Cuba rejects US accusation of sponsoring terrorism

Cuba rejected the accusations of US State Department that the Caribbean nation sponsors terrorism, the official daily Granma reported.

"Cuba emphatically rejects the use of such a sensitive issue as terrorism for political purposes and demands the end of these accusations offending the Cuban people," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, in response to continued inclusion of the island nation in a US black list of "sponsoring terrorism".

The US State Department has included Cuba on its black list of supporters of international terrorism since 1982, along with Iran, Sudan and Syria.

"Washington is aware that Cuban authorities have tried to keep their distance from members of ETA, Spain's armed Basque separatist group, living in the country," said the ministry. "The accusation discredits the fight against terrorism." 

"Cuba's banking system lacks the measures needed to fight money laundering and financial transactions linked to terrorism," it added. 

The statement slammed the United States for using the list to try to justify the economic, financial and trade blockade imposed by Washington against Havana half a century ago.

The accusation also seeks to justify "the adoption of new punitive measures to smother the island's economy and impose a regime that answers to U.S. interests," the ministry said.

"Havana periodically provides accurate and exact information to UN agencies fighting terrorism," it said.

Source: ANTARA