Last spring, Under Secretary of State John R. Bolton accused Cuba of developing biological weapons, which President Castro vigorously denied.

The State Department today accused Cuba of deliberately subverting American efforts to fight terrorism by steadily providing Washington with erroneous tips and other false information about potential threats.

Replying, the United States representative, Thomas R. Pickering, accused Cuba of casting aside "the spirit of cooperation and conciliation" that has characterized this General Assembly session.

President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire accused Angola, Cuba, and the Soviet Union of sponsoring the rebels.

The Bush administration's past assessment accusing Cuba of producing germs for possible biological warfare has been a matter of dispute since it was first disclosed in the spring of 2002.

Washington has also accused Cuba of being involved in narcotics smuggling.

The Clinton Administration in effect justifies the incursions by accusing Cuba of being "violent" and "scornful of international law" (front page, Feb. 27).

On Monday, a State Department official accused Cuba of developing limited biological warfare weapons.

If Cuban politicians had made this decision about an American child in similar circumstances, these same members of Congress would be accusing Cuba of kidnapping.

Through the year, there have been several points of contention, including an American campaign accusing Cuba of human rights abuses.