Granma International
October 14, 2002

U.S. policy on Cuba makes no sense

                   • Says Max Kennedy, nephew of the late U.S. president JFK, in an
                   exclusive interview with Granma International

                   BY MARELYS VALENCIA (Granma International staff writer)

                   Max Kennedy, nephew of assassinated U.S. president John F.
                   Kennedy, told Granma International that U.S. policy on Cuba
                   should change right now because it makes no sense.

                   The son of former U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who
                   died shortly after his brother John, arrived in Havana on October
                   10th accompanied by other members of the Kennedy family,
                   including his mother Ethel and cousin Christopher. They were
                   invited to participate in the international conference on the
                   "Cuban Missile Crisis: a political vision 40 years on."

                   Kennedy told GI how much he appreciates the Cuban
                   government’s efforts in making the conference possible. The
                   crisis could have been catastrophic for humanity, he added,
                   and now we have the opportunity to analyze and understand
                   the events in a more detailed fashion. Knowing the policies of
                   Fidel Castro and JFK helps us understand better how the
                   conflict was solved and makes this meeting more interesting,
                   Max stated.

                   He also pointed out that people who were on the brink of
                   killing each other were present at the meeting; the point
                   being that we are all human.

                   The late president’s nephew was a child during the most
                   critical years of the Cold War when the 1962 October Crisis
                   took place. He does not appear to agree with his father, one
                   of the key figures of that dramatic episode involving the two
                   superpowers of the time and a small Caribbean country: Cuba.

                   However, forty years later Robert Kennedy’s son Max
                   confesses with absolute conviction that war never makes
                   sense and we must do everything possible to find a way to
                   prevent it. He also criticized his government, voicing his
                   disagreement with many aspects of U.S. policy on Cuba.