Crack in the door: Ex-President Carter aims to thaw relations in historic trip to Cuba

Houston Chronicle ^ | May 12, 2002 | PATTY REINERT

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Atlanta - Cuban-Americans skeptical of outcome : Carter "useful tool" Castro "devil" ***Carter is political pawn, some say At the Coco Loco Cuban restaurant in Buckhead, Rey Regalado, 41, a paint contractor from Tucker who came from Cuba in 1991, chuckled as he reviewed the list of Carter's scheduled visits. The former president is being steered to places designed to show Cuba in the best light, Regalado said. "You see? Castro is so smart," he said. "Castro is controlling him. [Carter] is not going to see the real Cuba. I'm not against him going. He's just going to be manipulated."

Regalado said he was "born in the revolution" and knew nothing else. He said life was fine in Cuba until the collapse of the Soviet Union, which had economically propped up the island. By 1991, the economy declined so much he decided to leave. The Soviet Union's collapse showed him communism "wouldn't work," he said. "I decided to get out before it was too late." Even Castro's harshest critics stress that he's smart, and, in the opinion of many Cuban-Americans, he doesn't do anything unless he stands to gain something. For this reason, they say, Carter needs to treat him with suspicion.

"He needs to understand that if the embargo is to be ended, there has to be changes in political prisoners, in human rights and in open and free elections, which is basically what the U.S. government has said from Day One," said Cuban-American Joaquin "Jack" Coello, 57, a lawyer. Rafael Andino, 37, a Lawrenceville biomedical engineer who came to the United States when he was 3 years old, is pessimistic. "I think Carter will try to press for certain freedoms, but I don't think he'll be successful. [Castro] can't allow basic freedoms because it compromises his position," he said. "We wish Carter well, but we're not hopeful."***

Texas farms see Cuba as market for their goods*** "We are not going to help Fidel Castro stay in power by opening up our markets to Cuba," said Cuban-born Otto Reich, whom Bush appointed as the State Department's top official for Latin American affairs over the objections of the U.S. Senate. A democratic transition in Cuba could be expedited, Reich said earlier this year, by "not throwing a lifeline to a failed, corrupt, dictatorial, murderous regime." Hillman, however, said he sees trade as a lifeline not for Castro but for struggling U.S. farmers and for starving Cubans, who wait in long lines for a rationed food supply with little variety.***

Al Neuharth: Why is China OK, but Cuba 'enemy'?

Fidel Castro - Cuba

[Donald Stone]

With Russia no longer able to provide Castro with foreign aid , Castro can't wait to get on the U.S. foreign aid gravy train !!!!!!

And with U.S. businessmen waiting in line for the U.S. government to open Cuba to U.S. business it won't be long.

[albee]

Jimmy Carter perfectly fits the description Lenin gave to "do-good" liberals:

"USEFUL IDIOTS!"

[BigWaveBetty]

I hope Jimmah brought a case of No-Doze. Those Castro 5 hr. lectures can be a beeotch!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

That's the plan but I don't expect it will come to pass.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

That term was made for people like Carter.

[PGalt]

Carter's a liberal/socialist in search of a legacy. Compare him with Ronald Reagan, who didn't need a "LEGACY SEARCH PARTY"

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Those Castro 5 hr. lectures can be a beeotch!

That followed by a rousing all night discussion of the joys of communism, savored over cigars and rum, Carter should sleep like a baby.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Compare him with Ronald Reagan, who didn't need a "LEGACY SEARCH PARTY"

Bump!!

[Elle Bee]

One mut suppose that the inept Carter (who brought us Stansfield Turner, William Webster, et al) has forgotten wat a fool Casto made of him with the Mariel Boat Lift

.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Fool is right.

Atlanta - Cuban-Americans skeptical of outcome : Carter "useful tool" - Castro "devil"***Rene Diaz, a Cuban-American and CEO of Diaz Foods in Atlanta, sits on the Carter Center's Board of Councilors, an advisory group of prominent regional and local figures. He said Cuban-Americans need to take the opportunity to start a dialogue with Castro to come up with a post-Castro succession plan. When Castro dies, Diaz believes, different groups will vie for power: Castro's brother Raul, opposing generals in the army and the Cuban people. Cuba could "get worse before it gets better." "Carter is one man who can convince Castro that his legacy is important. He doesn't want to be the man who ruled Cuba for 40 years and then he died and it collapsed," Diaz said. "Carter can bring about some dialogues, some ideas to get to the next step. Cuba could be a success story."***

[at bay]

It is great to have members posting who have long memories. The Mariel boat scam left hundreds in this country victims of some of the violent thugs unleashed on this country. Terrorism in its crudest, cruddiest form. The aging thug of thugs, el heftie (scum) bag, should be summarily executed by Jimmy if he gets in close range. Wow. Wouldn't that make the news. Or Jimmy could take Gary Condit and a couple of his Hell's Angel's buddies with him and make Castro disappear. You don't negotiate with Frank Nitty, Al Capone or John Gotti. We should be dropping thousands of radios not capable of being jammed. Surely the technology exists for that. Make Guantanamo a staging ground. Dropping leaflets by the millions. Long live the embargo! Long live the soldiers who killed the invading Che Guevarro! Long live every freedom loving person in the world who fought against this murderous scumbag. Don't be fooled by the suit Jimmy. He'd shove a peanut where the sun don't shine on you so fast if you were one of his subjects you wouldn't know what hit you. He has no authority to speak for the people of Cuba as no one elected him. Meeting with him confers authority and gives Castro the very recognition that our State Department has wisely withheld the last 40 years.

[YaYa123]

Help me out here, I can't remember the details, but I'm discomforted by Carter's trip because.....

The last time Cuba was in the news, all the big anchors and reporters went to Cuba to cover the story of, I think it was the Pope's trip to Cuba. Then, something happened, an unexpected news event, and the big story turned out to be something that happened here. What was it?

[BigWaveBetty]

LOL! And after all that fun perhaps Jimmah will have lust in his heart for America for a change.

[not-alone]

January 20, 1977 - Jimmy Carter is inaugurated as the 39th President of the United States.

March 19, 1977 - President Carter drops both the ban on travel to Cuba and on US citizens spending dollars in Cuba.

April 27, 1977 - The United States and Cuba sign a maritime boundary and fishing rights accord.

May 30, 1977 - The United States and Cuba agree to establish "Interests Sections" in each other's country beginning on September 1. Although not formal embassies, these offices will deal primarily with trade and consular matters and will serve as channels of communication between the two countries.

February 27, 1978 - Secretary of State Cyrus Vance states that he does not foresee the normalization of relations with Cuba because of the presence of Cuban troops in Africa.

April 22, 1980 - Cuba announces that anyone who wishes to leave Cuba can depart from Mariel. The Mariel boatlift continues through September and results in 123,000 Cubans coming to the United States. Among these immigrants are several thousand who are criminals and several hundred who are mentally ill.

January 20, 1981 - Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States.

April 19, 1982 - The Reagan Administration reestablishes the travel ban, prohibits U.S. citizens from spending money in Cuba, and lets the 1977 fishing accord lapse.

September 29, 1983 - The House approves the establishment of Radio Marti which passed the Senate on September 13 and is signed into law by President Reagan in October 1983.

December 14, 1984 - The United States and Cuba conclude a migration agreement that provides for the repatriation of 2,746 Marielitos, U.S. admission of 3,000 political prisoners, and the immigration to the United States of 20,000 Cubans annually

[noloveforlibs]

As an avid cigar smoker, I am praying old Jimma'can lift the embargo. We're the only country on earth that does not trade with Cuba, so the embargo has no effect on Castro's regime. Bring on the Montecristos and Habanas!

[Jimmy Valentine]

I had some Cuban cigars in Canada a few years back. BASURA!! [garbage]. When Castro took over, a lot of the growers, wrappers and other "craft" people of the cigar manufacturing business went to Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Miami.

I will put up any Arturo Fuente of any shape against the best that Cuba can offer, and that is just one brand name.

Regards,

[dfwgator]

Carter plans to tour the country's schools, hospitals and farms, dine with the Cuban leader and talk to the Cuban people in their neighborhoods as well as via a nationally televised address.

Oh yeah, he'll get a realistic picture of life in Cuba from that, NOT!!!!! Can you say "Theresinstadt"?

[TLBSHOW]

First things first jimmy commie carter. Castro is a killer and a terrorist. The country Cuba is part of the evil. Bring us Castros head that is your mission. jimmy commie lover carter.

[backhoe]

YaYa, I'm trying to find something ( I recall *something* too.. ) but so far,

since the pope went to Cuba," he said. The Monica Lewinsky scandal broke during the pope's trip to Cuba.

Paula Jones Rubs Shoulders With Washington Elite At Dinner - ...
... read a magazine or even watched the evening news since the pope went to Cuba,"
he said. The Monica Lewinsky scandal broke during the pope's trip to Cuba. ...
images.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/ 04/25/correspondents.dinner/ - 14k - Cached - Similar pages

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... *****. Sadly, the Pope's trip to Cuba was eclipsed by the sex scandal, as was
most of the 25 th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. But, the juxtaposition was not ...
capo.org/opeds/superbol.htm - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

It was Monica, wasn't it?