Castro offers olive branch to US

The President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, has made his first public response since his US counterpart, George W Bush, announced a tough new policy towards Cuba last Monday.

In a speech which he said was addressed to the American people, Mr Castro said they could always count on his country's support in the war against terrorism.

The Cuban president said he was hurt to think that Americans could be misled into believing that Cuba would cause them any damage.

Addressing a crowd of about 300,000 people in the central city of Sancti Spiritus, he said not a drop of American blood had been spilt because of terrorist acts commissioned by Cuba.

He added that the American people could count on Cuba's friendly, fraternal and generous people in the struggle against terrorism.

President Castro added that Cuba had never cultivated hatred against the American people or blamed them for the aggressions perpetrated by their government.

Tough US stance

The speech was Mr Castro's first public reply to the US policy towards Cuba announced by President Bush in Washington and Miami last week.

Mr Bush said he would not lift the 40-year trade embargo against Cuba's communist government, nor ease the ban on American citizens travelling to the island.

He urged the Cuban Government to allow more civil liberties and greater democracy.

But the Cuban authorities accused him of playing to the Cuban exile community in Florida to ensure that his brother, Jeb, is re-elected as governor later this year.

President Castro's appeal to the American people came shortly after he warmly welcomed the former US President, Jimmy Carter, to Cuba on a mission to improve relations between the two bitter enemies.

The war of words between Havana and Washington continues, but growing numbers in both countries do appear to be searching for common ground to end a conflict between two neighbours that has been raging for more than 40 years.