posted on May 13, 2003 07:51:03 AM new
When o when will this vipers nest (UN) be disbanded.
U.S. orders 7 Cuban diplomats expelled from U.N. Mission
Associated Press
Posted May 13 2003, 10:40 AM EDT
UNITED NATIONS -- The United States has ordered seven Cuban diplomats at the country's U.N. Mission to leave the country for engaging in ``activities deemed harmful to the United States'' -- the usual diplomatic language for spying, an American official said Tuesday.
A letter ordering the seven diplomats to leave was delivered to the Cuban Mission on Monday evening, the official said.
The U.S. official said the Cubans were being expelled ``for engaging in activities deemed harmful to the United States outside their official capacity as members of the permanent mission of Cuba to the United Nations.''
``These activities constitute an abuse of their privileges of residence,'' the official said on condition of anonymity.
The latest U.N. directory lists 37 accredited Cuban diplomats, led by Ambassador Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla. The names of those ordered expelled were not released.
The Bush administration and Cuban authorities have engaged in an escalating diplomatic tit-for-tat reminiscent of the Cold War days in U.S.-Cuban relations. Until Tuesday, this involved more mundane issues like fixing embassy plumbing.
Last month, the United States walked out of a U.N. meeting to protest Cuba's re-election to the Human Rights Commission, calling it ``an outrage'' that undermined the group's credibility.
