In his first public appearance since handing over Cuba's presidency to his brother in 2006, Fidel Castro gave an hourlong television interview Monday, during which he asserted that the world is on the brink of a nuclear conflict. "If there’s an attack on Iran by Israel and the U.S.," said the 83-year-old communist revolutionary, "there's no way to prevent it from becoming a nuclear war." Wearing one of his signature zip-up track suits over a flannel shirt, Castro added that war with Iran could also spark a nuclear conflict with North Korea, and even "another world war." Should his dire predictions be taken seriously? The Iranian threat is real, says Stephen Dufrechou in News Junkie Post. But "Castro’s nuclear warning may only be the hot air of an aged dictator." Agreed, foreign policy expert Peter Hakim tells Business Week. This was mostly just "a way to suggest that Fidel is still around and watching." Watch a report about Castro's appearance:
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
6 of the world’s most accessible destinationsThe Week Recommends Experience all of Berlin, Singapore and Sydney
-
How the FCC’s ‘equal time’ rule worksIn the Spotlight The law is at the heart of the Colbert-CBS conflict
-
What is the endgame in the DHS shutdown?Today’s Big Question Democrats want to rein in ICE’s immigration crackdown
