Republicans Concede Taking Cuba off US Terror List
HAVANA TIMES — Republicans in Congress will not try to block the decision of US President Barack Obama to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, believing they have no legal grounds to do so, reported dpa.
Florida Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a fervent opponent of the Castro government, had planned to introduce a bill this week in the House of Representatives seeking to block the exit of Cuba from the “black list” compiled by the State Department.
“We cannot change it,” Ros-Lehtinen acknowledged in an interview with the conservative magazine “Foreign Policy”. “The experts told us that under parliamentary rules it simply cannot be done,” added Republican Congresswoman of Cuban origin.
Ros-Lehtinen told the magazine that confusion over the authority of Congress to block Obama’s decision to remove Cuba from the list comes from a misunderstanding with the Helms-Burton Act, which in 1996 tightened the economic and trade embargo against the island.
Republicans had hoped to impose their majority in Congress to stop Obama’s plans.
In March 1982 the Reagan administration included Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. As a result of the December agreement between Washington and Havana to resume diplomatic relations, Obama asked the Secretary of State, John Kerry, to review whether Cuba should be removed from the list.
After hearing the recommendation of the Department of State, Obama announced to Congress on his decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The countries still on the list are Iran, Sudan and Syria.
The measure, which takes effect 45 days after the President’s announcement, was one of the most frequently repeated demands from Havana during the negotiations to restore diplomatic ties.
To justify its decision the White House argued that “the government of Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism in the last six months” and said it “will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.”
The announcement of the departure of Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism came just days after Obama held a historic face-to-face meeting with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro, in the framework of the Summit of the Americas in Panama. It was the first meeting at this level between the two countries in more than 50 years.
Washington and Havana announced last December 17 an agreement to resume diplomatic relations broken off unilaterally by the United States in 1961. Both countries are negotiating since late January the planned reopening of embassies, although there is still no time frame.
Data published in the “Dallas Morning Post” in December 2009 showed that the Castro dictatorship only purchased 1% of medicines, medical supplies and equipment that it could have done in 2008. Over 142 million dollars were fully licensed for exports by the US and just 1% was actually bought.
A well known expert on Cuba squarely blamed that on decisions of the Castro dictatorship He said: “These are economic and political decisions not to buy.” Cuba often waits for allies to donate what it needs, [Kavulich said.] “They’d rather get things for free than pay for them.”
The fact that US medicines and equipment are available and used in the “tourist” part of the medical apartheid system also shows that Cuba can purchase medicines, medical equipment and supplies from the US.
Blame the true cilprit of the bad medical situation in Cuba, Dan. Blame the dictatorship that sends out doctors to earn cash for its survival while Cubans desperately need help.
While the Cuban health minister is making a show of the “disaster” it is when Cuban doctors emigrate, desert as he called it, that same man has sent more than half of Cuba’s doctors abroad to earn money for the regime removing them from the health service for Cubans.Here is an interesting article from independent journalist Ivan Garcia on the topic:
Cuba Needs More Doctors and Better Hospitals / Ivan Garcia |
Translating Cuba –
http://translatingcuba.com/cuba-needs-more-doctors-and-better-hospitals-ivan-garcia/
Cuba came on the US terror list in a fully legal manner.
Its placement on the list was also very logical and continues to be so:
• Cuba is providing sanctuary to U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist
Organizations. It’s indisputable that Cuba currently provides sanctuary
to terrorists from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC),
the National Liberation Army of Colombia (ELN) and Spain’s Basque
separatist group, ETA. If the Obama Administration no longer believes
FARC, ELN and ETA are terrorist organizations, which would be
mind-boggling, then the State Department must first review their
designation as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).” De-listing Cuba
as a state-sponsor of terrorism while countenancing its harboring and
abetting of terrorist organizations is disingenuous, a folly akin to
placing the cart before the horse.
• Cuba is harboring one of the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Terrorists.”
Joanne Chesimard remains among the top ten on the FBI’s list of Most
Wanted Terrorists for the execution-style murder of a New Jersey State
Trooper. Chesimard, who the Castro regime has reiterated will not be
returned to face justice, is the only “Top Ten” terrorist to be openly
living in a state-sponsor nation. Again, if the Obama Administration no
longer believes that Chesimard is a terrorist — also mind-boggling —
it should first remove her from the FBI list.
• Three senior Cuban military officers remain under a U.S. murder
indictment. In 2003, a U.S. federal court indicted then-head of the
Cuban
Air Force, Gen. Rubén Martínez Puente, and two MiG pilots, Lorenzo
Alberto Pérez-Pérez and Francisco Pérez-Pérez, for the 1996 shoot-down
of two civilian planes — killing four men — over international waters.
Three were American citizens, and one a permanent resident. No similar
indictment has been issued against any military officials of other
nations deemed to be sponsors of terrorism.
Emphasizing this challenge, last month President Obama extended a
national emergency declaration finding that “the Cuban government has
not demonstrated that it will refrain from the use of excessive force
against U.S. vessels or aircraft that may engage in memorial activities
or peaceful protest north of Cuba.”
• Cuba provides material support to subversive and criminal elements in
the region. Cuba was originally placed on the terrorism list in 1982 for
its training and arming of subversive forces in Africa and the Americas.
Today, thousands of Cuban soldiers and intelligence officials are
stationed in Venezuela. Their presence and control of Venezuela’s
military, police, and intelligence services is subverting democracy in
that nation. Cuba has armed and trained violent paramilitary groups,
known as “colectivos,” and remains involved in narcotics trafficking and
other criminal activities.
• Cuba has recently lied twice to the international community about
smuggling weapons. In a report last year, United Nations officials
confirmed
Cuba’s attempt to smuggle 240 tons of heavy weaponry to North Korea,
hidden under tons of sugar. Panamanian officials discovered the
contraband that the U.N. panel described as the largest and most
egregious violation of international sanctions to date. The panel
documented
the Castro regime’s lack of cooperation, false statements and strategy
to conceal and deceive U.N. authorities. And just last week, a
Chinese-flagged ship was intercepted in Colombia carrying an illegal
cache of weapons destined for Cuba’s military. Thus, what credible
“assurances” — as required by law — can the Castro regime give the
United States that it will now refrain from rogue activities?
Does the Texan Govenor execute the worst Bandidos? Are they on a terrorist list?
Mutual respect for soveriegn jurisdiction is a fair outcome let God be your guide.
OBAMA , has taken many good steps, unfortuneataly the lack of firmness in his country and the secret societies has not had a very good outcome in many hearts
of his patriots so we have to be diligent and prevent there mistakes from taking root in CUBA.
Thank You
So there were no legal, never mind logical grounds for the US keeping Cuba on the so-called terrorist list. I hope Mr. Obama will make use of the fact that the embargo itself is illegal under international law. As none other than Amnesty International has reported, “The US government is acting contrary to the Charter of the United Nations [i.e. acting illegally] by restricting the direct import of medicine and medical equipment and supplies, and by imposing those restrictions on companies operating in third countries.”
Deny it if you like all you embargo boosters — the fact is no one, not even your closest allies at the UN General Assembly are buying into your lies and rationalizations for these cruel and inhumane sanctions of yours. For over two decades in a now, the Assembly has voted overwhelmingly every year to condemn these sanctions and call for their immediate and unconditional lifting. On this insane policy, the US is truly isolated on the world stage.
Yes, I am a citizen. How does that affect the facts? US foreign policy is not nor should it be formulated on a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach. Cuba is a dictatorship unlike any other repressive regime on the planet. Our relationship with Cuba should be unique to Cuba.
Your quote. “What does or does not work in Cuba has nothing to do with our relationship with other countries” WHY? What makes Cuba different than those other countries? We pour millions of dollars in aid to a lot of countries that have oppressive governments and don’t even like us and we don’t have an embargo on them — Changing the structure of Government in Cuba is up to the Cuban People that live there, not the ones that left or anyone else. By the way, maybe I asked this before, but are you a U.S. citizen?
The day After Obama Removed Cuba from Terror Sponsor List, the Terrorist Group FARC, which is still sponsored by Cuba, Killed 10 in Colombia.
Altjhough they kept the story quiet for weeks, last week Colombia authorized a Chinese ship to set sail after it was caught carrying 100 tonnes of explosives to Cuba illegally. China’s Foreign Ministry says the ship was transporting regular military supplies to Cuba.
The ship was detained on Feb. 28 after docking in the coastal city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast. Inspectors found the explosives plus 2.6 million detonators, 99 projectile heads and around 3,000 canon shells on board. This shipment contained the sort of munitions used by the narco-terrorists FARC.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/21/us-colombia-china-ship-idUSKBN0NC2L920150421
I used to live in Cuba and I visit Cuba on a family visa at least once a year. My wife visits her family at least twice a year. I can easily support the embargo. To the extent the embargo denies the Castros access to US markets, it denies the Castros the profits to further repress the Cuban people and limits their capacity to spread their failed economic system to other ignorant and poor third world countries. What does or does not work in Cuba has nothing to do with our relationship with other countries.
When was the last time you visited Cuba? If as you say, you love Cuba and the Cuban people how can you be against lifting the Embargo just because you dislike the Castro dictatorship. It is not your personal dislike of Castro that should dictate the fate and well being of the Cuban people. Changing the government of Cuba is up to to the Cuban people that live there, not the U.S. or any other country.
If it is right to place an embargo on Cuba because we don’t agree with their government and leadership, based on that principal, we should have an embargo on quite a few other countries.
Do you actually believe the embargo was put in place to change the Cuban Government for the benefit of the Cuban People?
I am an American and love my country, but I am ashamed of this embargo that had nothing to do with helping the Cuban people.
The reason I brought up the BTR is that this shooting down the planes is used as a reason by dissidents and politicians to keep Cuba on the list of terrorists countries.
I love Cuba. I love Cubans. I am married to one. I dislike the Castro dictatorship. There is a difference. Who said anything about BTR? By the way, I have a wonderful life.
Lifting the embargo is Inevitable. I am a Republican and the Republicans would do well not to circle that wagon. When are the anti-lifting the embargo people going to give it up. Most US citizens are for lifting it and most Cubans under forty are also for lifting it. What the hell has the 50 + year embargo achieved? NOTHING. Why do people like you keep bitching about it– you must have a personal vendetta against Cuba.
And don’t keep bringing up the shooting down the Brothers To The Rescue planes. What about the Cuban airliner that was blown up with 73 people on board which included a bunch of teenagers that were on the Cuban fencing team. One of the people involved lived in South Florida until his death and the US would not honor Cuba’s request for extradition. Also The Brothers To The Rescue were involved in dropping leaflets off shore with favorable winds to Cuba promoting revolt
The Cold war is over and who cares if Cuba is a Communist Country— they are no threat to us.
Cut the crap and get a life.
It sounds like the Republicans are circling their wagons around the embargo. Politically smart and likely to prevent Obama from getting the votes he needs to repeal Helms – Burton.