Cuba declines U.S. offer to send disaster team

HAVANA — Cuba politely declined a U.S. offer to send a disaster-assessment team to the island after Hurricane Gustav, saying Saturday it would rather Washington suspend restrictions on travel and the sale of food and other materials it needs to recover.

Cuba's Foreign Ministry did not mention some $100,000 in humanitarian aid Washington offered to send through nonprofit groups, along with the assessment team. It said in a statement that it appreciated the U.S. government gesture recognizing the destruction that Gustav caused.

The Cuban statement was released as forecasters predicted another powerful hurricane, Ike, will likely sweep across the length of the island early in the week.

Ailing former leader Fidel Castro wrote this week that recovery from Gustav could cost billions of dollars on an island where the average state salary is the equivalent of only about $20 a month.