Anti-terrorism march rallies Cubans

Analysts call it a strategic move to unite the nation.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON -- Busloads of Cubans from across the island packed Havana's most famous seaside highway Tuesday to participate in a "march against terrorism" called by Fidel Castro in what analysts called his latest attempt to rally the masses.
This time, the cause centered on longtime enemy and Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles, who is wanted by the Cuban and Venezuelan governments for his alleged involvement in the 1976 bombing of a Cuban passenger jet that killed 73 people.
The Cuban government also wants him for a string of 1997 explosions at Havana tourist spots that claimed the life of an Italian visitor and a 2000 plot to assassinate Castro during a summit in Panama.
"Down with terrorism!" Castro, 78, shouted before leading the march along the Malecon and past the U.S. Interests Section. "Down with Nazi doctrines and methods! Down with the lies!"
Unclear fate
Posada was arrested Tuesday afternoon, weeks after he sneaked back into the United States and filed a request for asylum. Although his fate remained unclear Tuesday, analysts said Castro would continue to use the case as fodder for a larger campaign intended to promote national unity at a time when the population continues to struggle with daily life.
Cuba's Parliament speaker, Ricardo Alarcon, told The Associated Press that Posada's arrest was welcome news but questioned why it took so long.
"Do you want us to applaud the fact that he has been arrested after his presence in the U.S. was burning for two months?" Alarcon told AP.
"Now Mr. Bush has to prove he is sincere about terrorism." Alarcon said of the U.S. president. "What the United States has to do now is clear: If there is a request for his extradition, it has to attend to it according to its own laws."
Alcibiades Hidalgo, a former Cuban ambassador to the United Nations who defected, said Castro's campaign on the island was sure to multiply.
"He wants to mobilize the population by tapping into its sensibility," he said. "It's a weapon Castro has always used." Posada's confirmed presence in the United States adds credibility within some circles to Castro's argument that the United States is hypocritical in its fight against terrorism.