Cuba, Castro and Bioterrorism

Feature Article

Cuba, Castro and Bioterrorism

Agustín Blázquez

There are many academic studies, articles and books in public records exposing Castro's long term involvement with bacteriological and chemical weapons. The information has been presented in public forums. The U.S. media has been invited but they systematically choose to be absent. Perhaps so that by being absent they can claim, "but I didn't know." This information will also clash with the heavily orchestrated campaign to present Castro as non-threatening in order to normalize relations with Cuba. This collaboration of the U.S. media with the Castro regime is reprehensible.

I first learned pertinent details about Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and his bacteriological warfare after attending a discussion on Capitol Hill on October 28, 1997. As usual, the U.S. media did not show up. I also read the October 1997 paper titled "Castro: A Threat to the Security of the United States" by Dr. Manuel Cereijo, a professor at Florida International University who has written over 500 articles published in national and international journals.

The paper details Cuba's work in the fields of bacteriological and chemical warfare "since the mid-eighties." And the "several centers and institutes that do research and development," and that "there are special groups, working on projects to develop chemical, biological and bacteriological warfare."

It listed the names of these centers and institutes: "the Biotechnology Center, the Immunology Center, the Genetic Engineering Center, the Tropical Medicine Institute, the Findlay Institute, the Biocen, the Academy of Sciences, the Oceanographic Institute, the Biological Preparations Center, the Center for the Breeding of Laboratory Animals, the National Center for Animal and Plant Health, the Neuroscience Center and La Fabriquita or 'Little Factory.' These centers are spread around Havana." Dr. Cereijo's paper specifies their addresses and says, "Many Cuban engineers and scientists have been trained by former East Germany, the Soviet Union, North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Vietnam and China."

Over the years, Castro's Cuba has developed very ingenious ways to deliver their deadly materials to the U.S. As Dr. Cereijo says, "To conduct a bacteriological attack, a country or a terrorist group does not need to have any sophisticated means of delivery, such as a missile. A container, the size of a 5 pound of sugar bag, can bring bacteriological material capable of causing over 50,000 casualties in an urban area depending on the flow of air and atmospheric conditions."

In a previous article "Castro and International Terrorism," I mentioned the evidence pointing to Castro's involvement with the introduction of West Nile virus into the U.S. via migratory birds. In addition to people affected and some deaths caused by the virus in the U.S., it is affecting endangered animal species.

An Associated Press dispatch in The Washington Times dated September 18, 2001, on page A7, says, "Many zoos across the country have agreed to begin tracking the West Nile virus, which is blamed for the deaths of at least three birds at the Philadelphia Zoo in the past month." Among the dead birds was "a rare Humboldt penguin." The same virus "is suspected in the death of a second Humboldt penguin."

According to the AP dispatch, "The only other zoo believed to have lost birds to West Nile is the Bronx Zoo in New York, where more than 20 birds died from the virus when it was first detected in 1999." NewsMax reported on September 26, 2001 that "Wisconsin health officials Wednesday said tests have confirmed the presence of the West Nile virus in seven more dead crows found in Milwaukee County." Would it take the death of Sesame Street's Big Bird for the U.S. media to begin showing an interest in Castro's bacteriological program?

Scientifically cooperating with Castro's Cuba in the study of migratory birds --- birds apparently are being used as carriers of lethal virus against the U.S. --- were the Smithsonian Institution, the Department of Ornithology of the American Museum of Natural History in New York and The Audubon Society, among others enumerated in my previous article. So much for scientific exchanges with the enemy.

Also listed in Dr. Cereijo's paper, are other ingenious ways researched in Cuba to deliver deadly biological agents including the developing "from marine technology, with the assistance of Japan, which never knew what the final product was, a paralyzing toxin, which is now ready to use.

"In 1992, the Institute of Oceanographic Studies, conducted an experiment with the Academy of Sciences (both politically controlled by Castro as all organizations in Cuba are), to find which places on the Cuban coast were the best to let bottles and containers reach the United States coast line fastest and most effectively."

The regime's official motivation (for public and international consumption) was "a study of marine streams." The scheme was, as Dr. Cereijo's reveals, "to put notes inside the bottles, asking for replies. They found where in Cuba was best to release containers with bacteriological material. The north coast of Havana province was found to be the best, as well as the region around the town of Sagua La Grande. This has been documented by several finders of bottles as well as by engineers from Cuba who worked on the project."

The U.S. media should inform the American people of these matters. The people in the southern and southeastern coastal areas of the U.S. should be on notice not to pick up or open any floating objects.

Children are very curious, so parents should instruct their children of the danger of picking up and opening what they find at the beach. Information and precaution is the only way to prevent a major catastrophe caused by bacteriological material sent that way.

In 1997, a confidential report was smuggled from Cuba. A July 20, 1998, Insight Magazine article appeared in The Washington Times titled "Fidel Castro's Deadly Secret --- Five BioChem Warfare Labs" by Martin Arostegui. "The credibility of the smuggled documents is enhanced by a recent classified Pentagon analysis," said Arostegui.

Among other shocking information I learned from this confidential report was that the bacteriological and chemical warfare capabilities of Castro are now known by the U.S. government. And that there are about 12 centers producing bacteriological agents strategically located around Havana.

The newest and most notorious, La Fabriquita ("Little Factory"), was built by the Military Enterprise of Strategic Works (EMPI). It has a 10,000-RPM centrifuge and other laboratory equipment bought through COMICONDOR, an Italian company in Milan that also supplies technology to Libya for Muammar Qaddafi's biological-weapons experiments. This factory in Havana was "inaugurated in 1993 on Armed Forces Day on December 2, 1993," and has been in operation for eight years.

In order to enter La Fabriquita you need "top-secret credentials --- you must pass through a station of the Cuban Armed Forces (FAR), odd for a place supposedly producing cattle feed, which is its disguise. It is called 'Animal-Feed Plant.' This does not correspond to details known to U.S. authorities."

The report gives a lot of specific information about La Fabriquita, which is located just across the street from "Cuba's premier medical center --- the Luis Diaz Soto General Hospital, formerly known as the Naval Hospital. That is where Fidel and Raúl Castro are believed to have their regular health exams and emergency care." At that hospital's School of Medicine, the report says "are three pools of cadavers that may be used for additional tests, using human tissue."

Oddly, that "Animal-Feed Plant" located in Havana "is well protected by rapid action defense units. The hospital area is inside the FAR's north coastal fringe defense zone."

In relation to its Italian 10,000-RPM centrifuge equipment, Dr. Cereijo says, "These are of a high capacity and they are shielded against lethal agents. Also Cuba is involved in the so-called 'binary weapons' where two chemicals are used (harmless, otherwise) to form a toxic agent when a weapon is exploded. They can be disguised as common agricultural chemicals, which make them more difficult to detect. This new weapon is part of the ultra-lethal Novichok class.

"They have also the capability to develop A-232, made from agricultural and industrial chemicals that are not lethal until mixed. These new agents are as toxic as VX, a persistent nerve agent, and as resistant to treatment as Soman. Also, they are more difficult to detect and easier to manufacture than VX. In fact, A-232, or A-234, can be made using common industrial solvent and an organic phosphate compound, disguised as a common pesticide."

Pastors for Peace is a supposedly "religious" and "humanitarian" New York-based organization. But records and sources say that they are apparently a fanatical and prone-to-violence pro-Castro front organization advancing Castro's agenda and misinformation. They are an important part of his support network inside the U.S. conducting fundraising to advance their radical agenda.

Now we find that last July 13, 2001, The Los Angeles Times reported that the pastors, after returning from Cuba, were trying to cross the border with Mexico smuggling 30 pounds of "rat poison" (Biorat) made in Cuba.

The head of Pastors for Peace is Rev. Lucius Walker, a close friend of Fidel Castro who is constantly traveling to Cuba. His group specializes in creating border-crossing incidents with the U.S. border authorities. On October 23, 1996, he delivered a pro-Castro speech for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Communist Party USA.

According to The Los Angeles Times' report, "he [Rev. Walker] openly challenged U.S. officials to block the shipment of Biorat, asserting that the move would 'show the true colors' of President Bush's Cuba policy."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, "Biorat is not admissible into the United States," because "it poses a public health risk worldwide." The report cites "A 1996 article in the British medical journal Lancet asserting that the product could easily cause food-borne disease in people."

Through his agents like Pastors for Peace and other subterfuges, Castro continues to export toxins into the U.S. that can cause harm to the American people while proclaiming friendship for them.

Dr. Cereijo says, "The Cubans also have carried out studies on the propagation of microorganisms by means of fumigation aircraft or micro-jets." On September 24 and 25, 2001, it was reported on U.S. television news that members of the suspected ring of terrorists that executed the September 11 attack against the American people, were inquiring about crop-dusting airplanes in Florida.
"The same system could become the basis for the application of bacteriological weapons," pointed out Dr. Cereijo's 1999-updated version of his paper. "La Fabriquita could be engaged in producing an anthrax toxin like the one reported being developed by the Russians, according to the defense publication Jane's. Russia's new variant of the anthrax toxin is totally resistant to antibiotics and could cause a catastrophe."

"The United States, as recognized by government officials, is not prepared for a biochemical attack, or germ warfare. Intelligence sources in the United States do not question if there will be an attack, but when will it be. Saddam Hussein and Castro are friendly allies. Castro has sent medical teams and scientists to Iraq. These activities are very suspicious."

The blunder of John F. Kennedy by betraying the April 1961 invasion of Bay of Pigs to get rid of Castro, brought on the October 1962 Missile Crisis that put the world at the brink of nuclear war. And this situation led to the Kennedy-Khrushchev deal for which the U.S. became Castro's protector by agreeing to prevent any foreign invasion of Cuba.

However, Castro and the former Soviet Union violated their part of the Kennedy-Khrushchev deal by exporting revolutions to Latin America and Africa. And Castro not only destroyed the once prosperous and advanced Cuba, bringing misery to his people, but also extended his hands supporting terrorism throughout the American continent and abroad.

To date Castro continues training, arming and offering sanctuary to international terrorists and placing his agents and spies in the U.S. --- note the September 21, 2001, detention of the spy Ana Belen Montes in the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The July 28, 1997 Forbes Magazine reported that Castro is worth "$1.4 billion." In a 1997 report titled "The Comandante's Reserves" compiled from information given by high-ranking government defectors, especially Jesus M. Fernandez, some of his money has been traced to 1959. A large part of it was stolen from the Cuban people and more from his profits from drug trafficking. Most of the money resides in Swiss bank accounts from which it is used to pay for international subversion, the purchasing of arms, his terrorist activities, agents and spies. History one day will reveal how nefarious Castro has been in our hemisphere.

Castro --- obviously threatening the U.S. --- said on January 28, 1997, "This lamb cannot ever be devoured, not with planes, nor with smart bombs, because this lamb has more intelligence than you and in its blood there is and always will be poison for you!" Don't miss the key word "poison."

According to Declan McCullagh's February 9, 2001, article "Feds Say Fidel Is Hacker Threat," "These must be jittery times for anyone in the military who uses the Internet. Not only do they have to guard against Love Bug worms and security holes in Microsoft Outlook --- now they've got to worry about Fidel Castro hacking into their computers.

"Admiral Tom Wilson, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, says the 74-year-old communist dictator may be preparing a cyberattack against the United States. Wilson told the Senate Intelligence Committee during a public hearing Wednesday that Castro's armed forces could initiate an 'information warfare or computer network attack' that could 'disrupt our military.' The panel later went into closed session to discuss classified material."

This article further supports Dr. Cereijo's 1997 paper in relation to Castro's regime being actively involved in terrorism directed at U.S. computer systems. Castro's unpublicized-by-the-media war against the U.S. is on all fronts. Ignorance will make us more vulnerable.

Last May 9, 2001, Castro proclaimed in Iran, "Today, there is a king in the world a thousand times stronger than the shah you overthrew, and that is the imperialist king living next to my homeland. However, this imperialist king will finally fall, just as your king was overthrown."

According to Agence France Presse, Castro affirmed in Iran on May 10, that "Iran and Cuba, in cooperation with each other, can bring America to its knees. The U.S. regime is very weak, and we are witnessing this weakness from close up."

An in his May 16 visit with Muammar Qaddafi, Castro said, "Cuban and Libyan revolutions have similar objectives."

On September 22, 2001, Castro in Havana accused the U.S. of being "a world military dictatorship" attacking President Bush's resolve of defending the U.S. against terrorism in spite of the overwhelming support of the American people and the international community.

Apparently, foreseeing the possibility of his ties to terrorism, his "secret" bacteriological and cybernetic war against the U.S. being finally exposed, he sent a warning to the U.S. in case the U.S. attacks Cuba in pursuit of terrorists. Castro proclaimed that "the Cuban people will fight until the last drop of blood if they are attacked by the U.S."

New Cuban Press dispatch by Havana Press' independent journalist Jorge Olivera, reported on September 19 of the "tension in Havana" and the Cuban "military have been placed in a state of alert."

Now, after years of appeasement, the nonsense about engagement, people-to-people cultural, scientific and sport exchanges, the pervasive campaign to lift the U.S. embargo and tourist visits to Cuba, we clearly see that Castro has used this time to develop weapons of mass destruction in our backyard to be used against us. All the while the U.S. media keeps misinforming us.

The blackmail potential that this represents renders the U.S. and its people in grave danger and in an almost impotent situation. The U.S. must not lower its guard in relation to Cuba. We must not put all of our eggs in one basket. It could be fatal.

Mr. Blázquez is the producer and director of the documentaries Covering Cuba, Covering Cuba 2: The Next Generation and the upcoming Covering Cuba 3: Elián, and co-author of the book Covering and Discovering with Carlos Wotzkow. His e-mail is: [email protected]. ©2001 ABIP. This article was written in collaboration with Jaums Sutton.