Where does Castro stand?

Manuel J Coto M.D, Orlando, Fla.

Sunday's Orlando Sentinel brought the news Cuban-Americans have been expecting. A group of 16 organizations have questioned if Cuba should be on U.S. State department's list of terrorist-supporting nations- It was only a matter of time. 

The tragedy of September 11th was unprecedented and paralyzing, especially for someone like me, who cherishes the freedom this country so graciously provided some 40 years ago. I stand united. Yet I cannot help but remember thousands killed by terrorists in the last 20 years in Northern Ireland, or by car bombs in Colombia and Spain, as well as those killed in the 50’s by Fidel Castro's "urban guerrillas." 

Some people would classify these terrorists as "freedom fighters." Funny. That's what some people call Osama Bin Laden. The fact that Cuba has been - and most likely still is - a safe haven and training ground for the FARC, ETA, and IRA "freedom fighters," or that just a few months ago Castro was the only "President" who didn't sign a document denouncing the ETA and their terrorism, does not make a difference to the 16 distinguished organizations looking to support him. 

The fact that Castro has harbored, and still harbors, individuals who have committed acts of terrorism in this country is irrelevant. Representative Maxime Waters and others may romanticize them as "60’s radicals," but they committed despicable acts just the same. Even the fact that Castro despises us as much as Bin Laden - that he indoctrinates his children against "the enemy to the north" - is also, apparently, irrelevant. These organizations should open their eyes. In the following weeks we will see the "pacifists" emerge from their caves. We already saw some of them in Washington last Sunday. It is just a matter of time before the Rangels, Serranos and Dodds resurface, locking arms with Representative Barbara Lee, who recently cast that sole dissenting vote against the President. But we Cuban-Americans - and these days, there's an emphasis on American who the press favors calling "extremist" and "reactionary," we will remain on watch in Orlando, New York, New Jersey, Tampa and of course South Florida, And we will continue to denounce the hypocrites, the apologists and the cave-dwellers

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