Timothy Roemer: “Mr. Chairman, this whole debate started several months ago when the Under Secretary of State said, ``The United States…”

“Mr. Chairman, this whole debate started several months ago when the Under Secretary of State said, ``The United States believes that Cuba has at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort.'' Now, one of the first people I would go to if I heard that kind of accusation about a country 90 miles from our shore would be the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Rumsfeld, a very respected individual. At a press conference he said this on May 29 in the St. Petersburg Times about that statement in the State Department. ``I haven't seen the intelligence that apparently led Under Secretary Bolton to make those remarks.'' If the Secretary of Defense, fighting a war against terrorism, saying you are with us or against us, does not have that, where does it come from? The Secretary of State said when he heard that quote, and here is another quote, ``We did not say Cuba actually had such weapons, but it has the capability and capacity to conduct some research.'' Mr. Chairman, let us talk about the facts here. The facts are that Cuba and Mr. Castro, who I have no respect for and want to see out of power, he has been in power for 42 years. What is the best way to get rid of him? The best way is to have American travel go, and students and business leaders and American ideas get to Cuba.”