Galloway backs Castro on Cuba TV

[Jahness]

Galloway backs Castro on Cuba TV

By Stephen Gibbs
BBC News, Havana

Controversial British MP George Galloway has made a surprise
appearance on live Cuban television.

He defended Cuban President Fidel Castro against allegations made by
a US magazine that he has amassed a personal fortune of $900m
(£477m).

Mr Galloway said the article was part of a "Yankee imperialist"
conspiracy.

Mr Castro has said the claim in Forbes magazine is "rubbish" and that
he would resign if anyone proved he had a single dollar in a foreign
bank account.

Few knew that Mr Galloway was in Cuba until, in the middle of a live
television discussion programme, he emerged to offer his impassioned
support for Fidel Castro.

The Cuban president, in his customary military fatigues, looked on
approvingly as the British MP said Mr Castro was a symbol of dignity.

"The Cubans are the only people in the entire world who have a leader
who can say that he doesn't possess one dollar to his name," said Mr
Galloway.

'Commandante'

Mr Galloway, who admits a weakness for Cuban cigars, has long taken
an interest in the only Communist state in the western hemisphere.

He describes Fidel Castro as the living person he most admires.

During his remarks on Cuban TV he drew a parallel between himself and
President Castro, whom he referred to as "commandante".

The MP said he too had been slandered as a thief, when unproved
claims were made that he had profited from the Iraq oil-for-food
programme.

Mr Galloway said the problem was that those who believe money is the
only god, fail to realise that some people see the world in a
different way.

In a separate interview with the BBC, a spokesperson for Forbes said
the magazine stood by its original article.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5015382.stm