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Panama Recalls Ambassador From Cuba
Mon Aug 23, 7:00 PM ET.
By Katia Martinez, Associated Press Writer.
PANAMA CITY, Panama - Panama recalled its
ambassador from Cuba on Monday after the
Cuban government threatened to break off
relations in a dispute over four anti-Fidel
Castro exiles imprisoned in Panama.
Panama "cannot be subjected to interference
or threats by any foreign government,"
President Mireya Moscoso said, referring
to Cuba's warning to her not to pardon the
four men.
She added her government's "most energetic
protest at the repeated and unacceptable
interference by the government of Cuba."
The Cuban government said Sunday it will
cut diplomatic ties if Moscoso pardons the
four exiles, who were accused by Cuba of
plotting to kill Castro during a summit
in Panama four years ago.
"We wish to warn, with all seriousness,
that if the decision taken is not rectified,
and the pardon of the monstrous criminals
is carried out, diplomatic relations between
the republic of Cuba and the Republic of
Panama will be automatically broken,"
the statement read.
Moscoso on Monday denied the Cubans are
on any list of inmates to be pardoned before
she leaves office Sept. 1.
She also complained of the "disrespectful
and intolerable" tone of Cuba's statement
but said she would not cut diplomatic relations.
Moscoso said she did not expect commercial
relations to be affected.
The four exiles include Luis Posada Carriles,
who has long been involved in anti-Castro
activities, including participating in the
ill-fated CIA (news - web sites)-sponsored
Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961.
While Panamanian courts ruled there was
not enough evidence to charge the men with
attempted murder in connection with the
alleged assassination plot, the four were
convicted of endangering public safety and
sentenced in April to prison terms of seven
to eight years.
Cuba's government criticized the penalties
as too lenient. In recent weeks, Cuban officials
have alleged the exiles were planning to
escape from prison and said they would hold
Moscoso's administration responsible if
they succeeded.
Posada once escaped from a Venezuelan prison
while awaiting retrial on charges he blew
up a Cuban airliner.
Cuba Rejects U.S. Hurricane Aid Offer
HAVANA, 23 (AP) - Cuba on Monday rejected
Washington's offer of $50,000 in post-Hurricane
Charley aid, calling the gesture hypocritical
and the amount humiliating.
The offer was announced by the U.S. State
Department on Aug. 13, the same day Hurricane
Charley battered western Cuba on its way
to Florida. At least four deaths in Cuba
were blamed on the storm, which forced the
evacuation of 200,000 residents.
"This cynical and hypocritical offer
... to ease Hurricane Charley's effects
ignores the damage caused over more than
four decades by the economic war of successive
(American) administrations against our country,"
Cuba's Foreign Ministry said in a statement
carried in the Communist workers weekly
newspaper Trabajadores.
"Cuba will not accept supposed help
from the government of a country that harms
us and tries to take us under with hunger
and need," the statement added, referring
to long-standing restrictions on trade and
travel aimed at undermining Fidel Castro
(news - web sites)'s communist government.
"It's obvious the American government
suffers from total amnesia. Otherwise it
would be impossible to understand how it
could pretend to assume the role of benefactor
to the Cuban people just after once again
tightening the cruel blockade," it
added, referring to new U.S. restrictions
on travel to the island.
The Foreign Ministry statement characterized
the $50,000 offer as "ridiculous and
humiliating charity."
It also took issue with the U.S. government's
insistence that the money not be given to
Castro's government but be distributed by
the U.S. Interests Section in Havana to
independent, non-governmental organizations.
Many of the independent groups in Cuba
are opposed to the government, which views
many of the groups as counterrevolutionary.
Volleyballers Beat Cuba, Land in Quarters
By Dave Campbell, AP Sports
Writer. Sun Aug 22, 4:59 PM ET.
ATHENS, Greece - Desperate for a victory
and in danger of an embarrassing elimination
from the women's volleyball tournament,
the United States finally played like a
gold medal contender. Logan Tom scored 19
points to lead the Americans to a 25-22,
25-12, 25-19 win over Cuba Sunday and a
spot in the quarterfinals.
After Keba Phipps slammed the match-winning
kill, the U.S. team - with libero Stacy
Sykora in the middle of it - excitedly gathered
in a group hug.
There's a price for finishing 2-3 in pool
play, though.
On Tuesday, the U.S. team must face unbeaten
Brazil in the quarterfinals. But the Brazilians
can't be happy about a matchup against the
team that began the Olympics with the international
federation's top ranking.
Zoila Barros Fernandez had a team-high
nine points for three-time defending gold
medalist Cuba, which fell to third place
in the group and will play Italy in the
next round.
China takes on Japan and Russia plays Korea
in the other quarterfinals.
The Americans toughed out a tight first
set, scoring the last three points - two
on kills by Tayyiba Haneef and the last
on a sneaky poke by Tom of a ball that was
floating unclaimed just above the net.
The U.S. team took an 8-1 lead in the second
set and sailed from there - quieting down
a loud, pro-Cuba crowd that adorned a large
section of the upper bowl with Cuban flags
and chanted their country's name frequently
throughout the match.
Ever since a young, promising American
squad finished a surprising fourth at the
Sydney Games, hopes have been high.
With Tom developing into one of the world's
best outside hitters, the return in 2002
of the veteran Phipps and dazzling potential
at the opposite position with the 6-foot-7
Haneef, the Americans have been steadily
moved into the world's elite.
But China reminded everyone who the gold
medal favorite was, opening with a commanding
four-set victory. The Americans recovered
to beat Germany before their devastating
blow - a stunning five-set defeat to the
Dominican Republic.
While the U.S. team was markedly improved
in its next match against Russia, and even
got a pep talk from the undefeated American
softball team, the result was the same.
It all come down to this one.
Several of Cuba's stars from the past Summer
Games have retired, including the great
Regla Torres - named volleyball's top female
player of the 20th century. The Cubans finished
a disappointing sixth at the World Cup last
year under new coach Luis Felipe Calderon,
who took over in 2002. And an upset loss
to the Germans on the first day of this
tournament raised more eyebrows.
But they're still a powerful, athletic
team - as they proved in wins over Russia,
China and the Dominicans.
American Annia Hatch Wins Silver in
Vault
AP. Sun Aug 22, 3:23 PM
ET
ATHENS, Greece - Annia Hatch became the
first American woman since Mary Lou Retton
to win an Olympic medal in vault Sunday,
taking the silver behind Monica Rosu of
Romania. Anna Pavlova of Russia took bronze.
Hatch, a former national champion in Cuba,
qualified for the Olympics in 1996 but wasn't
able to go because of financial restraints
in the country.
She moved to the United States and got
married. Then, after a five-year retirement,
Hatch resumed her gymnastics career in 2001.
She was named to the U.S. Olympic team this
year as a vault specialist.
Retton also won silver on vault in the
1984 Olympics, following her victory in
the all-around.
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