The Islamic State is a radical jihadist group that developed out of al-Qaeda and eventually grew to stand on its own after splitting with al-Qaeda leadership and making significant gains in recruiting Muslims from the West to fight in Iraq and Syria. While most authorities agree on the origins of the group, Cuban dictator emeritus Fidel Castro disagrees, instead accusing Sen. John McCain and Israel’s Mossad of “creating” the terrorist organization.
Castro’s accusations fly in a scatterbrained column for Cuban State media, titled “Either Just Ideas Will Triumph or Disaster Will.” The column begins with a celebration of the Russian Revolution, decrying that Western “industrialized” states did not adopt violent Marxist ideologies. He follows up this praise with this conviction: “I believe there is no right whatsoever to destroy cities, murder children, pulverize homes, plant terror, hunger, and death everywhere.”
Castro, as is his wont, follows such a statement with a stern condemnation of the United States for establishing the embargo, despite the fact that the Cuban government itself has been much stricter in enforcing its own embargo–one that does not permit Cubans to leave the island to go to most places around the world, and recently began denying Cuban-Americans entry into the island with many of the necessary goods Cubans can only get through family in the United States.
Castro’s winding rhetorical road leads him directly to Sen. John McCain, whom he calls a “fox” and accuses of lying about his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Despite the alleged lies, Castro writes, “The most cynical thing about Mr. McCain has been his action in the Near East.” McCain, he writes, “is the most unconditional ally of Israel in the web of the Mossad. … McCain participated along with this service in the creation of the Islamic State that has taken over a considerable and vital part of Iraq.”
In the same column, Castro describes the behavior of NATO as similar to “neo-Nazis.”
Sen. McCain has taken the accusation as a badge of honor. According to The Hill, McCain tweeted an ironic celebratory message to Castro for solving the Islamic State mystery: “Congrats Fidel Castro, you have revealed my true secret role in shaping world events!” He added, “First I was sanctioned by Vladimir Putin then #ISIS labeled me ‘the enemy,’ now Fidel Castro! Who’s next?!”
Castro has not been in power since 2008; his brother Raul has run the operation. Castro allegedly makes rare public appearances, as chronicled by Cuban state media.
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