"Having Cuba serve again on the Human Rights Commission is like putting Al Capone in charge
                  of bank security," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "It is an inappropriate action that
                  does not serve the cause of human rights in Cuba or at the United Nations."

                  The commission meets annually for six weeks in Geneva, Switzerland, to examine reports of
                  human rights abuses around the world.

                  Sichan Siv, U.S. delegate to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, which held the
                  election, told reporters, "It was an outrage for us because we view Cuba as the worst violator
                  of human rights in this hemisphere. While the commission was sitting in Geneva, the Cuban
                  authority rounded up 78 opposition leaders, journalists and librarians, put them into jail and
                  sentenced them to up to 20 years."

                  The U.S. relationship with the commission has grown increasingly contentious during the past
                  few years.

                  The United States lost its seat on the panel in 2001, which marked the first time Washington had
                  not served since the commission's inception in 1947. Although the United States was voted off
                  the panel, Sudan, Libya and Cuba were represented.

                  In April 2002, Spain and Italy withdrew their candidacies for the commission to allow the United
                  States to regain its seat.

                  The election of Cuba had been expected and was unopposed as part of a slate of uncontested
                  candidates from the Latin American regional group.

                  In a written statement, the United States also said Cuba's nomination to the Commission on
                  Human Rights "symbolizes the commission's regrettable decline in international prestige,
                  relevance and authority."

                  Libya holds the one-year chairmanship of the human rights committee. According to Human
                  Rights Watch, political opponents in Libya are subject to abduction and assassination, torture,
                  and detention without charge or trial.

                  -- CNN producer Liz Neisloss contributed to this report.