Terrorists in Havana? Never ...

As you may have read in a previous post, the Castro regime has further tightened security in Havana in recent days as the capital hosts the Summit of that peculiar Cold War relic, the Non Aligned Movement.

The small and always-harassed opposition groups have been warned to stay out of the way for the duration, while beggars, drunks, prostitutes and others deemed “undesirables” by the government have been taken off the streets.

And according to reports by Spanish media, residents living near the convention centre where the meetings are being held have to show their identity cards to get in or out of the area.

Meanwhile, visiting journalists have been corralled at the Habana Libre Hotel, the 1950s pile that was once owned by the Hilton chain.

But when asked at a media conference whether these measures were meant to foil a terrorist attack on important delegates such as Kofi Annan, the response from an incredulous Cuban foreign affairs official, Abelardo Moreno, said it all. "A terrorist attempt in Cuba? In the middle of the Summit? Please …”

In other words, it’s all about making sure the hundreds of visiting delegates – and especially, the visiting media - are kept as far away from the daily reality of life under the Castro regime as possible.