Fidel Castro Talks with Cuban Scientists about Nuclear Threat

Havana, Aug 24. -Leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro exchanged opinions with a group of Cuban scientists about the nuclear war threat hanging over humanity, the daily Granma reported Tuesday.

During their encounter, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba recalled the days of the October (Missile) Crisis, the process that led to an agreement with the former Soviet Union to deploy missiles in Cuba, as well as the danger it involved for the island and for the world.

"We were not interested in having missiles here, or having a base. We were more interested in the countryâ�Ös image. A Soviet base downgraded the image of the Revolution, its capacity for influence in our region. Why did we accept it? …It was very difficult for us, but it was a question of internationalism," Fidel said, according to the Granma article.

In that respect, he remembered a meeting with the revolutionary leadership where he said that "If we were expecting the socialist camp to sacrifice itself and fight for us, then we had to be willing to sacrifice ourselves for them."

That historic episode helped him to analyze the dangers of the present, with almost 25,000 nuclear weapons, he said. "Doesnâ�Öt it seem crazy to you?" he asked the scientists, emphasizing that on this small planet, 100 bombs are enough to set off a nuclear winter.

"Itâ�Ös as if this was going to be the first war in the world, and human history knows nothing but war. Since man held a club, he has used it for making war. All of those reasons are wrong, and that is why I am striving to try to be persuasive about the danger," the Cuban leader said.

He reiterated that everything is going to depend on one man; not because he is powerful, but because he is the only one who has the authority to pull the trigger.

"If he does not pull it, the entire world will be grateful to him, even the millionaires will thank him, even Israel will thank him," the Cuban iconic leader stressed. (PL)