The 1999 and 2000 reports reiterate that "Cuba continued to provide safe haven to several terrorists and U.S. fugitives in 1999. A number of Basque ETA terrorists who gained sanctuary in Cuba some years ago continued to live on the island, as did several U.S. terrorist fugitives." Havana also maintained ties to other state sponsors of terrorism and Latin American insurgents. Colombia's two largest terrorist organizations, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN), both maintained a permanent presence on the island. In late 1999, Cuba hosted a series of meetings between Colombian Government officials and ELN leaders.
The 2001 report strongly rebukes Fidel Castro's characterization of the U.S. war on terror after the events of 9/11. "Since September 11, Fidel Castro has vacillated over the war on terrorism. In October, he labeled the US-led war on terrorism 'worse than the original attacks, militaristic, and fascist.'" The report continues, "When this tactic earned ostracism rather than praise, he undertook an effort to demonstrate Cuban support for the international campaign against terrorism and signed all 12 UN counterterrorism conventions as well as the Ibero-American declaration on terrorism at the 2001 summit... Although Cuba decided not to protest the detention of suspected terrorists at the US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, it continued to denounce the global effort against terrorism -- even by asserting that the United States was intentionally targeting Afghan children and Red Cross hospitals. Cuba's signature of UN counterterrorism conventions notwithstanding, Castro continued to view terror as a legitimate revolutionary tactic."
For the first time, the 2001 report mentions one American by name, "Numerous US fugitives continued to live on the island, including Joanne Chesimard, wanted in the United States for the murder in 1973 of a New Jersey police officer and living as a guest of the Castro regime since 1979."
The 2002 report acknowledged that in 2001 Cuba signed and ratified all 12 international counterterrorism conventions, but the report emphasizes that Cuba "has remained opposed to the US-led coalition prosecuting the war on global terrorism and has been actively critical of many associated US policies and actions. On repeated occasions, for example, Cuba sent agents to US missions around the world who provided false leads designed to subvert the post-September 11 investigation." The 2002 report also noted, "Cuba did not protest the use of the Guantanamo Bay base to house enemy combatants from the conflict in Afghanistan."
As the U.S. invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003, the 2003 report describes Cuba's condemnation of U.S. war policies, particularly that actions by states to destabilize other states as a form of terrorism. The report stated, "Cuba remained opposed to the US-led coalition prosecuting the global war on terrorism and actively condemned many associated US policies and actions throughout 2003. Government-controlled press reporting about US-led military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were consistently critical of the United States and frequently and baselessly alleged US involvement in violations of human rights. Government propaganda claimed that those fighting for self-determination or against foreign occupation are exercising internationally recognized rights and cannot be accused of terrorism. Cuba's delegate to the UN said terrorism cannot be defined as including acts by legitimate national liberation movements -- even though many such groups clearly employ tactics that intentionally target innocent civilians to advance their political, religious, or social agendas. In referring to US policy toward Cuba, the delegate asserted, "acts by states to destabilize other states is a form of terrorism."
For the second time since 1996, the 2003 report mentions American citizen Joanne Chesimard by name, "The Government refuses to return suspected terrorists to countries when it alleges that a receiving government could not provide a fair trial because the charges against the accused are "political." Cuba has publicly used this argument with respect to a number of fugitives from US justice, including Joanne Chesimard, wanted for the murder of a New Jersey State Trooper in 1973. Dozens of fugitives from US justice have taken refuge on the island."
The report does acknowledge cooperation from the Cuban government in some instances, but not in "political" cases. "In a few cases, the Cuban Government has rendered fugitives from US justice to US authorities. The salient feature of Cuba's behavior in this arena, however, is its refusal to render to US justice any fugitive whose crime is judged by Cuba to be "political."
On the issues of members of "terrorist groups" living in Cuba, the 2003 report also acknowledges that "Havana permitted up to 20 ETA members to reside in Cuba and provided some degree of safehaven and support to members of FARC and the ELN. Bogota was aware of the arrangement and apparently acquiesced; it has publicly indicated that it seeks Cuba's continued mediation with ELN agents in Cuba. A declaration issued by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 2003 maintained that the presence of ETA members in Cuba arose from a request for assistance by Spain and Panama and that the issue is a bilateral matter between Cuba and Spain. The declaration similarly defended its assistance to the FARC and the ELN as contributing to a negotiated solution in Colombia."
With respect to domestic terrorism in Cuba, the report stated that the Cuban government in April 2003 executed three Cubans who attempted to hijack a ferry to the United States. The three were executed under Cuba's 2001 "Law Against Acts of Terrorism."
However, the report did not reveal that after three hijacking incidents in three weeks in March, 2003, including the hijacking of the ferry boat, the ranking United States diplomat in Havana, James Cason, warned the Cuban public on Cuban television on April 3, 2003 that Cuban hijackers who reached the United States would be jailed and would never obtain legal residency.
In addition to the ferry boat hijacking, on March 30, 2003, a hijacker carrying a fake hand grenade forced a Cuban domestic airliner with 31 people on board to fly to Key West, Fla. A Cuban citizen, Adelmis Wilson Gonzà ¡lez, was charged with air piracy in the case and later convicted in U.S. courts of air piracy and faced life in prison.
A second commercial flight carrying 37 people was hijacked by six men brandishing knives and flown to Florida on March 19. The six were arrested in the United States on charges of conspiracy to seize an aircraft.
The 2004 report again criticized Cuba's opposition to the US-led coalition on the global war on terrorism. "Cuba continues to maintain at the UN and other fora that acts by legitimate national liberation movements cannot be defined as terrorism, and has sought to characterize as "legitimate national liberation movements" a number of groups that intentionally target innocent civilians to advance their political, religious, or social agendas. The Cuban Government claims, despite the absence of evidence, that it is a principal victim of terrorism sponsored by Cuban-Americans in the United States. The Cuban Government's actions and public statements run contrary to the spirit of the UN conventions on terrorism that it has signed."
The report states that "Many of the over seventy fugitives from US justice that have taken refuge on the island are accused of committing violent acts in the Unites States that targeted innocents in order to advance political causes. They include Joanne Chesimard, who is wanted for the murder of a New Jersey State Trooper in 1973. On a few rare occasions the Cuban government has transferred fugitives to the United States, although it maintains that fugitives would not receive a fair trial in the United States." (scroll to end of section)
For the first time, the 2005 report said that the Government of Cuba maintains close relationships with other "state sponsors of terrorism" such as Iran and North Korea.
"Cuba invests heavily in biotechnology, and there is some dispute about the existence and extent of Cuba's offensive biological weapons program. The Cuban Government maintains friendly ties with Iran and North Korea. Cuban Foreign Minister Perez Roque visited Iran on November 13. Earlier in the year, Iran offered Cuba a 20 million euro line of credit, ostensibly for investment in biotechnology. The Cuba-Iran Joint Commission met in Havana in January. Cuba and North Korea held military talks at the general staff level in May in Pyongyang. The North Korean trade minister visited Havana in November and signed a protocol for cooperation in the areas of science and trade."
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