Posted on 09/09/2003 3:37:35 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration on Monday repeated a threat to veto any repeal of the restrictions on travel to Cuba, saying that tourism would not help get rid of President Fidel Castro.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on Tuesday on an amendment that would deny the Bush administration the funds it needs to enforce the travel restrictions.
"Sunbathers are not going to liberate Cuba nor is upgrading the brunch at Cuba's isolated tourist enclave hotels," Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega told an event at the Center of Strategic and International Studies.
The U.S. government requires licenses to visit Cuba but does not give them to tourists, arguing that tourism dollars strengthen the government without benefiting the people.
A coalition of business organizations and human rights groups have been making a determined push to overturn the embargo and the travel restrictions, saying they have failed to topple Fidel Castro and have provided the leader with an excuse for the island's economic woes.
A similar amendment passed last year in the House by a 262-167 margin but did not pass in the Senate. Embargo opponents say the Senate is now more receptive to a lifting of the travel ban.
Noriega ridiculed the idea that President Bush should follow the lead of a congressional majority and refrain from using his veto power against an end to the restrictions.
"Why else would a president threaten to veto something that he didn't like? If it didn't have majority support in the Congress, you wouldn't have to veto it. You'd just sit back and watch it crash," he joked.
Last week the White House said that lifting sanctions now "would provide a helping hand to a desperate and repressive regime at the expense of the Cuban people" and that "the President's senior advisers would recommend a veto.
Analysts say U.S. policy toward Cuba is heavily influenced by the views of Cuban-American voters, especially those in southern Florida. The most vocal Cuban-Americans support the embargo but the level of support has been slipping over time.
Another group of critics of current U.S. policy focuses on the electoral aspects of the issue, particularly the fact that President Bush's brother, the governor of Florida, draws votes from the Cuban-American exile community in Florida, some of whom still hold the Democrats responsible for what they consider to be the selling down the river by the Clinton administration of Elian Gonzalez in 2000.
Then there are the tourists and those in the travel industry who profit from Americans' visits to Cuba. Cuba is, in fact, an interesting and attractive Caribbean destination, perhaps competitive in charm and cost with Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other tourist spots.
What the "Fidel Castro is really a cuddly agrarian reformer" group may have missed is that over the past week or so the Castro regime has arrested as many as 75 economists, librarians, journalists and human rights activists -- in sum, pretty much the active opposition to his regime. Some of them were arrested for being too much in communication with the wrong Americans, officials of the U.S. Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Cuba, where American diplomats are based absent U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba.***
Thousands rally on Calle Ocho - Continuing call to change Cuba's regime*** A 12-block-long surge of demonstrators, most of them Cuban Americans, flowed across the heart of Little Havana on Saturday to pump up support for a litany of struggles that stretched from the future of Cuba to the war in Iraq. With chants of ''Long Live America!'' and ''Long Live A Free Cuba!'' they applauded the Bush administration's tough stance against terrorism and likened Cuba's Fidel Castro to Iraq's Saddam Hussein. But the sea of red, white and blue flags along Southwest Eighth Street, known more commonly as Calle Ocho, also conveyed one distinct message: that the exile community in Miami has not shifted to a more moderate position in bringing about democratic reform in Cuba, despite recent polls indicating that today's exiles favor a more pragmatic approach.
''All those people going around with their little surveys should take a look at Calle Ocho,'' an animated U.S. Rep. Lincoln Díaz-Balart, R-Miami, said to resounding applause. ``The exile community does not get confused. It does not make mistakes. The ones who are mistaken are those who are trying to discourage us.''
Carlos Saladrigas, chairman of a prominent Cuban-American organization that has commissioned several polls on the exile community, said the rally did not contradict the results of surveys by his group and The Herald. ''To pretend that a march or a demonstration is an indicator of the will of the majority is inaccurate and even demagogy,'' said Saladrigas, chairman of the Cuba Study Group. ``Polls are a statistical analysis with a high degree of accuracy. The polls indicate an overwhelming rejection of Fidel Castro and his regime and an overwhelming support of dissidents on the island. The more subtle change in Cuban Miami reflects different tactics for achieving democratic reform in Cuba.''
Some analysts said the show of support on Calle Ocho also was a display of political power. ''What we're reminded is that what matters in politics is the voters, and these are the voters,'' said Dario Moreno, a political science professor and director of Metropolitan Center, a Florida International University institute that studies the politics, demographics and the economy of South Florida.
Miami police estimated the crowd at 40,000, with marchers lined along Southwest Eighth Street between Fourth and 16th avenues. Organizers were tallying their own crowd estimate Sunday evening but said they believed the figure to be considerably higher. Díaz-Balart was joined at the demonstration by his brother U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, R-Miami, a freshman in Congress, and U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami. Saturday's gathering comes as more than 600 exiles prepare to travel to Havana next month to meet with Cuban officials at the ''Nation and Emigration'' conference scheduled to take place April 11-13. Also fueling the debate is the arrest of nearly 80 dissidents on the island.***
The Last Straw? White House lashes Cuba over dissident crackdown*** WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House pointed an accusing finger at Cuba's latest crackdown on dissidents, calling it proof President Fidel Castro's government remains a "totalitarian blight" on the region. "We are not going to reverse our policy of helping the dissidents," pledged national security spokesman Michael Anton, who said US President George W. Bush was "deeply concerned" about Castro's heavy-handed tactics. In the widest crackdown on opposition to the Castro government in years, dozens of dissidents, including journalists, economists and political reformers, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms this week. "The Castro regime's arrest, prosecution and sentencing of these brave and peaceful activists are repugnant reminders that the regime remains a totalitarian blight in an otherwise peaceful and democratic hemisphere," said Anton.
The US House of Representatives meanwhile unanimously approved a resolution condemning the arrests of 79 Cuban dissidents and the harsh sentences handed down to dozens of them. The measure passed by 414 "yes" votes and 10 abstentions, said the office of Florida Republican Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart, who co-sponsored it. "The House of Representatives sent a clear message today in support of the Cuban people's right to be free and in opposition to the brutal tyranny that oppresses Cuba," said Diaz-Balart, a Cuban-American and hardline Fidel Castro opponent. "Today's vote honors the Cuban people as well as the American people," he said. ***
Jeff Jacoby: A wave of repression in Cuba *** Every few years Castro unleashes a brutal crackdown, sweeping scores of innocent victims -- dissidents and democrats guilty of nothing more than thinking for themselves -- into his dungeons. It isn't something he does because he has been insufficiently exposed to commerce and tourism, or because he resents the US embargo, or because Jimmy Carter and other credulous liberals haven't lavished him with his usual quota of flattery. He does it because he is a ruthless tyrant who craves power more than anything else. For 44 years he has let nothing weaken his stranglehold on Cuba, and neither concessions nor sanctions nor international condemnation will change his behavior now. The only one way to reform a totalitarian despot like Castro is to topple his regime. Peacefully if possible, by force if necessary.***
MUM'S THE WORD: Hollywood celebs may not quite be pro-Saddam, but there's one tyrant they love.***Talk about "shock and awe"! It is indeed shocking to note the ease with which the Castro Faithful shy away from protesting his actions or correcting their sycophantic statements--or, in Mr. Spahn's case, put forward a blame-the-victim theory. Shocking too are the products of fawning tribute that continue to materialize, such as Estela Bravo's adoring documentary "Fidel" and the documentary "Comandante," directed by Oliver Stone and Fidel Castro himself, who was given the power to stop filming at will.
The Stone film, set to be broadcast on HBO in May, will supposedly show the human side of Castro, a man who is "one of the Earth's wisest people," as Mr. Stone said at a press conference in February. In "Comandante," we are told, Castro finally reveals his true views about shaving, his love of recent films such as "Titanic" and "Gladiator" (just don't ask how he got a hold of copies of the films under the U.S. economic embargo), and his great appreciation for Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren. Shocking indeed. Given the harshness of the recent dissident crackdown, the release date of the film seems awkward at best. If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny.
Why is this thug still the darling of the media elite? Why is it so unwilling to protest his dictatorial moves? As Marxist ideologue Groucho would say, a child of five would understand this; send someone to fetch a child of five. Perhaps Castro represents a wish-fulfillment fantasy. A romantic, intellectual revolutionary achieves iconic status, absolute power, great wealth and a 40-year-plus reign--quite an appealing vision to ambitious people in industries with high career mortality rates. But who knows? The Faithful aren't talking.***
Cuba hopes mammoth U.S. agribusiness show will influence embargo debate - financed sales*** The exhibitors, from 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, collectively manufacture or distribute more than 3,000 different products. Florida has the most exhibitors with 32, followed by Illinois with 21. Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, three Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Cuban President Fidel Castro are expected to attend the fair.
Alvarez said he expects Cuba will sign "a significant number" of contracts with the American exhibitors to buy more U.S. food and agricultural products. The conference comes as U.S. lawmakers fiercely debate whether to retain or ease a long-standing trade embargo and rules barring most Americans from traveling to the communist island. Cuba favors an end to both the embargo and travel restrictions.
President Bush, backed by Cuban exiles in south Florida, says he will not allow any easing of restrictions until Cuba embraces democratic and economic reforms. ***
Yankee Doodle Castro*** Once we had Fidel the heroic champion of Third World peoples against the capitalist exploiters. Now it's Fidel the capitalist exploiters' King Pimp ... "Psssst, Meester Canadian? Pssst, Herr German? Psssst, Signorino Italiano? … You wan' my seester? ... first time for you, meester ... here's photo ... only 12 years old ... Nice, hunh?"
Havana recently topped Bangkok as "child-sex capital of the world." Consider the human tragedy, the desperation of poor people driven to such things in such numbers, and after 43 years of "liberation" and "national dignity."
18,000 riddled by firing squads. Half a million incarcerated. 50,000 drowned or ripped apart by sharks in the Florida Straits. Thousands more slaughtered in Africa for Moscow. Two million exiled. And we wind up with a nation that in 1959 had a higher living standard than Belgium or Italy, had a lower infant mortality rate than France, had net immigration, as child prostitution capital of the world.
Friends, are you beginning to understand why we get a trifle "emotional" or "unreasonable" when we hear some imbecile professor or boneheaded politician yapping about "the good things" Castro has done for Cuba?
Imagine chumming it up with people like Daniel Pearl's murderers. U.S. citizens are doing it daily nowadays – on every "fact finding" junket and "trade delegation" to Havana. Thousands more will stand in line for the privilege at the U.S. Food & Agribusiness Exhibition at Havana's Palacio de las Convenciones Sept. 26-30. "As many as 20,000 visitors are expected," reports the Miami Herald. Quite a hoedown.
These folks, especially those who coo and gurgle at Cuba's "literacy rate," will likely hobnob with some charming people. As a special treat, they might meet Cuba's current "minister of education," Fernando Vecino Alegret. This gentleman has an interesting background. Most probably the Communist tour guides, smiling and eager to make your stay as pleasant as possible, will neglect to mention it.
But the book "Honor Bound: American Prisoners of War in Southeast Asia 1961-1973" does – and in some pretty explicit detail, I'm afraid. So I'll pass it along.
The authors describe Hanoi's "Cuba Project" at the Cu Loc POW camp known as "The Zoo" on the southwestern edge of Hanoi. In brief, this "Cuba Project " was a Joseph Mengelese experiment by Hanoi's Castroite allies to determine how much physical and psychological agony a human can endure before cracking.
Yes, of course, the torture and humiliation of defenseless men. Now HERE was something the Castroites could REALLY show the North Vietnamese. Uncle Ho's finest never asked their Cuban friends for any advice on combat. They knew better. But torture of the helpless? By all means! Come show us how it's done, Senores Helluva guys! ***
Senate Panel at Loggerheads Over Cuba Trade (Senators divided along partisan lines)***Senators were divided along partisan lines Thursday over the issue of trade with Cuba. Democrats argued for easing the U.S. trade and travel embargos against communist dictator Fidel Castro's Cuba while Republicans, backed up by Bush administration officials, remained committed to the restrictions. In his opening statement at Thursday's hearing, Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) acknowledged the pressure from some of his colleagues to change current policy.
"They point out that, despite four decades of sanctions against his government, Castro remains in power," Grassley said. "They also contend that U.S. farmers and businesses are losing trade opportunities in Cuba to their counterparts in other countries."
But Grassley also explained that other lawmakers "believe that now is not the proper time to change U.S. trade policies," given that Castro's record on human rights has "become even more egregious during the past year" and that "lifting trade restrictions will in effect reward Castro for his actions."
State Department Under Secretary Al Larsen testified on the problems American businesses face over investing in Cuban markets.
"The reality of the situation is that investing in Cuba remains a very risky proposition," Larsen said. "Proceeds from foreign investment go principally to the coffers of the Cuban state. Any economic benefit derived from tourism or other joint ventures does not filter down to the average Cuban citizen."
Larsen also pointed to the "very serious issue" of Cuban creditworthiness.
"According to its own figures Cuba owes nearly $11 billion to the creditors of the Paris Club," Larsen explained. The business information provider, Dun and Bradstreet, rated Cuba as one of the riskiest economies in the world."
Commerce Department Under Secretary Grant Aldonas pointed out that the State Department has identified Cuba as one of seven countries on its list of terrorist-sponsoring countries.
Aldonas added that lifting the trade embargo would produce minimal results anyway since Castro would likely allow very little to be traded.
Still, the committee's ranking minority committee member, Montana Democrat Max Baucus, said his state would benefit from agricultural trade with Cuba.***
EU Condemns Human Rights Record in Cuba [Full Text] STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament on Thursday condemned human rights violations in Cuba and urged President Fidel Castro to release political prisoners.
European Union legislators passed a joint resolution criticizing "the continuing flagrant violation of the civil and political human rights and the fundamental freedoms of members of the Cuban opposition and of independent journalists."
On Wednesday, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, whose country holds the EU presidency, told the legislature that the human rights situation continues to deteriorate on the Caribbean island.
In July, Castro said his country would no longer accept aid from the EU, accusing it of backing the anti-Castro policy of the United States.
EU members have already agreed to reduce high-level governmental visits and participation in cultural events on the island.
Since 1993, the EU has provided over $156 million in aid to Cuba. [End]
A three-lawyer committee said, "it was crystal clear ... that Mr. Sanders believes himself to be absolutely morally justified in breaking the law." The panel said it viewed him as one who "detaches himself from responsibility to obey the law by endeavoring to distinguish the morality of the law from its legality."***
I don't know why, but this made me laugh. I imagined Bush as one of those tour guides on a bus, treating the tourists to amusing little anecdotes about Castro and his glorious Cuba. You know, like those people who say, "And to your right, you will be able to get a fascinating picture of Castro's home." Blech.
Trading With the Enemy Fool's gold, Cuban style***While some insist on the right of American tourists to travel to Cuba, they ignore other rights and national security considerations. Each right must be weighted against its impact on other rights. As Oliver Wendell Holmes once wrote, "The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins." In this case, the desire to travel must be weighed against the risks of subsidizing a regime that poses a national security threat to the United States. For example, in May 2001, Agence France Presse quoted Castro at the University of Tehran saying, "Iran and Cuba, in cooperation with each other, can bring America to its knees."
The State Department lists Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Iran as supporters of terrorism. Castro also provides refuge to more than 70 fugitives from American justice, including some accused of killing American police officers. ***
Yes and his most loyal student and admirer is Hugo Chavez - Venezuela
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