In an effort to refute U.S. charges that it is conducting biological weapons research, Cuba recently invited science journalists to visit Havana’s Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Public Radio International’s The World reported yesterday (see GSN, June 6, 2002).

U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton last year charged Cuba with having “at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort” (see GSN, May 7, 2002).

During the recent visit of journalists, however, Cuban officials denied the charge again.

“It would be nonsense on our side to produce biological weapons,” said Cuban researcher Sergio Pastrana.  “What for?  Will we attack Miami?  That’s nonsense, nonsense. ... If we can produce vaccines and people are going to pay the same amount and even more, why produce biological weapons?  We can do the vaccines, we’re very good at that.  Why lose time producing bioweapons and having this type of hassle within your country?  It’s absurd, makes no sense,” he said.

The latest Cuban tour followed an earlier one in October, when Bruce Blair from the Center for Defense Information in Washington led a delegation to Havana.  Blair said Cuba allowed him to select the facilities he wanted to visit and, after consulting with U.S. officials, Blair chose nine facilities and his team of security, tropical disease and other experts was granted access to all of them.  They were able to “look into every nook and cranny,” Blair said, adding, “Our impressions clearly were that the United States at least doesn’t really have a very good idea of what’s going on first of all, that we’re operating pretty much in the dark about many of these facilities, which struck us as doing legitimate research and production of pharmaceuticals.”

Former U.N. Iraqi weapons inspector Terence Taylor from the International Institute for Strategic Studies said Cuba’s biotechnology industry is international in character.  “It does have a commercial aspect to it, it does have an academic aspect.  It’s probably one of the healthiest industries in Cuba,” he said.  “But that doesn’t help you determine whether or not the Cubans have a biological weapons program.  I don’t think any of us could express anything like a complete opinion on that issue one way or the other.” 

Taylor said any biotechnology is at risk of being abused and that the issue is to learn how to live with that risk and make biotech companies accountable.

A Bolton aide said Bolton stands by his earlier comments on Cuba, saying credible intelligence information indicates that Cuba is at least researching biological weapons (Carol Hills, The World, March 12; Note:  Readers may need to download free software to access this audio link).

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