Havana blasts plans to harbor Kosovar refugees in Guantanamo

HAVANA, April 6 -- (AFP) -- A Cuban government official Tuesday strongly criticized US plans to harbor thousands of Kosovar refugees in the US-controlled Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba.

``The American aggressors in Yugoslavia have no right to bring these people to Cuba,'' said Raul Taladrid, vice minister of foreign investment and international cooperation.

``The refugee problem is a European problem,'' Taladrid told reporters here.

The first group of Kosovar refugees is expected to reach Guantanamo this week, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said Tuesday.

Washington pledged to take in some 20,000 refugees out of some 400,000 Kosovar Albanians displaced by Serb forces since the NATO air strikes began on March 24.

Cuba claims the base in Guantanamo -- the only US military base in a communist country -- as Cuban territory.

Washington is also considering Guam as a potential site to harbor the refugees.