Carter’s Visit Draws a Bioweapons Charge

Re “El Jefe Basks in Carter’s Light,” by Laura Ingraham, Commentary, May 15: Let’s be realistic. The only reason President Bush is making Fidel Castro an issue right now is for the extremely important Cuban American voting bloc in Florida--the same Florida where his brother, Jeb, is facing reelection this year and the same Florida that was razor-thin close in the previous presidential election.

The charge by Undersecretary of State John Bolton that Cuba has developed the capacity to produce biological weapons is absolutely laughable. An eighth-grade science laboratory has the capacity to develop biological weapons. Any nation that has the capacity to make any sort of medicine has the capacity to develop biological weapons. With the likes of Otto Reich (the Reagan-era advisor who still is convinced the Cold War is running hot) advising the president on Latin America, we can expect more hubbub about the threat from Cuba, more coup attempts in governments we don’t like and the constant threat of communists around every corner.

Steve Kiser

Marina del Rey

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Will we never be rid of these former presidents and their officious meddling in current administration policies? Now former President Carter has “challenged” conservatives to prove that Cuba has developed biological weapons technology and shared it with Iran. This apologist for Castro is the man who let loose the genie of Muslim fundamentalism on the West. The destruction of Iran, the cornerstone of peace in the Middle East, was one of the greatest foreign policy disasters of the 20th century, precipitating the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and the continuing crisis in Central Asia. Carter also gave away the Panama Canal to the Red Chinese, an act of incompetence yet to be paid for in American blood. And don’t forget the destruction of the Somoza regime and the subsequent takeover of Nicaragua by the Sandinistas.

Does Communist Cuba have the ability to manufacture bioterror weapons? Yes, it does. Is Cuba building a biotech plant in Iran? Yes, indeed. Is there a biotechnology-sharing agreement with Iran? Yes, there is. Is there just the remotest chance that this Cuban “Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology” and its clone in Iran could be used for further international mayhem? Whose answer will the American people believe? Carter’s? Or the current administration’s?

Joseph A. Lea

Mission Viejo

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Kudos to Carter for challenging Bolton’s remark that “the U.S. believes that Cuba has at least a limited offensive biological weapon research and development effort” and that it has exported the technology to rogue states. Experts in the State Department assured Carter that there was no evidence that Cuba had been involved in sharing technology with any nation that could be used for terrorist activity. It was refreshing to see Carter challenge the administration’s lies about Cuba’s link to terrorism. Now if only a champion would stand up and challenge the lies that Enron had no direct policy ties to the Bush/Cheney team.

Robert Griego

Whittier

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Bush can meet with Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Carter puts his foot in his mouth by meeting Castro? Give me a break. The U.S. has supported more two-bit dictators than I can count. Saddam Hussein, Ferdinand Marcos, Augusto Pinochet and even Bin Laden, to name a few--after 43 years we need less of the same. U.S. policy concerning Cuba has been a total failure because politicians here would rather be elected than be right. Carter’s move is only a small step in the right direction.

Tommy Boylan

Bel-Air

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Can we send Carter to the Middle East? That will be the only way for us to know the true story. Look to what happened in Cuba. Do we still trust the government officials in Washington?

Gamil Fanous

Arcadia