Yahoo! May 15, 2001
Cuban Leader Leaves Qatar for Syria
DOHA, Qatar 15 (AP) - Cuban leader Fidel Castro (news - web sites) left
Qatar on Tuesday for a previously unannounced two-day visit to Syria, Syria's
state-run TV and newspaper reported.
Castro, 74, has visited Algeria, Iran, Malaysia and Qatar since May 6. His
travel schedule rarely is announced in advance because of security concerns.
On Tuesday, Syria's three state-run daily newspapers carried front-page
articles announcing Castro's visit, which they said ends on Wednesday. It will
be the communist leader's first trip to Syria.
In Damascus, Castro was expected to meet with President Bashar Assad, but no
other itinerary was made public.
Like Iran, Cuba and Syria are also on U.S. list of countries sponsoring
terrorism. Castro was looking to boost relations with friendly countries in the
Middle East and Asia, especially those deemed strategically important in Cuba's
search for cheap energy since the 1991 collapse of its former Soviet ally ended
its subsidized oil supplies.
Castro left Doha, Qatar's capital, early Tuesday after criticizing American
statesmen as "demagogues,'' although he praised U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell (news - web sites) as a good communicator.
On Monday, he toured Qatar's giant Ras Laffan gas complex. Qatar has one of
the world's largest reserves of natural gas.
Castro: No Trust for U.S. Officials
By Anwar Faruqi, Associated Press Writer
DOHA, Qatar 14 (AP) - Cuban leader Fidel Castro (news - web sites) on Monday
said he doesn't trust American statesmen, who are "demagogues,'' though he
praised Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) as a good
communicator.
Castro was on his second day visiting the tiny, wealthy Gulf nation - a
staunch ally of the United States. He has visited Algeria, Iran and Malaysia -
all strategically important in Cuba's search for cheap energy since the 1991
collapse of its former Soviet ally ended its subsidized oil supplies.
Unlike his reception in the other three nations, Castro's visit to Qatar has
had little fanfare.
After touring Qatar's giant Ras Laffan gas complex, Castro told reporters
that Powell has "merit because he has the ability to communicate and could
have become president if he had wanted to.''
Last month, Powell told a House appropriations subcommittee hearing that
Castro has "done good things for his people.'' But Powell was also very
critical of the Cuban leader, saying he remains "trapped in a time warp''
and that the current U.S. administration will continue to shun him politically
and diplomatically.
Following his remarks about Powell, Castro said he makes "a habit of
not believing what U.S. statesmen say ... they are demagogues.''
Asked who would replace him as president after his death, Castro said: "The
Americans are always trying to provoke these questions, and they think that
after the death of Castro the revolution will come to an end.''
However, he said, Cuba boasts a new generation of enlightened people, and
the "revolution'' will be protected after his death.
Castro's three-day visit, his first to a Gulf nation, covers bilateral
relations, especially in economic, health, athletic and scientific fields,
according to Qatari newspapers and diplomats.
He arrived Sunday and met Qatar's emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,
early Monday.
Qatar and Cuba established diplomatic relations in 1994 and opened an
embassy in Doha the same year. Qatar is planning to do so in Havana in two to
three months. Qatar's emir visited Cuba in September.
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