In a move that marks a major step forward in US-Cuba relations, the Obama Administration today removed Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Cuba had been added to the list in 1982, during the Cold War.
Getting removed from the list is no easy task, and the decision underscores an ongoing administration effort to patch up relations with Cuba which have been acrimonious, to say the least, for over 50 years. The move will ease the ending of the long-standing US embargo against the nearby island nation.
President Obama has been in talks with Cuban President Raul Castro recently on such improvements in ties, and the State Department indicated earlier this week that they are “narrowing differences” with Cuba on reopening their long-closed mutual embassies. They also suggested covert efforts to impose regime change in Cuba may be coming to an end.
Historically, the United States was one of Cuba’s most important trading partners, and that is likely to be true again in fairly short order once the various limitations on doing business in Cuba are eased for American companies.
President Obama conceded that the long-standing US efforts to impose regime change on Cuba through isolation and economic embargo have failed, and that it was time for the US to try something else. Experts believe the new openness will oblige Cuba to make considerable reforms in the near future.
Removal from the list of state sponsors of terror was a key demand of the Cuban government for this rapprochement, and their inclusion on the list never made particular sense in the first place, beyond various administrations’ desires to include Cuba on every negative list possible.
I will believe that our US Government has disclaimed its ancient goal of "regime change" in Cuba when I see some evidence of it. To the contrary, as this article indicates, our Government's recent declarations about Cuba still make clear a goal to force "reforms" upon the Cuban government. This is perfectly consistent with our Government's claim that the US is morally superior to all other nations (perhaps excepting Israel) and therefore has the right and duty to dictate to everyone else how they should conduct their affairs — internal as well as external. I don't see any change in this condescending attitude of our political "leaders" now or in the foreseeable future; and consequently I don't see any factual basis for expecting that our Government will stop trying to control human behavior all over the planet. But I am open to being pleasantly surprised.
In the United States aim to control others, we here the words exceptionalism, and while Americans believe it to be based on greatness, the reality is that it is every body has to do this, or that, EXCEPT the United States! HUman rights everybody except the US cannot torture, State sponsored Terrorism, every body but us! Remembering that So many Terrorists have been in the employ of the US, MEK the group that took the Hostages at the US Embassy in Iran were later funded by the CIA, Bin Ladin was taught by the CIA to use Stinger Missiles which were supplied by the CIA! The tip of the Iceberg! I suppose to be pleasantly surprised there could be prosecutions of Senior US persons that have breached Human rights by torture and other nefarious activities, like aggressive war!
the opening to cuba surely involves alterior motives. surely you don't think they ae doing it because it is the right thing to do, do you?
"…and added israel to the terror list." If only.
Shouldn't the United States put themselves on their own terror list? I know this is laughable but the United Stats has supported far more "terrorists" in the last 5 years than Cuba has since the Castro Regime has existed.