CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

In a special appearance on Cuban television, on 2 November 2001, President Fidel Castro stated the following

Although our position is well known, it is worth recalling that on the very day of 11 September, a few hours after the events, and having already expressed our total condemnation of the brutal act and our sincere and disinterested solidarity with the people of the United States - since we did not ask for or expect anything in return -, we stated our position, which we hold now more forcefully and with greater conviction than ever: "None of the problems facing the world today can be solved by the use of force. […] The international community must create awareness throughout the world of the need to fight terrorism. […] Only an intelligent policy that relies on the strength of consensus and international public opinion can eliminate the problem at its roots. […] This unprecedented act should give rise to an international determination to fight terrorism. [...] There is no hope for the world outside of international peace and cooperation."

A week later, in San Antonio de los Baños, I said, on behalf of our people: "Whatever happens (in other words, whether there is war or not), the territory of Cuba will never be used for terrorist actions against the American people.

And I added something more: "We will do everything within our reach to prevent such actions against them. Today we are expressing our solidarity, while urging peace and calmness. One day they will admit we were right."

A week later, on 29 September, at the Tribuna Abierta de la Revolución, in Ciego de Ávila, I once again stressed our position: "Let no one think, however, that the peoples and many honest political leaders won't react as soon as the acts of war materialize and the horrible pictures begin to be published. Then they will take the place of the sad and compelling pictures of the tragedy in New York. Forgetting them will seriously impair the feelings of solidarity with the North American people, which at present is a fundamental factor in eliminating terrorism without the need for war, with its unpredictable consequences, and without the death of countless innocent people.

"We have already seen the first victims: millions of people fleeing from war, pictures of starving children, which deeply touch the world. Nothing can stop the world from seeing these things."

The latest developments are proving us right.

An editorial in Granma, our official Party newspaper, published on 8 October, just hours after the war began, stated: "It is not a war against terrorism, […] It is a war […] involving military operations that will make it much more complicated and difficult to eradicate. A remedy that is worse than the disease.

"Now there will be daily news reports of bombs, missiles, air strikes, movements of armoured tanks carrying ethnic groups who are allies of the invaders, landings of troops and advances on the ground by elite forces of the attacking countries; cities being taken, including the capital, in a fairly short time; television shots of whatever the censors will allow or whatever gets by them. The battles will be against the natives of the country and not against the terrorists. There are no terrorist battalions or armies. This is a shady method, a sinister concept of battle, a spectre."

Now, after 26 days of constant bombing, anyone who has followed the events in the daily news can see that the developments up to now have unfolded exactly as we predicted.

We insist that we must fight against terrorism and against war. We have never had any spirit of revenge or animosity towards the United States. I was saddened as I realized what a mistake they were making, but I never proffered an insult or a personal offence. I have repeated often to those who are taking part in this great battle of ideas: we must not offend anyone personally. Just state what has happened, avoid adjectives, analyse objectively, use arguments. That will preserve our moral authority and no one will have any right to question the strength and the sincerity of our stand.

I fear that if there ever was a possibility of defeating terrorism without war, through cooperation and with the unanimous support of the international community - a support which would allow for truly efficient measures to be taken and create a profound moral conscience against terrorism - that possibility is vanishing day by day.

 

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