Cuba's government-run news media regularly praises the armed forces as a model of efficiency, yet seldom mentions their powerful role in the island's crippled economy, according to a U.S. intelligence report.

Raúl Castro has been increasingly presenting himself as a civilian leader, the report added, appearing less frequently in his army general's uniform and more often in suits or guayaberas.

The report was issued Feb. 26 by the Open Source Center (OSC), a U.S. intelligence community branch that monitors foreign news accounts. It was not publicly released, but a copy was obtained and published by Secrecy News, a Federation of American Scientists program on government secrecy.

Cuba's military, widely viewed as the most respected official institution on the island, controls an estimated 60 percent of the country's economy, hard hit by the global financial crisis, hurricane damages and domestic failures.

Many of its top officers have studied business administration abroad, and the management system it uses in its own enterprises in areas such as tourism is portrayed in Cuba as a model to be followed.

The OSC analysis noted, however, that while Cuba's official media frequently praised the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), it made little mention of the military's leading role in the economy.

``State media portray the military as a model of collective and individual performance [and] regularly find fault with civilian agencies and workers .... but coverage of the military is generally ... silent on the subject of FAR involvement in the Cuban economy,'' the report noted.

To read full Miami Herald story — Go Here Now.