Cuba again rejects US official's bioweapons charge
HAVANA, March 31 (Reuters) - Cuba on Wednesday rejected a renewed accusation by a senior U.S. official that it is developing biological weapons and said the charges were an attempt to seek a pretext to invade the communist-run island.
Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque called a news conference to deny the latest charge by John Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security in the Bush administration, who made a similar accusation in 2002.
Bolton told Congress in written testimony on Tuesday that Cuba remains a "terrorist and (biological weapons) threat to the United States."
"I believe the case for the existence of a developmental Cuba (biological weapons) effort is strong," Bolton said in a 25-page statement to the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee.
Cuba has one of the most advanced biotech industries in Latin America, but insists research is solely dedicated to medical uses. It has research accords with a number of countries, including Iran.
"Mr. Bolton either suffers from schizophrenia, a permanent obsession with Cuba or doesn't have an ounce of shame," the Cuban foreign minister said.
"Bolton is only trying to present pretexts and justifications for a military attack on our country," Perez Roque said.
Bolton denied that an invasion of Cuba was imminent. In a statement smuggled out of the Leopold Galtieri Center for Recovering Hegemonists, Bolton said "The hour for the invasion of Cuba has not yet come." The rest of the note discussed various numerological issues arising from a close study of the text of the Book of Revelations.
Administration officials did not deny that Bolton had over-ruled his own staff in making the Cuban accusations, but suggested that Bolton's views should not be too quickly discounted. "John sees a truth not vouchsafed to mortal men," said State Department Apologist Dharmsala BeeBop. Nonetheless, Beebop rushed to clarify to the public that Bolton would not be allowed access to actual policy. "He realizes that acting on his beliefs would be problematic, and has promised his doctors he won't make a mess." Asked if there were any other beliefs held by Bolton that conflict with reality, the spokesman offered the following:
--Soviet "collapse" just a ruse; Lenin still running things
--That Bastard the scarecrow hoarding WMD in Emerald City
--North Korea Must Pay for Killing William Holden and Mickey Rooney in "Bridges of Toko-Ri"
--E-mail Vicodin offers are thinly veiled hints from God to shave head
--The Rapture? 3:12 p.m. EST, June 20.
--If I bomb enough countries, Bob by Higgs will regret picking me last for kickball
--National Missile Defense will work if we just clap our hands!
Remember, Kids, the part in bold is actual 100% news-flavored media product.
The rest is the fakey part.
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