CUBAN LIBRARIES SOLIDARITY GROUP
PRESS RELEASE

July 2, 2003
"Cuban students banned and spied on in Britain"
By John Pateman
Cuban Libraries Solidarity Group

The hysteria of the government about weapons of mass destruction has reached fever pitch.

In a circular to universities, the foreign office introduces its “voluntary vetting scheme”, the aim of which is to prevent any foreign student coming to Britain who might want to learn how to make weapons of mass destruction.

A list of 10 “countries of concern” is helpfully provided. They are Cuba, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Libya, North Korea, Pakistan and Syria. But where is Saudi Arabia? The former home of Osama bin Laden and umpteen of the student aged 11 September hijackers, is not there.

The foreign office also supplies a list of subjects, including maths and ceramics, which are considered likely points of danger. So any college which gets an application from anyone in any of the 10 countries who wants to study any of the disciplines is “invited” to leak the information to a special department of the foreign office, which will then seek either to ban or spy on the student.” (Private Eye, 1082, June 2003)

The Cuban Library Solidarity Group deplores this attempt by the British government to go along with George Bush’s labelling of Cuba as part of the “axis of evil”. Trying to ban or spy on Cuban students is outrageous, particularly when Cuba opens its doors to students from all over the world. We urge you to write to your MP about this matter and demand that Cuba be taken off the list of countries which are deemed to be a threat to British interests.

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