April 19, 2001HAVANA The United Nations Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday condemned Cuba for human-rights abuses in a close vote that Cuban officials charged was tainted by unfair U.S. lobbying.The commission also voted to censure Iraq, Afghanistan and Israel, but a vote against China failed.Cuban officials said the 22-20 vote against Cuba, with 10 abstentions, came only after intense last-minute campaigning by President Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell, including calls to Latin leaders.U.S. officials also made "unscrupulous" offers to help with funding in the fight against AIDS for African nations willing to toe the U.S. line, Cuban officials charged, and other nations "were threatened with incrimination before the same commission on the basis of supposed violations of human rights in their countries.""The United States' only interest is to obtain, at any price, Cuba's condemnation," Cuba said. Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque insisted the island is "prouder than ever of its work in favor of human rights."State Department officials acknowledged having intensively lobbied foreign leaders to vote against Cuba."That's what diplomacy is all about," said Phil Reeker, deputy State Department spokesman.Reeker said Wednesday's vote was "a victory for the Cuban people."The vote to condemn Cuba is the third in three years. Cuban political dissidents charge that the island holds in its jails more than 300 political prisoners--Cuban leaders term them common criminals--and makes frequent short-term arrests of independent journalists, human-rights activists and other political dissidents.In a 23-17 vote, the 53-nation body decided not to consider a U.S. resolution denouncing Beijing for its repression of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, its "increased restrictions" on Tibetans and "harsh sentencing" of government opponents.The resolution censuring Israel for its use of force in Palestinian territories was approved 50-1. Only the United States took Israel's side.