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Fidel Castro Temporarily Cedes Power While Undergoing Surgery

Exclusive From Havana: Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon Says Castro is "Very Alive and Very Alert"; Condemns US Plans for Post-Castro Cuba and Bush’s Meeting With Exiles Advocating Cuba’s Violent Overthrow

Cuban 5 Remain Imprisoned Despite Orders For Their Release

Israel Launches Massive Ground Invasion of Lebanon

Fidel Castro Temporarily Cedes Power While Undergoing Surgery

Cuban President Fidel Castro has temporarily handed over power to his brother Raul while he undergoes surgery to repair an ailment that has caused intestinal bleeding. This marks the first time since he became president in 1959 that Castro has ceded power. We play an excerpt of the documentary “Fidel: The Untold Story.” [includes rush transcript]

On Monday night, 79 year old Cuban President Fidel Castro temporarily handed over power to his brother, Raul. This marks the first time since he became president in 1959 that Castro has ceded power. The Cuban President was forced to undergo surgery to repair an ailment that has caused intestinal bleeding. In a speech read by an aide on Cuban television Monday night, Castro said that his ill health was caused by overexerting himself during his travels last month. Raul Castro, who is 75, is Cuba's defense minister and first vice president. Under Cuba's constitution, he is first in line to take over from the president in case of incapacitating illness or death. We look at an excerpt of the documentary, “Fidel: The Untold Story”. The film was directed by Estela Bravo and it begins as Fidel Castro and his army enter Cuba in 1956 and start the 2-year struggle to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. It features, among others, Cuban Guerrilla Commander Juan Almeida, Wayne Smith, the first head of US interest section since the US has had an embassy there, and Fidel's biographer, Peter Bourne.

"Fidel: The Untold Story." Documentary directed by Estela Bravo, featuring, among others, Wayne Smith, the first head of the US interest section since the US had an embassy there, and Fidel's biographer, Peter Bourne.

In an exclusive interview from Havana, Ricardo Alarcon tells Democracy Now!: "I met with [Castro] personally before the announcement was issued, and yesterday, I was in communication with him also. He is perfectly conscious, very good speech as always. We talked for over a half an hour on many things going on in the world, the impact that the announcement has had."[includes rush transcript]

On Monday night, 79-year-old Cuban President Fidel Castro temporarily handed over power to his brother, Raul. This marks the first time since he became president in 1959 that Castro has ceded power. The Cuban President was forced to undergo surgery to repair an ailment that has caused intestinal bleeding. In a speech read by an aide on Cuban television Monday night, Castro said that his ill health was caused by overexerting himself during his travels last month. Raul Castro, who is 75, is Cuba”s defense minister and first vice president. Under Cuba”s constitution, he is first in line to take over from the president in case of incapacitating illness or death. Three weeks before Monday's announcement, a U.S. presidential commission called for an $80 million program to support opponents of Castro. The funding has been billed as “democracy promotion.” Critics say it will work to undermine Cuba”s government the same way that US democracy funding has destabilized regimes in other countries such as Haiti and Venezuela. We are joined by Ricardo Alarcon -- the President of the Cuban National Assembly.

Ricardo Alarcon. President of the Cuban National Assembly who has often been refered to as Castro's heir apparent

Cuban 5 Remain Imprisoned Despite Orders For Their Release

Ruben Campa, Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Luis Medina and Antonio Guerrero were arrested in Florida and were tried and convicted of espionage and conspiracy. They were accused of spying on Cuban-American exile leaders and convicted in December of 2001. Last year, a federal court overturned their convictions. But the US government has not released them. We speak with Leonard Weinglass, attorney for the Cuban 5. [includes rush transcript]

In 1998, Ruben Campa, Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Luis Medina and Antonio Guerrero were arrested in Florida and were tried and convicted of espionage and conspiracy. They were accused of spying on Cuban-American exile leaders and convicted in December of 2001. Last year, their convictions were overturned by a Federal Appellate court in Atlanta. The group is known as the Cuban five. We're joined in studio by one of their attorneys--Leonard Weinglass.

Leonard Weinglass. Attorney for the Cuban Five

Israel Launches Massive Ground Invasion of Lebanon

Israel has sent as many as 18,000 troops into Lebanon as part of a massive ground invasion. The ground assault comes as Israel continues to bomb areas around South Lebanon. Tens of thousands of Lebanese refugees are expected to once again be displaced as bombing intensifies. Newsday Middle East Bureau Chief Mohamad Bazzi joins us from Beirut. [includes rush transcript]

Israel has sent as many as 18,000 troops into Lebanon as part of a massive ground invasion. The ground assault comes as Israel continues to bomb areas around South Lebanon. A Lebanese official said Israel is carrying out an “unprecedented” air attack on the ancient city of Ba'albek. The assault began late Tuesday -- three hours before the end of Israel’s announced two-day pause to the bombing. The raid of Baalbek marked Israel's deepest known incursion into Lebanon in twelve years. Meanwhile, three Israeli soldiers and an unknown number of Hezbollah fighters were killed in clashes near the Israel-Lebanon border. Hezbollah launched more than sixty missiles into Israel today, after firing just eight on Tuesday. It was the furthest Hezbollah had fired since fighting began last month. Tens of thousands of Lebanese refugees are expected to once again be displaced as the Israeli bombing intensifies, and many Lebanese villages have yet to receive desperately needed aid. Mohamad Bazzi is the Middle East Bureau Chief for Newsday. He was born in Lebanon and lived there for the first ten years of his life. He joins us on the line from Beirut.

Mohamad Bazzi Middle East Bureau Chief for Newsday, born in Lebanon.

For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359. Our website is www.democracynow.org. Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.

Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma. Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.

Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards, Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph, Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu, Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.