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HAVANA-Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro unleashed his first condemnation Thursday of US President Barack Obama, accusing him of following previous US administrations by supporting Israel's "genocide" of the Palestinians.Castro attacked Obama for allegedly continuing the policies of his predecessor George W. Bush in giving unwavering support to Israel, and hence "sharing the genocide against the Palestinians."The former Cuban president highlighted statements made by the Obama administration that reiterated its strong support for the Jewish state, which recently fought a 22-day war against the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip.In a foreign policy mission statement on its website, the US administration said its "incontrovertible commitment in the Middle East must be to the security of Israel, America's strongest ally in the Middle East."According to the statement, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden "support this closeness, stating that the United States would never distance itself from Israel."Castro, who gave up power to his brother Raul in July 2006 for health reasons, said the United States had enabled Israel to become an "important nuclear power," and kept on strengthening the military forces with which Israel "threatens extreme violence against the population of all Muslim countries."In the article, published online on the website cubadebate.cu, the former Cuban president also criticized Obama for suggesting Havana would have to make concessions before Washington considers returning the territory of the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay.The territory was leased to the United States indefinitely in 1903 after the US occupation of Cuba during the 1898 Spanish-American war. Havana has previously, but unsuccessfully challenged the lease.Obama is "demanding a change" in communist Cuba's political regime, Castro wrote, adding that this was "a price Cuba has fought against paying for the last half century."Maintaining the controversial military base-which continues to house "war on terror" suspects-on Cuban soil is "against the will of our people, violating the most fundamental principles of international law," said Castro.His comments were in sharp contrast to the warm words the 82-year-old Cuban revolutionary leader reportedly voiced last week for the newly-inaugurated Obama."He told me that (Obama) not only had a very good background as a political leader, but also that he was a man he saw as being absolutely sincere," Argentine President Cristina Kirchner said after meeting with Castro.Cuba's government condemned Israel at the beginning of its 22-day assault on Gaza earlier this month, which left more than 1,300 dead and caused widespread destruction in the tiny Palestinian enclave.Israel was committing a "genocidal act" against the Palestinian civilian population, a government statement charged in the newspaper Juventud Rebelde.http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090130/pl_afp/cubauspoliticsdiplomacymideastgazaconflict_20090130175451
As in the days of Noah....
