragedies that put in jeopardy the very
survival of the specie.
Although the war drums beat unexpectedly loud and they seem to
irrevocably lead towards a bloody end, everything is not lost, yet.
In Afghanistan the ulemas --religious leaders of a traditionally
combative and brave people-- are meeting to adopt fundamental decisions. They
have already said that they will not oppose the application of justice and the
relevant procedures if those accused, living in their country, are really
guilty. They have simply asked for evidence, and for guarantees of impartiality
and equity in the process, something that the United Nations could perfectly
ensure, with full support from the international community.
If such evidence exists, as the leaders of the U.S. government have
categorically affirmed, and the religious leaders are not asked to override the
deepest convictions of their faith, which they are known to defend with their
own lives, then an alternative to war could be worked out. They would not
sacrify their people uselessly if their ethically unquestionable request was
taken into account. In fact, a bloodshed could be avoided and this could become
the first great step towards a world without terrorism or unpunished crimes: a
true world association for peace and justice could emerge and the American
people would earn enormous prestige and respect.
Cuba would resolutely support such a solution. But, there is not a minute
to spare; there is little time left. To fail to make such a basic, simple and
viable effort would make it an unjust war.
By the Government of the Republic of Cuba
Havana, September 19, 2001
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