- The Guardian
- Issue #2044
CUBA: Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel criticised the inclusion of his country in the US Department of State’s list of “States sponsor of terrorism.” “The US government keeps our country on this spurious list to slander us and try to justify its illegal blockade against our people,” Diaz-Carnel pointed out. Washington accuses Cuba of not responding to an extradition request issued by former Colombian President Ivan Duque’s administration against two leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN) who participated in peace negotiations with the Colombian state in 2021. Cuban foreign Affairs Ministry Director for Latin America Eugenio Martinez forcibly rejected the accusation, explaining that the Colombian government suspended such a request. “How far do the incompetence and evil intentions of the United States go?” Martinez stressed, welcoming the fact that the ELN resumed peace talks with the Colombian state in Mexico. Such countries as Iraq, Libya, South Yemen, and Sudan were formerly listed as “state sponsors of terrorism.” As of 2023, the list is Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.
AFGHANISTAN: Donald Trump accused the Taliban government of Afghanistan of selling American weapons to Russia and China. After the hasty American withdrawal from Afghanistan a huge amount of US-supplied military equipment was left behind. Some items were destroyed by the retreating US troops but there remained enough to put Afghanistan second in terms of weapons sales, according to Trump. The former president was particularly concerned about Apache helicopters as he was sure that Russia and China would take them apart and start copying them. It might come as a surprise to Trump to find out later how many weapons so generously supplied to Ukraine would find their way to all sorts of places.
ARGENTINA: The Argentine authorities have taken a decision to denounce the agreement with the UK on activities in the Malvinas Islands (the Falkland Islands to the British). The UK received a special note from Argentina, which pointed out that the agreement was only beneficial to Britain and was offensive to Argentina’s national security.
SRI LANKA: Sri Lankan communists demanded an explanation of a secret CIA head’s visit to the country last month. Dr G Weerasinghe, general secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka said that a US delegation arrived in a special aircraft on 14th February and the US passengers were not subject to the usual immigration control procedures or even required to show their passports. “In essence, there are no records of some people who came in,” he said. Indian papers later reported that CIA director William Burns was denied entry to Nepal from Sri Lanka. The Nepalese authorities advised the US embassy that given the impending presidential election it would be inappropriate for Burns to enter the country. Weerasinghe said it was unacceptable that Burns had apparently secretly visited Sri Lanka. “The government should reveal who he had met and why,” he said.
