			Foreign Correspondent

		      Inside Track On World News
	    By International Syndicated Columnist & Broadcaster
		 Eric Margolis <emargolis@lglobal.com>

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CANADA KEEPS FIDEL CASTRO IN BUSINESS
by
Eric Margolis 31 Jan 1997


TORONTO - I wonder if all the Canadian leftists who tremble with
politico-sexual rapture when they  look at Fidel Castro know
that if their marxist idol had had his way back in the 60's,
most of them today would be cinders blowing in the winter
wind.

Senior KGB officers revealed two years ago that during the
1962 Cuban missile crisis, Castro pleaded with the Soviet
Union to launch nuclear missile strikes against the United
States.  Had Nikita Khruschev agreed, Soviet missiles
targeted on Detroit, Buffalo, Duluth, and Strategic Air
Command bases would have incinerated or irradiated most of
Canada's population.

Last week I was in the West Indies and observed the
embarrassing spectacle of a cortege of leftwing Canadian
pilgrims, led by High priest/Foreign Minister Lloyd, arrive
in Havana to lay gifts at the feet of Fidel Castro. It was
note a pretty sight.

Across the West Indies, a region with a long, honorable
tradition of democracy and human rights, reaction to
Axworthy's visit ranged from confusion to contempt.  Why 
was Canada publically licking the jackboots of the last
dictator in the Western hemisphere? Why was ever-so-moral
Canada actually aiding  one of the world's two remaining
Stalinist tyrannies?

West Indians simply didn't understand that Canadian
elections are nigh, or that  nervous Liberals were 
furiously playing `The International' to the domestic left.
It didn't seem to matter that this smarmy ploy was seriously
damaging Canada's reputation around the world, or
endangering its vital trade relations with the US. Keeping
churches, unions, academia, Oxfam, the Toronto Star and the
CBC happy took precedence.

Canada is now seen internationally as the mainstay of 
Castro's regime.  Cuba is teetering on the verge of economic
collapse.  The left blames Cuba's woes on the long American
boycott. Save for North Korea, Laos and Vietnam, all other
communist command economies around the world have collapsed
- why should Cuba be different?  The American boycott has
hurt badly, but it's Castro's meringue marxism that is
relentlessly killing Cuba..   

The Castro regime lives from hand to mouth, desperately
gleaning hard currency however possible.  Information given
to me last week by Cuban sources reveal the economy is in
far worse state that most foreigners realize and nearing
implosion.  

In the past, European nations, notably Spain, Italy and
France, played footsie with Castro to placate their domestic
left.  The European Union recently clamped down on
investment in Cuba, and cut aid to the Castro regime.
Neither would be restored, warned the EU, until Castro 
began respecting human rights, allowed elections and ceased
political repression.  Europe's demarche was a serious blow
to Castro and should have been seconded by Canada.


Instead, Axworthy rushed to back Castro. Without Canadian
support, it seems almost certain the Castro regime would
fall.  Canada funds Castro by encouraging tourism, providing
economic aid and credits, and facilitating investment by
Canadian companies. Ottawa gives Cuba important diplomatic
backing, such as acting as point-man in opposing the Helms-
Burton legislation that punished those who deal in stolen
American property in Cuba.  One wonders how the loud
opponents of Helms-Burton in Canada will react if Quebec
goes independent and sells Canadian Federal government and
private industry property to Europeans?   

Over bitter RCMP and CSIS protests, Ottawa allows Cuba's
intelligence service, the DGI, to maintain major bases in
Canada that are used to operate against the US and Canada. 
The DGI and its sister-service, Russia's KGB, intercept most
Canadian telecommunications from a huge listening post
outside Havana.   

The Castro regime uses the hard currency obtained from
Canada to provide its key supporters - the army, secret
police and communist party cadres - with consumer goods and
housing. In other words, Canadian taxpayers and tourists are
keeping marxist repression alive in Cuba.  

This is hardly Canada's finest hour.

copyright  eric margolis 1997

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