Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
up front Tuesday 19 sepTember 2017
US to press Cuba At Press Time:

over concerns on Maria grows, threatens storm-battered Caribbean
health incidents
and whip the U.S. territory
ly heavy flooding starting in neth Mapp.
Continued from Front
By JOSH LEDERMAN It was centered about 35 the afternoon and warned “We are going to have with heavy winds for 12 to
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — The miles (55 kilometers) north- that many communities a very, very long night,” 24 hours. Officials said the
east of Martinique and 45 could be submerged over-
Mapp said as he urged Federal Emergency Man-
Trump administration will
press its concerns about miles (70 kilometers) east- night. In nearby Martinique, people in the territory to fin- agement Agency was
ready to bring drinking wa-
southeast of Dominica, and authorities ordered people ish any preparations.
unexplained incidents
harming American dip- was heading west-north- to remain indoors and said St. Thomas and St. John are ter and help restore power
west at 9 mph (15 kph).
they should be prepared still recovering from a direct in Puerto Rico immediately
lomats in Cuba during a
meeting this week in Wash- The center said Maria
would likely continue to
ington, as the United States
considers shuttering its re- gain strength for the next 24
hours or longer and could
cently re-opened Embassy
in Havana. reach Category 5 status.
Hurricane warnings were
U.S. diplomats will host Cu-
ban official Josefina Vidal, posted for the U.S. and
British Virgin Islands, Puerto
who has been the public
face of Cuba’s diplomatic Rico, Guadeloupe, Domi-
nica, St. Kitts, Nevis, Mont-
opening with the U.S., and
other Cuban officials, a serrat and Martinique. A
tropical storm warning was
State Department official
told The Associated Press. issued for Antigua and Bar-
buda, Saba, St. Eustatius,
Vidal has served as the
chief of U.S. affairs for her St. Maarten, St. Lucia and
Anguilla.
country’s foreign ministry
and was recently named Forecasters said storm surge
could raise water levels by
Cuba’s ambassador to
Canada, whose diplomats 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 me-
ters) near the storm’s cen-
also were harmed by the
mysterious incidents. ter. The storm was predict-
ed to bring 10 to 15 inches
The United States plans to
raise concerns and discuss (25 to 38 centimeters) of
rain across the islands, with
the status of the ongoing Men remove a boat from the water ahead of Hurricane Maria in the Galbas area of Sainte-Anne
investigation, which has more in isolated areas. on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, early Monday, Sept. 18, 2017. Hurricane Maria
grew into a Category 3 storm on Monday as it barreled toward a potentially devastating collision
Officials in Dominica closed
yet to determine a cause with islands in the eastern Caribbean.
of culprit for what the U.S. schools and government (AP Photo/Dominique Chomereau-Lamotte)
offices and urged people
has variably called “inci-
dents” or “health attacks.” to evacuate and seek shel- for power cuts and disrup- hit by Hurricane Irma, which after the storm. Traffic was
ters.
The Trump administration
will be represented by “We should treat the ap- tion in the water supply. did extensive damage and heavy Monday as people
caused four deaths on the rushed to buy last-minute
proaching hurricane very, All schools and non-essen-
John Creamer, the deputy
assistant secretary of state very seriously,” Prime Min- tial public services were two islands. items. Among them was
Officials and islanders were 70-year-old retiree Rafael
ister Roosevelt Skerrit said. closed.
responsible for Cuba, said
the official, who wasn’t au- “This much water in Domi- The storm’s hurricane-force also bracing in Puerto Rico, Rivera, who clutched a
winds extended out about which did not take a direct small bag of dog treats for
nica is dangerous.”
thorized to comment by
name and requested ano- The small, mountainous is- 25 miles (35 kilometers) hit from Irma but still saw his dog and six puppies at
land could be in trouble from the eye, and tropical blackouts across much of home.
nymity.
Vidal, who helped negoti- even if spared the storm’s storm-force winds out as the territory. Nearly 70,000 “This storm is coming with
far as 125 miles (205 kilome-
people
remain
without some bad intentions,” he
strongest winds. In Au-
ate the detente, has repre-
sented Cuba at the regu- gust 2015, Tropical Storm ters). power, and Gov. Ricardo said at a San Juan store
shoppers
some
Erika unleashed flooding The current forecast track Rossello warned that more where
larly scheduled meetings
before. and landslides that killed would carry it about 22 widespread outages are grumbled about empty
31 people and destroyed miles (35 kilometers) south likely with Maria.
shelves. Rossello said Puerto
But the diplomatic opening
appears to be in jeopardy more than 370 homes. of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Forecasters said the storm Rico had prepared about
Officials in Guadeloupe Islands late Tuesday and would dump up to 18 450 shelters capable of tak-
given grave U.S. concerns
about what has transpired said the French island early Wednesday, accord- inches (46 centimeters) ing in up to 125,000 people
of rain across Puerto Rico in a worst-case scenario.q
would experience extreme-
ing to territorial Gov. Ken-
in Havana since November
2016.
On Sunday, Secretary of Mattis:
State Rex Tillerson disclosed
that the Trump administra- No need yet to shoot down North Korean missiles
tion is considering clos-
ing down the embassy, By ROBERT BURNS sponse from us,” Defense to overt combat action, a has been raised publicly by
the strongest indication to AP National Security Writer Secretary Jim Mattis said cyberattack or something some South Korean politi-
date that the United States WASHINGTON (AP) — The Monday. more covert. “I will not go cians. U.S. nuclear weap-
might mount a major dip- U.S. has seen no need to He also said, without elab- into details,” he said. Mattis ons were withdrawn from
lomatic response. The two shoot down North Korean oration, that the Trump ad- also confirmed that he and the Korean peninsula in the
former foes reopened em- missiles test-fired in Japan’s ministration has military op- his South Korean counter- early 1990s at the close of
bassies in Washington and direction, but a future mis- tions against North Korea part had recently discussed the Cold War.
Havana in 2015 after a sile launch that threatens that would not put Seoul the possibility of putting U.S. “We discussed the option,
half-century of estrange- U.S. or Japanese territory at risk. He would not say nuclear weapons back into but that’s all ... I want to
ment. q will “elicit a different re- whether he was referring South Korea, an option that say,” he said.q