New Cuban influx on horizon?

President Castro of Cuba may be preparing to unleash a new flood of refugees on the United States, perhaps at the Guantanamo Bay US naval base in Cuba, says Rep. Les Aspin (D) of Wisconsin.

Representative Aspin, chairman of the House intelligence oversight committee, says he believes the refugee weapon may be used by President Castro against the US to secure concessions he wants: return of the Guantanamo base, an end to the US trade embargo with Cuba, and elimination of intelligence overflights, Monitor correspondent John K. Cooley reports.

A former Pentagon analyst, Mr. Aspin disclosed in May that the Carter administration had prior intelligence warning of the flood of refugees that streamed to Florida this spring.

"Despite the warning, nothing was done," he said Monday. "There was no effort to prevent the exodus nor any planning to receive it."

He says there is strong internal evidence in Cuba that Mr. Castro has not finished "cleaning his island of elements he doesn't like," such as criminals and political dissidents.