Castro warns of nuclear cataclysm

FORMER Cuban leader Fidel Castro, wearing his green military cap and clothing like the comandante of old, made his first speech before the Cuban public last Friday since falling ill in 2006, warning of the threat of nuclear war.

Castro, 84, spoke from the same steps of the University of Havana where 60 years ago he stirred fellow students to political action in the beginnings of the revolution that eventually brought him to power in 1959.

About 10,000 people, mostly students, crowded the steps and nearby streets to listen to the man who led Cuba for 49 years before intestinal illness forced him to resign as president and, as Castro stated in a recent newspaper interview, nearly killed him.

His speech was the latest in a string of appearances since Castro re-emerged in July from four years of seclusion. Castro, as he has all summer, again warned that nuclear war is inevitable if the United States, in alliance with Israel, tries to enforce international sanctions against Iran over its Russian-backed nuclear programme.

The crowd shouted "Fidel, Fidel, Fidel" and applauded at several points during the televised address. Standing behind a podium at the top of steps, he spoke for about 40 minutes, far shorter than the hours-long speeches he once gave. He did not address domestic issues.

His public reappearance has raised questions about whether he could resume a larger role in running Cuba, now officially led by his younger brother, president Raul Castro, 79.