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Galloway plans coffee-table
Castro book
Edward Black and Allan
Caldwell. The
Scotsman, UK, January 10, 2005.
MAVERICK MP George Galloway will use a
long-established friendship with Fidel Castro
to write an intimate portrayal of the Cuban
leader this summer.
The MP for Glasgow Kelvin, expelled by
the Labour party last year for his outspoken
views on the war in Iraq, will interview
Castro to provide recollections for a photography-based
book documenting the key moments in his
life.
Last month Galloway won £150,000
in damages from the Daily Telegraph over
claims he had been in the pay of former
Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein.
He will also stand at the next general
election for the anti-war party, Respect,
against Labour MP and "Blair Babe"
Oona King in her east London seat of Bethnal
Green and Bow before embarking on the Cuban
project.
Galloway, dubbed "Gorgeous George",
has claimed he once went for a midnight
swim with Castro during one of their late-night
conversations and said he was excited by
the book.
"I have agreement for full, exclusive
and unfettered access to all archive pictures
in Cuba," he said. "I will write
narratives to go with each picture, based
on a series of several interviews with Fidel
Castro. It could, though, just turn out
to be one meeting as I have met him several
times and one hour meetings can turn into
four or five hours.
"He likes to meet late at night and
talk into the early hours. One time I met
him at 1am and the meeting lasted until
dawn."
Galloway added that Castro was a respected
figure who had survived numerous attempts
on his life. "He is the most impressive
person I have ever met," he said. "A
most charismatic man at 78 years of age.
A total of 11 American presidents have tried
to kill him and use their power to try and
destroy his revolution."
Cuba has survived more than 40 years of
US sanctions intended to topple Castro's
government, and has defied predictions it
would not withstand the collapse of its
main supporter, the Soviet Union. But continuing
hardships have led to an increase in prostitution,
corruption, black marketeering and desperate
efforts to escape in search of a better
life.
Galloway was approached by American publishers
MQ who are keen to set up a deal with the
communist hero, despite a US embargo which
has effectively isolated the Caribbean island
and its people for decades.
The book will be based on the same format
as the hugely successful Che Guevara publication
entitled The Che Handbook.
It will consist of photographs from Castro's
rise to power to the present day including
access to Cuba's own picture library with
the MP penning Castro's comments and recollections
on each photograph. The book is due to be
published in May next year.
Galloway is also known for his love of
Cuban cigars, though he remains tight-lipped
as to whether he has actually been skinny-dipping
with the Cuban dictator. In his book, I'm
Not The Only One, Galloway writes of an
incident when he went swimming with Castro.
When asked to recall the anecdote during
a subsequent interview, Galloway said: "You
meet Fidel, you have to be prepared for
a long night. If you are there on the right
night, you end up in the Caribbean with
Castro. It's quite a treat. I'll not go
into what we were wearing... that would
be a breach of confidence."
Last December the 50-year-old risked his
job, home and livelihood after the Daily
Telegraph reported on documents found in
the Iraqi foreign ministry in Baghdad. Its
editorial used the word "treason"
and described Galloway as "Saddam's
little helper".
Galloway contended the documents were forgeries
and won his case.
The MP will now focus his attention on
overturning Oona King's 10,057 majority.
He has dubbed her a "parliamentary
poodle" for her support for the war
in Iraq whilst he has been nicknamed by
critics as "the MP for Baghdad Central".
©2005
Scotsman.com
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