"Obama to Remove Cuba From State Sponsors of Terrorism List. Why That’s Bad." - Ana Quintana / @Ana_R_Quintana / April 09, 2015 / http://dailysignal.com/2015/04/09/obama-to-remove-cuba-from-state-sponsors-of-terrorism-list-why-thats-bad/ [AS I SEE IT: Several weeks ago, former New York City Mayor Giuliani was strongly criticized for saying that "President Obama doesn't love America." Well, however you define "loving America, " I have a hard time defining it as making deals with the Islamic terrorist state of Iran as well as with Communist Cuba (discussed below) that shows favor to them without winning any real concessions. And this at the same time he distances himself from our long time ally and only true resistance to radical Islam in the Middle East, Israel - even to where he has refused to guarantee their right to exist in negotiations! Is any of this looking after America's best interests? I don't see it. - Stan]
Raul Castro. (Photo: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters/Newscom)
Later this week at the Summit of the Americas, President Obama is expected to announce Cuba’s removal from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List. The State Department has made the recommendation that Cuba be removed and it is expected that Secretary of State John Kerry will recommend Cuba’s removal to the president. This comes to the surprise of no one as Obama already declared his intention to do so when he announced his new Cuba policy on Dec. 17th.
Cuban dictator Raul Castro responded to the announcement by saying:
* There would be no democracy in Cuba;
* Cuba will remain a single party state;
* There would be no change in governmental leadership;
* Communism will continue;
* Political prisoners would not be released;
* There was no hint of allowing greater Internet access
* No discussion of more Cubans visiting the United States;
* No liberalization of the media;
* There was no suggestion of restitution for the $8 billion in stolen American property ;
* and, by-the-way Cuba wants the naval base at Guantanamo Bay returned.
This is also the same dictator who, only days after Obama’s announcement, ordered the murder of 35 Cubans, by sinking a ship they were on. He followed that up by ordering the arrest of over 600 dissidents in the first three months of 2015.
Mind you, Obama now refers to Raul Castro as president and his equal.
To remove the Castro regime’s Cuba from the list would be to ignore both the Cuban government’s inherently malicious nature and the utility of terrorist designations.
Removing Cuba from the list would also remove restrictions that preclude their receipt of preferential foreign aid and trade benefits. Repealing the designation combined with further weakening of sanctions will not bode well for U.S. taxpayers.
The regime routinely defaults on foreign loans and is guilty of the largest uncompensated theft of U.S. assets in recorded history, valued at $7 billion. Also, removing Cuba from the list could potentially be in violation of the Export Administration Act (EAA), the law by which Cuba was added to the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
Obama needs to understand one simple fact. Giving a dictator everything does not satisfy the ambition, the greed, the lust for power, and the sense of destiny.The dictator is only emboldened and will continue demanding much more.
"Congressional Oversight Needed as Obama Administration Moves to Remove Cuba from State Sponsors of Terrorism List" - By Ana Quintana, January 29, 2015; http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2015/01/congressional-oversight-needed-as-obama-administration-moves-to-remove-cuba-from-state-sponsors-of-terrorism-list
" ...To remove Cuba from the list would be to ignore both the Cuban government’s inherently malicious nature and the utility of terrorist designations. For over three decades, the Castro regime has directly supported organizations designated by the U.S. government as terrorist. Recent activities that warrant Cuba’s place on the list include Havana’s violations of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, leadership role in directing Venezuela’s military and intelligence, and steadfast support and intimate relationship with such countries as Syria, Iran, and North Korea. The Castro regime also continues to harbor U.S. fugitives and subsidize their livelihoods. One fugitive has been on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list since 2013 for killing a New Jersey State Trooper.
Removing Cuba from the list would also remove restrictions that preclude their receipt preferential foreign aid and trade benefits. Repealing the designation combined with further weakening of sanctions will not bode well for U.S. taxpayers. The regime routinely defaults on foreign loans and is guilty of the largest uncompensated theft of U.S. assets in recorded history, valued at $7 billion. Congress cannot ignore the implications of an undeserving regime’s being removed from this list..."
* Why the Castro Regime Cannot Be Trusted
* Cuba’s Removal Would Violate the Law and Potentially Endanger U.S. Taxpayers
* Congress Cannot Ignore the Dangerous Implications
"...Terrorism designation is not only about what the country is currently doing, but also about the potential for future malicious actions. Removing Cuba from the terrorist list is much more than a symbolic gesture. It carries far-reaching implications that can endanger U.S. national security interests."
—Ana Quintana is a Research Associate for Latin America in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign and National Security Policy, of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, at The Heritage Foundation.
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