Dec. 5, 2004
China View
HAVANA, Dec. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Cuba will conduct large-scale military drills on December 13-19 due to threats from the United States against the island, Raul Castro, minister of the revolutionary armed forces, said in a statement released Saturday by local press.
Raul Castro, brother of President Fidel Castro, termed as "gigantic" the "Bastion 2004" drills in which millions of Cubans will participate.
The first five days of the exercises will be attended by 100,000 troops, including reserves. In the last two days, millions of Cubans will join the exercises, said the second-in-command of Cuba's political leadership.
"What matters is that everyone knows at least what is indispensable in order to combat the enemy," he said. "Definitely,all these we are planning are to guarantee your future and that ofyour children," the minister was quoted as saying.
The Bastion 2004 is to be conducted due to the continuous threats of aggressions by the US government, according to a communique of the Ministry of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces.
The armies have the duty to assess "the degree of preparation of the whole society to cope with an armed aggression," the communique said.
It stressed that all seemed to indicate the government of US President George W. Bush will keep its hostile policy towards Cubaas was the case during his first term.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-12/05/content_2296262.htm