- A war of words flared yesterday when Cuban authorities
displayed a giant swastika and pictures of abused Iraqi prisoners in front
of the US mission in Havana.
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- The propaganda stunt was in retaliation for US diplomats'
Christmas decoration which highlighted the plight of Cuban dissidents.
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- The diplomats awoke yesterday to the sight of two huge
billboards opposite the mission's entrance emblazoned with a swastika,
the word "Fascists" in bold red letters, and some of the infamous
photographs of American troops abusing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, Baghdad.
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- To drum home the point to commuters on one of Havana's
busier avenues, the word "Fascists" had a giant "Made in
America" stamp on top.
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- The display was opposite the mission's Christmas decorations,
which infuriated the authorities with a neon 75, a reference to the 75
dissidents imprisoned by Fidel Castro last year.
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- Cuba complained about the decorations to James Cason,
the chief American representative, and demanded that he take them down.
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- The speaker of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcon,
said the display, which includes a Father Christmas and white lights wrapped
around palm trees, was "rubbish" and a "provocation".
He said Mr Cason seemed "desperate to create problems".
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- The State Department defended the decorations and said
there were no plans to take them down before the end of the Christmas holiday.
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- "It shows our solidarity with Cubans who struggle
for democracy and freedom," said the department spokesman, Richard
Boucher.
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- When the decorations went up Cuba gave warning of unspecified
"consequences". Yesterday the threat became clear as America
was given its latest reminder of how the Abu Ghraib scandal has delivered
Washington its greatest public relations setback in years.
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- Mr Cason has refused to back down.
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- Since his arrival two years ago, to the fury of Havana
he has met leading dissidents, encouraged their struggle for democracy
and dispensed books and short-wave radios.
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- Havana has subsequently imprisoned 75 dissidents and
journalists and banned Mr Cason's trips around the country. But still every
month thousands of Cubans visit his headquarters where they get free access
to the internet and watch cable television.
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- Washington cut diplomatic ties with Havana and imposed
sanctions after Castro took power in 1959. The two countries retain special
missions in each other's capitals.
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- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004.
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- http://telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/12/18/
wcuba18.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/12/18/ixworld.html
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