From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
Subject: Cuba Fears Direct US Aggression
Date: 10 Oct 92 03:33:03 GMT
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Organization: PACH
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu

/** reg.cuba: 203.0 **/
** Topic: CUBA: TORRICELLI LAW SPARKS WARNING **
** Written  6:43 am  Oct  8, 1992 by crosenberg in cdp:reg.cuba **
From: Charlie Rosenberg <crosenberg>
Subject: CUBA: TORRICELLI LAW SPARKS WARNING

/* Written 12:19 am  Oct  3, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "CUBA: TORRICELLI LAW SPARKS WARNING" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: North America
Title: CUBA: TORRICELLI LAW SPARKS WARNING OF POSSIBLE U.S. AGGRESSION

//corrected repeat//

havana, sep 29 (ips) -- a bill on tightening the u.s. embargo on
cuba, approved by the u.s. congress, has spawned fears here that
the united states might be preparing a ''direct aggression''
against the caribbean island.

an editorial in tuesday's issue of the daily ''granma'', the
organ of the ruling communist party, stated that the bill might
be a ''prelude to direction aggression,'' which could take any
form, including that of an ''intervention for humanitarian
purposes.''

the law on 'cuban democracy in 1992 was introduced in congress
by democrat robert torricelli and approved by the house on sep.
24, six days after the senate passed it. it sets out various
means of hardening the trade embargo maintained by the united
states against cuba for 30 years.

the toricelli law has already been approved by u.s president
george bush.

granma said cuba could not rule out the possibility of direct
aggression since the u.s. government ''acts like the master of
the world and fixes its own limits of international conduct.''

''now, more than ever, we have to raise our preparation for
defence and guarantee that any military action will have a
terrible and unaffordable cost for the invader,'' the communist
party organ stated.

since its approval in congress, the toricelli bill has been
repeatedly condemned in the cuban press and by the committees in
defence of the revolution, organizations grouping over eight
million government sympathisers.

the cuban government contends that the law lays bare the u.s.
will to use any means to destroy the cuban revolution,
''including that of annihilating our people through hunger, if
that were possible.''

by approving the law, the u.s. congress and government are
behaving like a type of planetary government, with
extraterritorial and supranational prerogatives, granma said.

the toricelli bill urges u.s. president george bush to put
pressure on countries which receive u.s. aid into ceasing trade
with cuba and calls on washington's allies to join the embargo.

it also prohibits subsidiaries of u.s. companies in third
countries from trading with the caribbean island and bans
merchant ships which visit cuba from entering u.s. ports for six
months. (more)
----


the granma editorial poses the question as to whether big
countries like france and britain, which came out publicly
against the bill, ''will be in a position to accept the
multilation of their sovereignty which the law represents.''

it also points out that it remains to be seen whether canada
and mexico, which have signed a draft treaty on free trade with
the united states but also trade with cuba ''will admit this
intemperate language of threats and sanctions.''

many latin american governments and regional organizations
have expressed their disagreement with the embargo against cuba,
which they say is reminiscent of the cold war.

granma said the question was whether any latin american
government which has any esteem for national dignity and decency
will bend ''to the naked coercion and diminution of their rights
which this law implies.''

it also wondered what would be the attitude of the european
community and the non-aligned countries ''in the face of a fact
which signifies the most savage negation of the principles of
equity and respect.'' (end/ips/trd/so/cb-sfi/kb/92)
----


** End of text from cdp:reg.cuba **
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive