Cuba denies developing biological or chemical weapons

Cuba denies developing biological or chemical weapons
The Associated Press

Published: September 13, 2006

HAVANA Cuban scientists at the Nonaligned Movement summit on Wednesday
denied any effort to develop biological or chemical weapons, dismissing
U.S. allegations that Cuba's biotechnology center doubles as an
undercover weapons factory.

"We have no ties to anything related to biological weapons, it has
nothing to do with what we focus on," said Luis Herrera Martinez,
director of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.

For years, U.S. officials have raised suspicions about the center. John
Bolton, now the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, alleged in 2002
the communist state had "at least a limited offensive biological warfare."

But Herrera said his scientists would have to be "stupid" to develop
biological or chemical weapons.

"We don't have the money to be dedicated to that, and and we are not
interested," Herrera said. "We would have to be stupid to be doing what
these accusations imply, we wouldn't even be able to do anything like
that. It doesn't make any sense, it does not go with our work ethic or
interests."

Herrera said the center makes 91 products, including 33 drugs developed
to fight infectious diseases, and that Cuba has 12,000 registered
scientists, impressive for a relatively poor nation, reflecting the
importance the Cuban government places on medicine and science.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/14/news/CB_GEN_Cuba_Nonaligned_Biotechnology.php#