Cuban President Fidel Castro said Thursday that the arrest of Cuban-born terrorist Luis Posada Carriles is a "great farce" performed by the US government, whose true aim is to protect him and prevent him from facing justice.

Cuban President Fidel Castro during the demonstration, May 17, 2005. More than one million people joined the rally near the US diplomatic mission in Havana, calling for an arrest of Luis Posada Carriles. (Xinhua/Reuters photo)

In the usual radio-television program "Round Table," Castro said this is a plan manipulated by the White House to save face in a difficult situation.

Posada was arrested by the United States immigration authorities last Tuesday, hours after Castro led over 1 million protesters in an anti-terror march past the US diplomatic mission in Havana to demand the United States arrest Carriles on terrorism charges.

Posada illegally entered into the North American country two months ago and Cuba denounced the US for sheltering him 35 days ago, "and they (Washington) say they did not know anything," said the Cuban leader.

Castro said Washington was only forced to arrest Posada under the circumstances at the time, and the arrest was negotiated between the US authorities and the anti-Cuban groups in southern Florida.

In his opinion, Washington wants a secret trial, or to avoid trial if possible, yet it has to answer its people how come "the oldest terrorist of the world" entered into the country.

Posada, 77, a Cuban-born exile with Venezuelan citizenship, participated in the organization of an attack on a Cuban airliner in 1976 that exploded in flight over the waters of Barbados, killing 73. He was also involved in a series of bomb attacks in Havana in 1997, which led to the death of an Italian vacationer.

Cuba abstains from bringing Posada to trial and demanded Posada be prosecuted by an international tribunal in Venezuela, whose government on May 13 officially requested Posada's extradition from the United States.

Source: Xinhua