Castro Says Cuba Owes No Apology to U.S. Over Russian Bombers

By Henry Meyer

July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Cuba's former President Fidel Castro said his country has no need to apologize to the U.S. over reports that Russia might start sending nuclear bombers to the island nation.

Castro, 81, praised his brother Raul, now Cuban president, for maintaining silence about the reported Russian plans. He provided few hints himself about the accuracy of the information, which appeared in Russia's Izvestia newspaper.

``You need nerves of steel in these times of genocide, and Cuba has them. The empire knows it,'' Castro said in an online commentary posted yesterday on www.cubadebate.cu, referring to the U.S. ``There's no need to give explanations, to provide excuses or to apologize.''

The U.S., whose plans to deploy elements of a missile- defense system in two former Soviet satellite states in eastern Europe have strained relations with Russia, warned Russia on July 22 not to cross a ``red line'' by sending nuclear bombers to Cuba, a Cold War ally of the Soviet Union.

Izvestia reported on July 21 that Russia plans to use Cuba as a refueling base for nuclear bombers. Crews of a supersonic Tu-160, a nuclear bomber known as ``White Swan,'' and Tu-95, which the North Atlantic Treaty Organization dubs ``Bear,'' are on the island nation doing reconnaissance work and inspecting infrastructure, the Moscow-based newspaper said today, citing unidentified Russian Defense Ministry officials.

`Fairy Tale'

Bombers can be deployed to bases in Cuba, Venezuela or Algeria at any time, Izvestia said.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky denied today's Izvestia report. ``There's no truth in it,'' he said by telephone, calling the report ``a fairy tale.''

General Norton Schwartz, nominated to be U.S. Air Force chief of staff, warned Russia two days ago not to fly bombers to Cuba in response to America's plan to place parts of a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

If Russia pursues the deployment, ``I think we should stand strong and indicate that that is something that crosses a threshold, crosses a red line, for the United States of America,'' Schwartz told a Senate confirmation hearing in Washington.

The deployment of Soviet missiles in Cuba brought the U.S. and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear conflict during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Under the deal that ended the crisis, the Soviet Union withdrew the missiles and pledged not to station offensive weapons on the island, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of Florida.

Russia said on July 8 that it would react with military means to the U.S. system. Russian leaders have threatened to aim nuclear missiles at the planned bases in the Czech Republic and Poland, which they say would threaten Russia's security.