By Dalia Acosta
HAVANA, Aug 18 2006 (IPS)

Cuba has “substantially” increased the military capacity and readiness of its troops to handle any potential U.S. aggression, following the announcement of President Fidel Castro’s illness and temporary handover of power.

“We could not rule out the risk of somebody going crazy, or even crazier, within the U.S. government,” said Defence Minister Raúl Castro, in his first public statements since temporarily taking over the reins on Jul. 31.

“I have always been discreet, that is my way, andà I am thinking of continuing in that way,” said the army general – Fidel Castro’s brother – after explaining that, until now, he had not deemed an appearance in the media “necessary.”

In the interview, published Friday by the governing Communist Party newspaper Granma, the acting president explained that the mobilisation order was given “at 3 a.m. on Aug. 1”, as per plans “approved and signed on January 13, 2005 by compañero Fidel.”

He added that tens of thousands of reservists and militia members were mobilised throughout the country, including the Special Troops, who received orders regarding the “missions demanded by the political/military situation that has been created.”

“All of the mobilised personnel has completed or is currently completing an important cycle of combat training and cohesion, part of that under campaign conditions. These troops will rotate, in approximately equal numbers, as the proposed objectives are attained,” added the defence minister.

“If we were to be guided solely by the internal situation, I am not exaggerating in affirming that it would not have been necessary to mobilise even one ‘pioneer’ (student under the age of 15) from among those who guard the ballot boxes in the elections,” said Raúl Castro.

A proclamation signed by the Cuban president on the afternoon of Jul. 31 and broadcast later that night announced the provisional designation of Raúl Castro as leader of the Communist Party and the Council of State (the highest government body), and as commander in chief of the armed forces.

Fidel Castro, who turned 80 on Aug. 13, told the public that, following surgery for “acute intestinal distress with sustained bleeding,” he was facing several weeks of convalescence, and for the first time was relinquishing his place at the helm of the country.

In addition to delegating his duties to Raúl, Castro named other high government and Communist Party leaders to continue running the energy, health and education programmes he has personally been heading up over the last two to three years.

As early as this first message, the leader said he made the decision because the country was “under threat” from the U.S. government. In a follow-up statement on Aug. 1, Castro added that his health had become a “state secret” because of U.S. plans regarding the island.

The illness of the man who has led the Cuban government for 47 years – in permanent conflict with Washington – came shortly after the George W. Bush administration approved a document building on a transition plan for Cuba originally released in May 2004.

The report called for millions of dollars to be earmarked for dissident groups in Cuba and recommended measures that would put an even tighter squeeze on financial flows to the Caribbean island nation.

Havana has also expressed its concern over an appendix to the report that was classified as secret for “national security” reasons and to ensure that it can be effectively carried out, according to the U.S. government.

In Raúl Castro’s opinion, “The United States government is not revealing the contents of that appendix because it is illegal. Its publication must be demanded, above all now that they have spoken about its existence in order to threaten Cuba.”

He added that measures to counteract U.S. plans have been implemented on the Caribbean island “for a while now”.

“These were reinforced particularly when the current U.S. government initiated the unbridled warmongering policy that it has maintained to date, including the announced intention to attack without previous warning any of those places that they call the ‘sixty or more dark corners of the world’,” he said.

>From day one, the Cuban government has openly opposed the Bush administration’s “preemptive war” policy, in effect since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and has made it clear that the country is prepared to face any aggression.

According to official Cuban sources, as of Aug. 17, some 12,000 people had signed a petition put out by leading intellectuals and cultural figures from around the world, including several Nobel Prize winners, in defence of Cuban sovereignty and against U.S. meddling in Cuba’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, U.S. military intervention was ruled out by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who described as “far-fetched” the notion that Washington would invade Cuba because the island was having troubles.

“The United States wants to be a partner and a friend to the Cuban people as they move through this period of difficulty” and at this time Cubans have “an opportunity, as this unfolds, at home to build a stable and more democratic Cuba,” said Rice in a televised interview.

After providing reassurances that his brother Fidel was recovering, and quoting him several times, the Cuban defence minister said that “Up until now, the (U.S.) attacks have not gone further than rhetorical ones, except for the substantial increase in subversive anti-Cuba broadcasts over radio and television.”

“It is not my intention to exaggerate the danger. I never have done so,” he added, emphasising Cuba’s commitment to “normalise relations” with Washington “on an equal footing.” The United States needs to “be very clear that it is not possible to achieve anything in Cuba with impositions and threats,” he warned.

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