Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Artin Arakelian
Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro has prophesied in his latest write-up that the US may well order NATO to invade Libya, reports said on Tuesday.
The octogenarian leader who led the Communist nation for close to half-a-century before illness forced him to step down, said in a column published in state-owned media that the US was far more interested in Libya's vast oil reserves than ensuring lasting peace there.
According to Castro, it was too early to pass judgment on what was actually happening in the north African nation. Castro argues in his article titled 'Reflections' that Washington's ultimate aim is to gain overall control of global oil supplies.
The Cuban leader says the US will not hesitate to order NATO invasion of Libya in "a matter of hours or a few days."
"What is absolutely evident to me is that the United States government is not at all concerned about peace in Libya and will not hesitate to give NATO the order to invade that rich country, perhaps in a matter of hours or in very few days, " Castro says in the write-up.
However, the article is strangely silent on the reports of violent crackdown on anti-government protesters in Libya. Castro and Libyan leader Maummar Gaddafi have been long-time allies united by a deep hostility towards the US and the two share a revolutionary background as well.
Although Castro handed over the reins of power to his younger brother Raul in 2008, Cuba still remains a one-party state and one of Communism's last remaining outposts.
