CUBA: No U.N. Action Likely Now on Cuban Shootdown

By Farhan Haq Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 27 1996 (IPS) - A U.N. debate over whether to penalise Cuba over the Feb 24 shootdown of two U.S. planes is not going to result in any sanctons against Havana for now, diplomats on the U.N. Security Council say.

Cuban diplomats are upset that a report released this week by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) blames Havana for shooting the two ,” one European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, says. “I don’t think anything will happen now.”

After the Feb 24 downing of the two planes, which belonged to the Cuban-American rightist group ‘Brothers to the Rescue’, the U.S. gove were downed in what U.S. Ambassador Madeleine Albright calls “cold-blooded murder”, or whether, as Havana claims, the downing was a legitimate act of self-defense after the planes violated Cuban airspace.

To the Cubans’ chagrin, the ICAO agreed with the United States. In its two main findings, the ICAO report argues that the planes were downed in international waters, and that Cuban MiG-29 pilots failed to give sufficient warning before shooting the planes, killing four passengers.

“We are pleased that the ICAO report confirmed two of the basic premises of the U.S. argument,” says a senior U.S. official, who asked not to be named. He says that Albright will hold consultations with other Security Council diplomats to see what further course can be taken.

But even Washington is not hoping for immediate action. The earliest talks on Cuba, the official says, will be two weeks from now — an indication that U.S. officials know they have many days of behind-the-scenes negotiations ahead of them.

“This time, they know they will face opposition, not only from thon with Cuba, including agreements to regulate migration between the two nations, the Clinton administration responded to the shootdown by signing legislation tightening the 34-year U.S. embarrgo on Cuba.

The embargo, authorised by successive U.S. presidents since John F. Kennedy, now has the force of law and can only be repealed by an act of Congress. Washington has also angered other countries by threatening penalties on third country companies which trade with Cuban businesses that expropriated U.S.-owned properties after the 1959 revolution.

In response, U.S. allies like Mexico, Canada and the European Union have threatened retaliation against any restriction of their trade rights with Cuba. The bitterness of that fight, some diplomats say, could seep into any Council action to isL149 DAP243 LLLL AA AB AVENG .DEVAMVD WD I Will the Portuguese Lanborn?

By Mario Dun 27