Castro: Cuba Could Have Saved U.S. Victims

AP on Yahoo ^ | 9/19/05 | anita Snow - ap

[NormsRevenge]

HAVANA - President Fidel Castro on Monday lamented that the U.S. government had not still responded two weeks after he offered to send nearly 1,600 Cuban doctors to help Hurricane Katrina victims, saying the team could have saved lives.

The U.S. government has suggested there were sufficient American physicians to care for the ailing among those displaced by the storm across Louisiana and Mississippi.

An appeal for help from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services "has seen a robust response from the American medical community," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said earlier this month.

"It hurts to think about it," Castro told several thousand doctors gathered for a combined graduation and the formation of Cuba's new international disaster team of experienced health workers.

"Perhaps some of those desperate people, situated in the water and on the verge of dying, could have been saved," the Cuban leader said.

"That's a hard lesson for those whose false pride and erroneous concepts have driven them not to respond, even late, to our offer," Castro said of American officials.

A State Department spokesman in Washington said Monday night there was no immediate reaction to Castro's latest comments.

Washington and Havana have not had diplomatic relations for more than four decades and Castro's offer put U.S. officials in the uncomfortable position of deciding whether to accept help from a country they have described as an "outpost of tyranny."

Castro himself has routinely turned down offers of U.S. humanitarian relief for hurricanes and other disasters in Cuba. After Hurricane Dennis pummeled the island in July, he expressed gratitude but rejected Washington's offer of $50,000 in aid.

[NormsRevenge]

Ya shur, Fidel.

But how many would have survived the swim from Cuber to NO :-?

[NormsRevenge]

The Cuban President Fidel Castro gives a speech Monday, Sept. 19, 2005 in Havana, Cuba. Castro lamented that the U.S. government had not still responded two weeks after he offered to send nearly 1,600 Cuban doctors to help Hurricane Katrina victims, saying the team could have saved lives. 'It hurts to think about it,' Castro told several thousand newly graduated and veteran doctors gathered for a combined graduation and the formation of Cuba's new international disaster team of veteran health workers. (AP Photo/Jorge Rey)

[Rodm]

Yeah Right, in a pig's eye. How many people have you murdered, Fidel?

[SlowBoat407]

With "friends" like him, who needs enemas?

[Brett66]

Stinkin' commie, aren't you past due to die?

[Kimmers]

We don't need any FMG's

Foreign Medical Graduates

Not someone that you want taking care of you no matter what the circumstances

[TrailofTears]

We'll accept his offer if it comes with mucho cigars.

[Spruce]

Why is this fu**er still alive?

[Kimmers]

Please keep on the down low we do not want Clinton to hear about this....

[onyx]

Perhaps the doctors wanted to defect, assuming of course, that Castro would send doctors, not criminals.

[goodnesswins]

God has a weird sense of humor....or he's trying to teach US something! I'm 54 years old, and I can't remember NOT knowing about this jerk.

[dts32041]

Well George Ryan and Jimmah Carta are friends of Fidel.