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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Castro on Corea; Cuba and the
Koreas<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Fidel Castro, who has opinions on most things
and the time and space to air them, has lately been holding forth about Korea;
see below. (Thanks to the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Financial
Times</I> for the tip.)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Howlers and imprecisions would fail this as an
undergraduate essay; his first 8 sentences are each false, or questionable. The
tendentiousness too is depressing, if unsurprising. (Note the lazy relapse into
culturalism to ‘explain’ South Korean development, rather than junking the
crudely static theories of imperialism according to which this just shouldn’t
happen.)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Yet Fidel is Fidel, so this has to be of
interest; eg the criticism of North Korea’s nuclear test – but of nothing else
about the DPRK, or its leaders – and his saying: “With South Korea, we are
developing more and more ties.” (Cuba and Syria are the only two major nations
that still do not officially recognize the ROK, along with Macedonia (?) and
Monaco (!))<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">On Cuba’s growing links to Seoul, the articles
and pictures below offer further illustrations and food for thought. I commented
on Hyundai’s power stations at the time in <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Asia Times</I>, as excerpted below: <A href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/HI06Dg01.html"><FONT color=#800080>http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/HI06Dg01.html</FONT></A>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT size=4> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Moreover, at this very moment the Cuban
baseball team is training for the Beijing Olympics in Korea – South Korea, that
is – complete with Fidel’s son Antonio as their physician.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><A href="http://www.expat-advisory.com/south-korea/seoul/cuban-baseball-players-in-seoul.php"><FONT color=#800080>http://www.expat-advisory.com/south-korea/seoul/cuban-baseball-players-in-seoul.php</FONT></A>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">In his latest flourish, hot off the press today
(August 1), Antonio’s papa refers (tactfully) to:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><FONT face="Book Antiqua"><FONT size=4>“The proud Cuban athletes of the Olympic baseball team, who have been
wonderfully taken care of by their Korean hosts and will be even better taken
care of in China…” <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><A href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/agosto/vier1/32reflexiones.html"><FONT color=#800080 size=4>http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/agosto/vier1/32reflexiones.html</FONT></A><FONT size=4> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Good old <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Granma</I>, where you can read the thoughts
of chairman Castro on every subject under the sun – including on Japan, China
and more – these days also carries ads for South Korean cars (Kia and Ssangyong)
on the same page. O tempora…</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB> </SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><A href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/reflections-fidel-castro.html"><FONT color=#800080>http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/reflections-fidel-castro.html</FONT></A>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Happy summers to one and
all,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Aidan<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 10">
</SPAN>1 August 2008<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">AIDAN
FOSTER-CARTER<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Sociology
& Modern Korea, Leeds University <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">New home address: </SPAN></I><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">Flat 1, 40 Magdalen Road,
Exeter, EX2 4TE, UK</SPAN></B><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">Yorkshire address:</SPAN></I><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> 17
Birklands Road, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD18 3BY, UK
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">Telephone </SPAN></I><SPAN style="COLOR: black">(please use
mobile in the first instance)<I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">:
</I>+44(0)<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>7970<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>741307<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">Exeter</SPAN></I></st1:City></st1:place><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="COLOR: black">:
</SPAN></I><SPAN style="COLOR: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic">+44 (0)
1392<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>257753<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 3">
</SPAN><I>Shipley: </I></SPAN><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>+44(0) 1274<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>588586<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">[NB old fax and ISDN numbers will be
changing; tba]<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black">Email:</SPAN></I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; COLOR: black"> <A title=mailto:afostercarter@aol.com href="mailto:afostercarter@aol.com"><FONT color=#000000>afostercarter@aol.com</FONT></A><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">(alt)</I> <A title=mailto:afostercarter@yahoo.com href="mailto:afostercarter@yahoo.com"><FONT color=#000000>afostercarter@yahoo.com</FONT></A><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">website:</I> <A title=http://www.aidanfc.net/ href="http://www.aidanfc.net/"><FONT color=#000000>www.aidanfc.net</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black"><FONT face="Times New Roman">[Please use
@aol; but if any problems, please try @yahoo too – and let me know, so I can
chide AOL]<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p>__________________________</o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></SPAN><A href="http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200608/200608140022.html"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#800080 size=3>http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200608/200608140022.html</FONT></A><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Updated Aug.14,2006 22:07 KST<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 20pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Fidel Hails Revolutionary Korean Efficiency
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro had high praise for Koreans in a meeting with
staffers from Hyundai Heavy Industries, who are building packaged power stations
in the Caribbean nation, the company said Monday.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Right
before falling ill with intestinal bleeding, Castro and a group of aides made a
surprise visit to the construction site on July 11. The elderly revolutionary
was dressed in military uniform and limped a little, witnesses said. After
looking around the site, he told Korean workers it was extraordinary that such a
small number of workers can build a power station. A mere 11 Korean workers are
involved in the construction. The Cuban leader was quoted as urging his people
to learn from the diligence and aggressive working style of Koreans.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA1.1217753918@aol.com" height=327 width=500 border=0 v:shapes="_x0000_i1025" DATASIZE="99525" ID="MA1.1217753918" ><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Cuban leader Fidel Castro makes a visit to the
construction site of power stations built by <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 36pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Korea¡¯s Hyundai Heavy Industries. /Yonhap<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">In
May, Castro met with management of the Korean company to sign the contract for
the station. At the time, he said Koreans were even more reliable than Japanese
people since they work fast and push toward the goal. Hyundai Heavy Industries
quoted Castro as saying South Koreans were also ¡°better than North Koreans and
Chinese.¡± <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Hyundai Heavy Industries won the US$720 million contract
to produce and install 544 packaged power facilities across the nation. Once
completed by the end of next year, they will likely supply one-third of the
total power generation in Cuba, the company said. Castro underwent surgery to
halt internal bleeding after temporarily handing over power to his younger
brother Raul late last month but is reportedly recovering.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">(englishnews@chosun.com ) </FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">__________________________<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><A href="http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200701/200701300030.html"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#800080 size=3>http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200701/200701300030.html</FONT></A><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Updated Jan.30,2007 10:30 KST<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Korean-Made Power Generators Appear on Cuban Banknotes
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">A
power generator built by a Korean company appears on new 10-peso banknotes
issued by the Central Bank of Cuba from the start of this year. After winning a
bid in 2005, Hyundai Heavy Industries has been installing 544 package power
stations, or PPS systems, in 41 areas around Cuba. A ceremony to mark the
completion of the first installation is scheduled take place at the end of this
month in the capital Havana. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA2.1217753918@aol.com" height=222 width=500 border=0 v:shapes="_x0000_i1026" DATASIZE="61533" ID="MA2.1217753918" ></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The
newly-designed bills feature an engraving of the container-sized generators,
along with a Spanish slogan that translates to "energy revolution," on the
reverse side of the widely-circulated 10-peso notes.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Suffering from chronic power shortages, Cuba is putting a
significant effort into developing its energy industry. The country's president
Fidel Castro last year personally inspected the installation site of one of
Hyundai's PPS facilities. <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">(englishnews@chosun.com )
<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<DIV style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0cm; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0cm; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 1pt solid; mso-element: para-border-div; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt">
<P class=MsoNormal style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0cm; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 0cm; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>From Aidan Foster-Carter, “Seoul cleans up in Africa”, Asia Times Online,
<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sep 6, 2006 </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>
</FONT></SPAN><A href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/HI06Dg01.html"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#800080 size=3>http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/HI06Dg01.html</FONT></A></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>….</FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>If South Korea is in no rush to bag these last two scalps, that's because
its commerce, if not its diplomats, is far from unwelcome in Damascus and
Havana. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>For example, last year Cuba wanted to build a network of small local
power stations. That's a North Korean specialty, at least as Pyongyang tells it.
It was prowess in this area that brought ex-premier Yon Hyong-muk back from
quasi-exile running Jagang province to be vice chairman and senior civilian on
the National Defense Commission - the top executive body, outranking the cabinet
- before his untimely demise last October. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>So Fidel Castro called in the Koreans. Er, the other Koreans. The $720
million contract went to Hyundai Heavy Industries, who set to work installing no
fewer than 544 packaged power facilities - with just 11 workers. (I'll bet the
North Korean version, by contrast, needs hundreds of scrawny peasants with
shovels, and is grossly inefficient - if indeed it works at all.) </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Thus it was that the right-wing Seoul daily Chosun Ilbo marked Liberation
Day on August 15 with one of its unlikelier headlines: "Fidel hails
revolutionary Korean efficiency". A month earlier, on July 11 (but only now
revealed), the Cuban leader paid a surprise visit to Hyundai's site. He was
impressed that so few workers are needed for a project that, when completed by
end-2007, will supply one-third of Cuba's electricity needs, and was quoted as
urging Cubans to learn from the Koreans' "diligence and aggressive working
style". </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>For good measure he had a photo taken with them, Kim Jong-il style. Two
months earlier, signing the contract, Fidel (according to Hyundai) said South
Koreans were not only "better than North Koreans and Chinese" but even more
reliable than Japanese, because they work fast toward a goal. That won't have
made pleasant holiday reading for the Dear Leader. </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>But hang on. It was just after visiting Hyundai that Castro came down
with the mysterious intestinal bleeding that has sidelined him for the past few
weeks. Among all the various medical and conspiracy theories flying around,
might it have been something in the kimchi? </FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><A href="http://www.expat-advisory.com/south-korea/seoul/cuban-baseball-players-in-seoul.php"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#800080 size=3>http://www.expat-advisory.com/south-korea/seoul/cuban-baseball-players-in-seoul.php</FONT></A><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-SIZE: 20.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN">Cuban
baseball players in Seoul<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 13.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"><FONT size=3>Cuba's
national baseball team arrived Tuesday in Korea to train here ahead of the the
Summer Games in Beijing, accompanied by the high-profile son of former Cuban
President Fidel Castro, an official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News
Agency.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 13.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"><FONT size=3>The
baseball powerhouse that won three Olympic gold medals from 1992-2004 is one of
a host of Olympic teams that have come here after being lured by Korea's
environmental conditions, which are better than those of
Beijing.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 13.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"><FONT size=3>Antonio
Castro, the 39-year-old son of the retired Cuban president, accompanied the team
as a physician but declined to give an interview to journalists at Incheon
International Airport. Castro also serves as a vice head of Cuba's baseball
governing body.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 13.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"><FONT size=3>The
44-member team will train in environmentally pristine southern Korea and leave
for China just a day before the Beijing Olympics begin on August 8, Park
Geun-chan of the Korean Baseball Organization said by
phone.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 13.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"><FONT size=3>During
its training here, the team hopes to play friendlies with local professional
squads, Cuban coach Antonio Pacheco told Korean reporters at the
airport.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 13.75pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN"><FONT size=3>July 16,
2008<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><A href="http://app.yonhapnews.co.kr/yna/basic/ArticleEnglish/ArticlePhoto/YIBW_showArticlePhotoPopup.aspx?contents_id=PYH20080320002100341"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#800080 size=3>http://app.yonhapnews.co.kr/yna/basic/ArticleEnglish/ArticlePhoto/YIBW_showArticlePhotoPopup.aspx?contents_id=PYH20080320002100341</FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P></TD>
<TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-RIGHT: 0cm; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; PADDING-LEFT: 0cm; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0cm; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 0cm; BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA3.1217753918@aol.com" height=9 width=9 border=0 v:shapes="_x0000_i1027" DATASIZE="234" ID="MA3.1217753918" ><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></TD></TR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA4.1217753918@aol.com" height=243 width=500 border=0 v:shapes="_x0000_i1028" DATASIZE="176845" ID="MA4.1217753918" ><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7pt; COLOR: #333333; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></TD></TR>
<TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes">
<TD style="BORDER-RIGHT: #c8c8c8 1pt solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 6.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #c8c8c8 1pt solid; PADDING-LEFT: 6.25pt; BACKGROUND: #faf9f3; PADDING-BOTTOM: 6.25pt; BORDER-LEFT: #c8c8c8 1pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 6.25pt; BORDER-BOTTOM: #c8c8c8 1pt solid; mso-border-alt: solid #C8C8C8 .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #C8C8C8 .25pt">
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 160%"><FONT face="Times New Roman">S. Korea, Cuba hold economic
talks<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">March 19, MEXICO CITY, Mexico -- Visiting
officials from South Korea's Korea Export Insurance Corporation,
including its head Cho Hwan-eik, holds talks with ranking Cuban
officials about purchases of Korean products in Cuba on March 18. It
was the first time in 49 years that the South Korean and Cuban flags
were displayed together. The nations have no diplomatic ties.
(Yonhap) <BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"></FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><A href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/julio/juev24/Reflections-22julio.html"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#800080 size=3>http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/julio/juev24/Reflections-22julio.html</FONT></A><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: white; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">C U B
A</SPAN></STRONG></P></TD>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align=right><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Havana. July 22,
2008</SPAN></B></P></TD></TR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P></TD></TR>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Reflections
of Fidel</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><BR><I> </I></SPAN><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">The two
Koreas</SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><BR></SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">PART I</SPAN><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><BR></SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Translated by
ESTI</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">THE Korean nation, with its unique
culture that differentiates it from its Chinese and Japanese neighbors,
has existed for three thousand years. These characteristics are typical of
societies in that Asian region, including those of China, Vietnam and
others. There is nothing like it in Western cultures, some of which are
less than 250 years old.<BR>In the war of 1894, the Japanese had seized
from China its control over the Korean dynasty and turned its territory
into a Japanese colony. Protestantism was introduced into this country in
the year 1892, following an agreement between the United States and the
Korean authorities. On the other hand, Catholicism was introduced in the
same century by missionaries. It is estimated that today in South Korea,
around 25 percent of the population is Christian and a similar percentage
is Buddhist. The philosophy of Confucius had a great influence on the
spirit of Koreans, who are not characterized by fanatical religious
practices.<BR>Two important figures stand out in that nation’s political
life in the 20th century: Syngman Rhee, born in March of 1875, and Kim Il
Sung, born 37 years later in April of 1912. Both personalities, of
different social background, confronted each other due to historical
circumstances that had nothing to do with either of them.<BR>The
Christians opposed the Japanese colonial system. One of them was Syngman
Rhee, who was an actively practicing Protestant. Korea changed its status:
Japan annexed its territory in 1910. Years later, in 1919, Rhee was
appointed president of the provisional government in exile, headquartered
in Shanghai, China. He never used weapons against the invaders. The League
of Nations in Geneva paid no attention to him.<BR>The Japanese Empire was
brutally repressive with the Korean population. The patriots took up arms
against the Japanese colonialist policy and succeeded in liberating a
small area in the mountain region of the north at the end of the
1890’s.<BR>Kin Il Sung, born in the vicinity of Pyongyang, joined the
Korean Communist guerrillas to fight the Japanese at the age of 18. In his
active revolutionary life, he attained the position of political and
military leader of the anti-Japanese combatants in North Korea, at the
young age of 33.<BR>During World War II, the United States decided the
fate of Korea in the post-war period. It joined the conflict when it was
attacked by one of its own creatures, the Empire of the Rising Sun, whose
tight feudal gates were opened by Commodore Perry in the first half of the
19th century, aiming his cannons at the strange Asian country that refused
to trade with America.<BR>The outstanding disciple later became a powerful
rival, as I have already explained on another occasion. Decades later,
Japan successively struck at China and Russia, additionally taking over
Korea. Nevertheless it was an astute ally for the victors of World War I,
at the expense of China. It amassed forces and, transformed into the Asian
version of fascist Nazism, attempted to occupy Chinese territory in 1937
and attacked the United States in December of 1941; it brought the war to
Southeast Asia and Oceania.<BR>The colonial domains of Britain, France,
Holland and Portugal in the region were doomed and the United States
emerged as the most powerful country in the world, matched only by the
Soviet Union then destroyed by World War II and by the heavy material and
human losses resulting from the Nazi attack. The Chinese Revolution was
about to conclude in 1945 when the world massacre ceased. The united
anti-Japanese combat was taking up its energy then. Mao, Ho Chi Minh,
Gandhi, Sukarno and other leaders later carried on the fight against the
restoration of the old world order which was already unsustainable.
Truman dropped the nuclear bomb on two civilian Japanese cities; this was
a terribly destructive new weapon whose existence they had not reported to
their Soviet ally, as has been explained, one which had been the major
contributor to the destruction of fascism. Nothing justified the genocide
committed, not even the fact that the tenacious Japanese resistance had
taken the lives of almost 15,000 American soldiers on the Japanese island
of Okinawa. Japan was already defeated, and that weapon, had it been
dropped on a military target, would have sooner or later had the same
demoralizing effect on the Japanese military machine without any more
casualties among U.S. soldiers. It was an act of indescribable
terror.<BR>Soviet soldiers were advancing on Manchuria and North Korea,
just as they had promised when fighting ceased in Europe. The allies had
defined beforehand the point each army could reach. The dividing line
would be in the middle of Korea, equidistant between the Yalu River and
the southern end of the peninsula. The U.S. government negotiated with the
Japanese the rules that would govern the surrendering of troops on their
own territory. Japan would be occupied by the United States. In Korea,
annexed to Japan, a large force of the powerful Japanese army would
remain. South of the 38th Parallel, the established dividing line, U.S.
interests prevailed. Syngman Rhee, reincorporated into that part of the
territory by the U.S. government, was the leader the Americans supported,
with the open cooperation of the Japanese. That is how he won the
hard-fought election of 1948. That year, the soldiers of the Soviet Army
had pulled out of North Korea. <BR>On June 25, 1950 war broke out in the
country. It is still unclear who fired the first shot, whether it was the
combatants in the North or the American soldiers on duty with soldiers
recruited by Rhee. The argument does not make any sense if one analyzes it
from the Korean angle. Kim Il Sung’s soldiers fought against the Japanese
for the liberation of all Korea. His armies advanced irrepressibly to the
far reaches to the South where the Yankees were defending themselves with
the massive back-up of their fighter planes. Seoul and other cities had
been occupied. MacArthur, commander-in-chief of U.S. forces in the
Pacific, decided to order a Marine landing at Incheon, at the rearguard of
Northern forces which by then were in no condition to counterattack.
Pyongyang fell into the hands of Yankee forces, preceded by devastating
air strikes. That fostered the idea of the U.S. military command in the
Pacific to occupy all of Korea, since the Peoples’ Liberation Army of
China, lead by Mao Zedong had inflicted a resounding defeat on the
pro-Yankee forces of Chiang Kai-shek, supplied and supported by the United
States. The entire continental and maritime territory of that great
country had been recovered, with the exception of Taipei and other small
near-by islands where Kuomintang forces found refuge after being
transported there by vessels of the Sixth Fleet.<BR>The history of what
happened then is well known today. It should not be forgotten that Boris
Yeltsin handed over to Washington the Soviet Union archives, among other
things.<BR>What did the United States do when the virtually inevitable
conflict broke out under the premises created in Korea? It portrayed the
northern part of that country as the aggressor. The Security Council of
the recently created United Nations Organization, promoted by the
victorious powers of W. W. II, passed a resolution that none of the five
members could veto. Precisely in those months, the USSR had expressed its
disagreement with the exclusion of China from the Security Council, where
the United States was recognizing Chiang Kai-Shek, with less than 0.3
percent of national territory and less than 2 percent of the population,
as a member of that Council and with a right to the veto. Such
arbitrariness led to the absence of the Russian delegate, with the result
that the Council agreed to give the war the character of a UN military
action against the alleged aggressor: the Peoples’ Republic of Korea.
China, completely outside the conflict, which was affecting its unfinished
fight for the total liberation of the country, saw the threat hovering
directly against its own territory, this being unacceptable for its
security. According to public information, Prime Minister Zhou Enlai was
sent to Moscow to inform Stalin of China’s point of view as to the
inadmissibility of the presence of UN forces under U.S. command on the
banks of the Yalu River which marks Korea's border with China, and to
request Soviet cooperation. At the time there were no profound
contradictions between the two Socialist giants.<BR>It has been affirmed
that China’s response was planned for the October 13 and that Mao
postponed it to the 19th, awaiting the Soviet reply. That was as long as
he could put it off.<BR>I intend to finish this reflection next Friday. It
is a complex and laborious subject which requires special care and
information that is as precise as possible. These are historical events
that should be known and remembered.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><IMG SRC="cid:X.MA5.1217753918@aol.com" height=111 width=214 border=0 v:shapes="_x0000_i1029" DATASIZE="7997" ID="MA5.1217753918" ><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Fidel Castro Ruz<BR>July 22,
2008.<BR>9:22 p.m.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">- </SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><A href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/reflections-fidel-castro.html"><FONT color=#800080>Reflections</FONT></A> <A href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/reflections-of-president-fidel-castro.html"><FONT color=#000000>o</FONT></A><A href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/reflections-fidel-castro.html"><FONT color=#800080>F Fidel</FONT></A></SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><A href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/julio/sabado26/3reflexiones.html"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#800080 size=3>http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/julio/sabado26/3reflexiones.html</FONT></A><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><STRONG><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: white; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">C U B
A</SPAN></STRONG></P></TD>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align=right><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Havana. July 26,
2008</SPAN></B></P></TD></TR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" align=center><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">REFLECTIONS OF
FIDEL</SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" align=center><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">The
two Koreas</SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto" align=center><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Part II</SPAN></I></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">ON October 19, 1950, more than 400,000
voluntary Chinese combatants, on orders from Mao Zedong, crossed the Yalu
and waylaid the US troops that were advancing towards the Chinese border.
The US units, surprised by the vigorous response of the country that they
had underestimated, were forced to withdraw toward a region near the
southern coast, pushed back by the joint action of the Chinese and North
Korean forces. Stalin, who was immensely cautious, offered far less
support than Mao had anticipated, though the MiG-15 aircrafts piloted by
the Soviets over a limited 42.5-miles front, proved valuable help during
the initial stage of the conflict in protecting land forces during their
intrepid advance. Pyongyang was again recovered and Seoul re-occupied once
more, attempting to fight back the incessant onslaught of the US Air
Force, the most powerful that has ever existed. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">McArthur was anxious to attack China with
nuclear weapons. He called for their use following the shameful defeat
they had tasted. President Truman saw no other choice but to dismiss him
from his command and appoint General Matthews Ridgeway head of US air, sea
and land forces in the theater of operations. Next to the United States,
the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece,
Canada, Turkey, Ethiopia, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, New
Zealand, Thailand and Colombia took part in the imperialist adventure.
Colombia, then under the unitary government of conservative Laureano
Gómez, who was responsible for the mass slaughter of peasants, was the
only Latin American country involved. As we said, the Ethiopia of Haile
Selassie, where slavery still existed, and a South Africa still under the
domination of white racists, also took part in the invasion. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">It was barely five years since the world
slaughter that began in September 1939 had come to an end on August 1945.
Following bloody combat in Korean territory, Parallel 38 once again became
the border separating the North and South. It is estimated that, in that
war, about two million North Koreans, nearly half a million or one million
Chinese and more than one million allied soldiers perished. Around 44
thousand US soldiers lost their lives. More than a few of them had been
born in Puerto Rico or other Latin American countries, recruited to take
part in a war they were driven to by their condition as poor immigrants.
</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Japan was to reap many benefits from the
conflict. In the space of one year, industrial output grew by 50 % and,
within two years, it again reached pre-war production levels. What didn't
change, however, was how the acts of genocide committed by the imperial
troops in Korea were perceived. The governments of Japan have paid tribute
to the acts of genocide carried out by their soldiers, who, in China, had
raped tens of thousands of women and brutally murdered hundreds of
thousands of people, as was explained in a reflection.</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Hard-working and tenacious, the Japanese have
transformed their country, bereft of oil and other important raw
materials, into the second most powerful economy in the world. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Japan's GDP, measured in capitalist terms,
though the data varies according to different Western sources, is today
over $4.5 trillion, and the country has over one trillion in hard currency
reserves. This is twice China’s GDP, of $2.2 trillion, even though China
has 50% more hard currency reserves than Japan. The GDP of the United
States, of $12.4 trillion, for a country with 34.6 times more territory
and 2.3 times Japan’s population, is only three times that of Japan. Its
government is today one of imperialism's main allies, at a time when it is
threatened by economic recession and the sophisticated weapons of the
superpower put at risk the entire human species. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">These are historical lessons which cannot be
forgotten. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">The war, however, took a considerable toll on
China. Truman instructed the 6th Fleet to prevent the landing of Chinese
revolutionary forces that would result in the complete emancipation of
their country by reclaiming the 0.3 percent of their territory that had
been occupied by the rest of the pro-Yankee forces of Chiang Kai-shek that
had fled there. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Sino-Soviet relations were to deteriorate
later, following the death of Stalin, in March 1953. The revolutionary
movement split nearly everywhere. The dramatic call issued by Ho Chi Minh
made evident the damage that had been done, and imperialism, through its
immense media apparatus, fuelled the fires of extremism among false
revolutionary theoreticians, an area in which US intelligence agencies
were to become experts. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">With the arbitrary division, North Korea had
been dealt the most mountainous part of the country. Every grain of food
had to be reaped through sweat and sacrifice. Pyongyang, the capital, had
been razed to the ground. Many people who had been wounded or mutilated
during the war were in need of medical attention. They were enduring a
blockade and had no resources available. The Soviet Union and other
countries of the socialist bloc were in the process of recovering from the
war. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">When I arrived in the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea on March 7, 1986, nearly 33 years following the
destruction caused by the war, it was still difficult to believe what had
occurred there. That heroic people had constructed myriad things: large
and small dams and canals to store water in, generate electricity, service
cities and irrigate fields; thermoelectric plants, large mechanical and
other types of industries, many of them underground in the depths of the
bedrock, all created through hard, methodical labor. Because of cooper and
aluminum shortages, they had been forced to use iron to create
electricity-guzzling transmission lines, iron which, in part, was produced
from coal. The capital and other cities that had been devastated were
reconstructed, inch by inch. I estimated that millions of new homes had
been built in urban and rural areas and that tens of thousands of other
kinds of facilities had been set up. Countless hours of work were
contained in stone, concrete, steel, wood, synthetic products and
machinery. The fields that I had the opportunity to see, wherever I went,
looked like gardens. Well-dressed, organized and enthusiastic people were
everywhere, ready to greet visitors. The country deserved cooperation and
peace. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">There was no issue I didn't discuss with my
illustrious host Kim Il Sung. I shall never forget him. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Korea was divided into two parts by an
imaginary line. The South was to have a different experience. It was the
more densely populated part and endured less destruction during the war.
The presence of an enormous foreign military force required the supply of
local manufactured goods and other products, from crafts to fresh fruits
and vegetables, not to mention services. The military spending of the
allies was huge. The same thing occurred when the United States decided to
retain extensive military forces in the country indefinitely. During the
Cold War, Western and Japanese transnationals invested considerable sums
of money, siphoning out incalculable wealth from the sweat of South
Koreans, a people who are as hard-working and industrious as their
brothers and sisters in the North. The great markets of the world were
open to their products. They were not blockaded. Today, the country has
high levels of technology and productivity. It has suffered the economic
crises of the West, following which many South Korean companies were taken
over by transnationals. The austere nature of its people has allowed the
State to accumulate significant reserves in hard currency. Today, it is
enduring the United States' economic depression, particularly the high
prices of oil and food, and the inflationary pressures from both.
</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">South Korea's GDP –$787.6 billion– is almost
equal to that of Brazil ($796 billion) and Mexico ($768 billion),
countries with abundant hydrocarbon reserves and incomparably larger
populations. Imperialism imposed its system upon these nations. Two fell
behind; the other made much more progress. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">There is hardly any emigration from South
Korea to the West. There is emigration en masse from Mexico to what is
currently US territory. From Brazil, South and Central America, people
emigrate everywhere, in search of employment and lured by consumerist
propaganda. Today, they are being rewarded with rigorous and contemptuous
laws. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">The principled position on nuclear weapons
supported by Cuba within the Non-Aligned Movement, ratified during the
Summit Conference held in Havana in August 2006, is well known.
</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">I met the current leader of the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Jong Il, when I arrived at the Pyongyang
airport. He was standing discretely beside his father, to one side of the
red carpet. Cuba maintains excellent relations with his government.
</SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">When the Soviet Union and the socialist bloc
collapsed, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea lost important
markets and sources of oil, raw materials and equipment. As in Cuba’s
case, the consequences were severe. The progress that had been attained
through great sacrifices was at risk. In spite of this, they showed
themselves capable of constructing a nuclear weapon. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">When the nuclear test was conducted around a
year ago, we conveyed to the government of North Korea our points of view
on the damage this could cause poor Third World countries that were waging
an unequal and difficult battle against imperialist designs at a decisive
moment for the world. It might not have been necessary. Kim Song Il, at
that point, had already decided beforehand what he had to do, mindful of
the geographic and strategic characteristics of the region. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">We are pleased to see North Korea’s statement
of its intention to suspend its nuclear weapons program. This has nothing
to do with the crimes and the blackmail of Bush, who is now touting the
declaration as proof of the success of his policy of genocide. North
Korea's gesture was not aimed at the government of the United States,
before which it never yielded one inch, but, rather, at China, a
neighboring ally, whose security and development is vital for the two
States. </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Third World countries are interested in the
friendship and cooperation between China and the two Koreas, whose union
need not be from coast to coast, as was the case of Germany, currently a
US ally in NATO. Step by step, unhurriedly but indefatigably, as befits
their culture and history, they will continue to weave the ties that will
unite the two Koreas. With South Korea, we are developing more and more
ties. With North Korea, these have always existed and we shall continue to
strengthen them.</SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Fidel Castro Ruz</SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">July 24, 2008</SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto"><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">6:18 p.m.</SPAN></B></P>
<P><I><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">Translated by
ESTI</SPAN></I></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Envoi:<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"><A href="http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/julio/juev24/Reflections-24julio.html"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#800080 size=3>http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/julio/juev24/Reflections-24julio.html</FONT></A><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: right" align=right><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Havana. July 24,
2008</SPAN></B></P></TD>
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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Reflections
of Fidel</SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="TEXT-TRANSFORM: uppercase; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></B><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">The Olympic baseball
team</SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">THE indignation of the fans at
Sunday’s serious setback thundered. That says it all:
fan-at-ics!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Georgia">But people forget the fact that <B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">they [the players] are now in South
Korea, a country where we do not even have an embassy</B> and where our
athletes are continuing their
training….<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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