22 February 2004	Sunday	01 Muharram 1425

HAVANA, Feb 21: The top US diplomat in Havana said on Friday Cuba's government was fabricating a threat of invasion by the United States to instil fear in Cubans.

Cuban authorities, concerned Cuba might be the next Iraq, are preparing the armed forces to defend the island from invasion and have put the island's population of 11 million on the alert with evacuation plans and militia training.

Cuban President Fidel Castro accused the Bush administration in recent speeches of planning to assassinate him and invade Cuba to overthrow his government.

"The US government reiterates once again that there is no reason for the US to attack Cuba and that the US government has no intention of doing so," the head of the US mission in Havana, James Cason, said.

"The Cuban government is fabricating the threat of a US military attack to engender fear in the Cuban population, to spend scare resources to maintain large military, security and intelligence structures."-Reuters