A high-ranking Bush administration official again accuses Cuba of dabbling in a bioweapons research and development program.

BY NANCY SAN MARTIN

ARMS RESEARCH

The Bush administration continues to believe there's a ''strong'' case that Cuba has a limited biological weapons effort, although some of the intelligence is ''questionable,'' according to testimony on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

''The case for the existence of a developmental Cuba BW R&D [biological weapons research and development] effort is strong,'' John Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control, told the House International Relations Committee.

''The administration believes that Cuba remains a terrorist and BW threat to the United States,'' he added.

REITERATED CLAIMS

Bolton's testimony, part of his statement during a hearing on nuclear nonproliferation, reiterated many of the same allegations he raised in 2002, when he alleged Havana had a ''limited developmental offensive biological warfare research and development effort'' and was exporting its technology to ''rogue'' nations.

Cuban President Fidel Castro has flatly denied the allegations and challenged the United States to present proof.

On Tuesday, Bolton repeated that Cuba has long ``provided safe haven for terrorists, and has collaborated in biotechnology -- including extensive dual use technologies with BW applications -- with state sponsors of terror.''

But Bolton acknowledged that ``existing intelligence reporting is problematic, and the Intelligence Community's ability to determine the scope, nature, and effectiveness of any Cuban BW program has been hampered by reporting from sources of questionable access, reliability, and motivation.''

Several defectors from Cuba's biotechnology industry and intelligence services have made similar allegations since the early 1990s but produced no hard evidence.

Miami Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who chaired part of the committee meeting, said Bolton made it clear that Cuba is not to be overlooked as a security threat.

''He says they have the capabilities to be a real player in this evil racket if they choose to go this way,'' Ros-Lehtinen said in a telephone interview from Washington.

The communist-ruled island is among the State Department's list of nations that ''sponsor'' terrorism. The country is accused of ''harboring terrorists'' from Colombia and Spain and providing refuge to more than 70 fugitives wanted by the FBI.

Bolton said Castro ``continues to view terror as a legitimate tactic to further revolutionary objectives.''

CRITICAL TIME

Ros-Lehtinen noted that Bolton's testimony came at a critical time because the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva is expected to vote on a resolution condemning Cuba's record in the coming days, a year after it sentenced 75 dissidents to jail, with some getting 28-year sentences.

The arrests drew worldwide condemnation and fractured Havana's diplomatic relations with the European Union.

In a statement earlier this month, Secretary of State Colin Powell urged U.N. commission member nations to again condemn Cuba, as they have done repeatedly since the mid-1990s.

''We who cherish liberty must seize this opportunity to send a powerful message of solidarity to the courageous men and women in Cuba who champion democracy's cause,'' Powell stated.

Herald staff writer Oscar Corral contributed to this report.