CASTRO CALLS REAGAN 'LIAR,' 'WORST TERRORIST'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505380061-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 61
• Publication Date: July 10, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/15: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505380061-5
WASHINGTON POST
10 July 1985
Castro Calls Reagan
`i.iar,9 "Worst Terrorist'
By Edward Cody
WNWOM Nsi fry sowN
pies of what he called "American
terrorism." These were U.S. sup-
port of the Army in El Salvador,
CIA minis of Nicaraguan harbors
and the U.S. invasion of Grenada in
October 1983.
wed Reagan "a madman,
an imbecile and a bum," Reuter re-
ported, which also quoted him as
saying: "His ideas are from the era
of Buffalo Bill, not the nuclear age."
Cuba has for some time figured
on a list of countries that the State
Department says have supported
international terrorism.
Castro, bristling at Reagan's lan-
guage, said the president and his
advisers seem "nervous and irritat-
ed" at the attention Castro has
gained with his campaign for solu-
tions to Latin America's foreign
debt.
In speeches and interviews, Cas-
tro has suggested that the U.S. gov-
ernment assume the debt from the
mostly U.S. creditor banks so the
banks can release Latin American
governments from the obligation to
pay. Three pouches full of literature
on the suggestions disappeared this
weekend on the way from Havana
to distribution at the United Na-
tions, Castro said.
"I am sure the CIA had some-
thing to do with it,* he added.
ester reported these additional
responses to Reagan:
Libya, another of the nations
blasted by Reagan as being behind
international terrorism, accused
Washington of "state organized ter-
rorism."
Libya's national news agency
JANA said Reagan considered as
terrorism anything "opposing U.S.
policies that aim to dominate and
control other people."
The Nicaraguan Embassy in
Washington issued a statement say-
ing, "No amount of incendiary rhet-
oric will hide the fact that the U.S.
administration promotes the sys-
tematic use of terrorism against the
Nicaraguan people. If the U.S. is on
the side of international law, why is
it so afraid of the World Court?"
There was no immediate re-
sponse from Iran or North Korea,
the other countries named by Rea-
gan.
MIAMI. July 9-President Fidel
Castro of Cubs. responding to ac-
amstim by President Reaps, said
runty that Rape a a -me and
!!des w=st terrorist in the history-of
m~ekimd."
Castro'* harsh' comments, re-
layed from Havana by news agen-
c p, fcOowed a Wag period during
which he avoided strident com-
maw about Reagan or the United
States
The tough language underlined
what Cuban officiah in Havana have
described a disappointed hopes of
improved relations in Reagan's sec-
oad term. A high-ranting Cuban
Fareip Ministry official said re-
cently that. in the fight of Radio
Marti and other disputes. Castro's
government now sees little pros-
pect of improving the climate with
Washigton at least" until a new
U.S. president is elected.
Castro, 58, has gone out of his
way is recent months to project an
image of statesmanship, seeking
unproved relations with South
American governments. In partic-
ear. be repeatedly has warned that
Latin America faces social "explo-
anon." unless some way is found to
lighten the burden of its foreign
debt, owed mostly to U.S. banks.
Reagan apparently stirred Cas-
tro's ire particularly with his speech
to the American Bar Association on
terrorism yesterday in which he
included Cubs among five "outlaw"
nations that be said constitute a
"new loternatiasl version of Mur-
der. roc.." ruled by "the strangest
csiettion of misfits, looney tunes
and squalid criminals since the ad-
vent of the Third Reich."
In a news conference with the
Latin American Journalists' Feder-
ation. gathered in Havana. Castro
referred to Reagan's rhetoric:
"How can you take this man se-
riosly? Perhaps even he doesn't
know what he is talking about ....
He is the biggest liar of all the
American presidents.... the worst
terrorist in the history of mankind."
Castro, in his wee-hours talk with
the journalists. cited three exam-
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/15: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505380061-5