Does anyone agree? He should go home and get out of there!
Carter, State Dept. Issue Conflicting Accounts on Bioweapons Briefing
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Monday: Jimmy Carter and Fidel Castro during a visit to a biotechnology center in Havana.
AP
Tuesday, May 14, 2002
HAVANA — The State Department and Jimmy Carter contradicted one another Monday over claims the former president was briefed by U.S. officials about Cuba's capability to produce biological weapons.
Carter arrived in Cuba Sunday for the first visit by a U.S. head of state, in or out of office, since Calvin Coolidge went to the island nation in 1928.
Upon Carter's arrival, Cuban President Fidel Castro told the 39th president — who ordered the 1980 Cuban boatlift allowing tens of thousands of Cubans to flee the repressive regime — that he would have free access to any facility on the island, including biotechnology laboratories, and could express himself freely, "whether or not we agree with part of what you say, or with everything you say."
Carter, along with delegates from the Carter Center, visited a major biotechnology lab Monday, the Center of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, on the outskirts of Havana. He later released a statement complimenting the Cuban medical community on its advanced medical care. He also reluctantly addressed allegations Cuba could be involved in bioterrorism.
"In preparation for this unprecedented visit, I requested, and we all received, intense briefings from the State Department, the intelligence agencies of my country, and high officials in the White House. I asked them specifically on more than one occasion is there any evidence that Cuba has been involved in sharing any information to any other country on Earth that could be used for terrorist purposes. And the answer from our experts on intelligence was 'no,'" Carter said.
Carter's statement — meant to address a flurry of claims and counter-claims last week between the U.S. State Department and Cuba over biological weapons programs — prompted the State Department to stand by its charges that Cuba is seeking to spread bioweapons. Cuba last week dismissed the charges as "loathsome."
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday he does not know who briefed Carter. But he stood by Undersecretary of State John Bolton's statements last week that Cuba has the "capacity" to develop such arms.
Bolton said that "Cuba has provided dual use biotechnology to other rogue states. We are concerned that such technology could support biological warfare programs in those states." Powell said he doesn't think Bolton said Cuba has the weapons, but it has the potential.
Carter and Castro in Havana, Cuba, Sunday.
The administration is hoping that Carter will turn his attention to human rights during his trip. Already, Carter has met with two Cuban political dissidents who are coordinating a petition drive in hopes of forcing the Cuban government to allow greater freedom, including guarantees of individual freedoms, an amnesty for political prisoners, electoral reforms, and the right to own their own businesses.
Carter told a group of students Monday night that he would address "the differences in our approach to the form of governments we have" in a major foreign policy address to be aired Tuesday night in a live radio broadcast. Castro has promised that he would let the speech go on without censor.
One day after Carter was feted with the strains of the "Star-Spangled Banner" upon his arrival in Havana, the White House urged Castro to give the same freedoms to travel and speak to his own people as he has the former president.
"Why have one standard for a visitor and have a far worse, much more repressive standard for his own people?" asked White House spokesman Ari Fleischer Monday. "The Cuban people should be free to travel wherever they want. The Cuban people should be free to speak however they want, to worship however they want. ... That's what Fidel Castro should focus on."
Carter's arrival was marked with a reception by Castro, who noted that "it's been a long time" since the U.S. anthem was played in Cuba. The anthem was last played in 1999 when the Baltimore Orioles played an exhibition game in Havana.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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