Harker's Complete Original Report

LA. MONDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 9, 1963

Castro Blasts Raids on Cuba

Says U.S. Leaders Imperiled by Aid to Rebels.

EDITOR’S NOTE – Prime Minister Fidel Castro turned up at a reception in the Brazilian Embassy in Havana Saturday night and submitted to an impromptu interview by Associated Press overseas correspondent Daniel Harker. Harker’s account of the interview reached New York Sunday afternoon.

By DANIEL HARKER

HAVANA – AP – Prime Minster Fidel Castro said Saturday night ‘United States leaders’ would be in danger if they helped in any attempt to do away with leaders of Cuba.

Bitterly denouncing what he called recent U.S.-prompted raids on Cuban territory, Castro said: “We are prepared to fight them and answer in kind. United States leaders should think that if they are aiding terrorists plans to eliminate Cuban leaders, they themselves will not be safe.”

Speaking with this correspondent at a Brazilian National Day reception in the Brazilian Embassy, Castro also disclosed that Cuba has not made up its mind about signing the limited nuclear-test-ban treaty drawn up last month in Moscow.

RUSSIANS PUZZLED

A recent dispatch from Moscow indicated the Russians themselves have been puzzled by Cuba’s silence in connection with the treaty. Speculation there was that Castro was holding out for more Soviet economic aid and threatening to cast his lot with the Red Chinese.

Castro said Cuba is staying the treaty “with extreme care.”

“This is an important decision….and we are not ready yet to make up our minds,” he added.

The prime minster did not explain which points in the treaty were being given most consideration. But he said, “We are taking into account the current world situation, which of course involves the Caribbean situation, which of course involves the Caribbean situation, which has been deterorating in the last few days due to pirataral attacks by the United States against the Cuban people.”

TREND CHANGED

World affairs, he said, “seemed to be entering a more peaceful climate a few days ago, but now this trend has changed with attacks.”

He accused the United States of carrying out “…..and shifting policies.”

He added, “The United States is always ready to negotiate and make promises which later it will not honor. 

This has hapaned  to promises made during the October crisis. They have been broken as can be seen with new attacks. But I warn this is leading to a very dangerous situation that could lead to a worse crisis than October’s.”

Castro then launched into a discussion of the U.S. political scene, saying he expects no change in Washington’s foreign policy even if there is a change in administrations after the 1964 presidential elections….