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Obama To Unilaterally Normalize Relations With Cuba
Townhall.com ^ | December 17, 2014 | Conn Carroll

Posted on 12/17/2014 6:24:10 PM PST by Kaslin

resident Obama announced plans to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba today, including opening an embassy in Cuba.

"We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests," Obama claimed, "And instead we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries."

Specifically, the White House took three major steps today as part of their "New Course on Cuba":

  1. Initiating discussions to reestablish diplomatic relations, including a U.S. embassy in Havana, and a Cuban embassy in the United States.
  2. A review, by the State Department, of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
  3. Relaxing of regulations to facilitate the flow of travel, commerce, and information between the United States and Cuba.

In conjunction with the "new direction for U.S. policy," the White House also announced the release of United States Agency for International Development subcontractor Alan Gross who had been imprisoned in Cuba since 2009. The White House insisted that Gross's release was not related to the release of three Cuban spies held by the United States. Senior Administration Officials insisted that those three Cuban spies were traded for a "U.S. intelligence asset" that had been imprisoned in Cuba for 20 years.

Asked if the White House was planning on working with Congress to remove the embargo on Cuba, Senior Administration Officials stressed that was not the focus of today's announcement.

"Again, we're not focussed today on legislative action. We are focussed on what the president can do so he's not sought to initiate any process with respect to the lifting of the embargo," a Senior Administration Official said. "We're not focused today on calling on Congress to take any particular action, we're focussed on communicating this new direction for U.S. policy."

Obama's unilateral actions on Cuba today are just the latest in a series of unilateral actions he has taken without consent of Congress. Just last month Obama announced he would grant temporary amnesty to as many as 5 million illegal immigrants currently living in the United States and he announced a deal to cut U.S. carbon emissions with China. His administration has also signaled he will not seek any input from Congress as Obama tries to broker a nuclear weapons deal with Iran.

Unless Republicans in Congress show they are willing to stop Obama's actions through the appropriations process, Americans can expect many many more unilateral executive actions over the nest two years.

"Senators should also make clear that they will not allow the appointment of an ambassador to Cuba to proceed until there have been changes on the island," The Heritage Foundation's Michael Gonzales advises. "And look into the possibility of using policy riders in the upcoming Department of Homeland Security appropriations debate in February and the fiscal year 2016 appropriations process to deny the president funds for setting up relations."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Cuba; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: clowardpiven; cuba; executive; foreignpolicy; imperial; imperialpresidency; obama
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To: roadcat

I consider everyone who voted for him an enemy of America. As well as every member of congress who refuses to stand up to him. It’s that simple.


21 posted on 12/17/2014 7:01:44 PM PST by VerySadAmerican (My love affair with an abuser is over. Support a third party.)
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To: VerySadAmerican

“...it was stupid to deal with China but not Cuba...”
-
I never thought it was “stupid” per se...
I always figured “they” must have had some reason for it
either from the missile crisis,
or from the bay of pigs,
or from the jfk assassination
or something.


22 posted on 12/17/2014 7:08:00 PM PST by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: Veggie Todd

Whats next? One morning we will wake up to find that Present Obola gave away Alaska to Russia


23 posted on 12/17/2014 7:20:32 PM PST by Patriot Babe
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To: WildHighlander57
Impeachment!

It's what's Constitutional.

Either that or the Courts, if you can find a trustworthy judge.

24 posted on 12/17/2014 7:22:08 PM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC (Folks ask about my politics. I say: I dont belong to any organized political party. I'm a Republican)
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To: Repeal The 17th

The Bay of Pigs fiasco certainly embarrassed Kennedy. But he was man enough to take responsibility.

I’ve also always thought the political elite simply couldn’t stand it that Castro has survived all these years.

He is an evil bastard but we’ve been dealing with evil bastards since the beginning.


25 posted on 12/17/2014 7:23:15 PM PST by VerySadAmerican (My love affair with an abuser is over. Support a third party.)
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To: Kaslin

26 posted on 12/17/2014 7:25:31 PM PST by Manic_Episode (GOP = The Whig Party)
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To: VerySadAmerican

...the embargo...
when did it begin?


27 posted on 12/17/2014 7:29:25 PM PST by Repeal The 17th (We have met the enemy and he is us.)
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To: VerySadAmerican
OBAMA EMBRACE THE CUBAN GENOCIDE REGIME

POPE FRANCIS NEGOTIATED OBAMA’S UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TO THE CUBAN TYRANNICAL COMMUNIST REGIME.

Obama and Raúl Castro thank pope for breakthrough in US-Cuba relations.

Pope Francis, before visiting The Holy Land boasted to be himself the “Che” of the Palestinian people.

A Marxist leaning Pope blessed the Marxist American president embrace of Castro's genocide communist regime condemning the Cuban enslaved people to eternal damnation. On the deal Castro liberated an American illegally imprisoned in Cuba in exchange for the freedom of three Cuban spies serving prison terms in U.S. and the normalization of relations with a country that occupied for decades a top position in the list of the State Department ‘s terrorist countries.

The Cuban regime tried to obliterate New York and Washington with a nuclear attack during the October Missile Crisis of 1962. “In November 1962, the Castro brothers’ and Che Guevara’s agents had targeted Macy’s, Gimbels, Bloomingdales, and Manhattan’s Grand Central Station with a dozen incendiary devices and 500 kilos of TNT. The Holocaust was set for detonation the following week, on the day after Thanksgiving.” (Humberto Fontova)

Castro has been a strong ally of Islamic terrorism. Cuba continues to serve as a base for coordination and mutual support among transnational terrorist organizations. At Tehran University he stated to the thunderous applause of students and faculty, "The imperialist king will finally fall,” (AFP, May 10, 2001). Immediately afterward the Iranian Press Service proudly proclaimed that "Iran and Cuba reached the conclusion that together they can tear down the United States.” (IPS, May 10, 2001).

According to World renown and highly respected American investigative journalist and author, Claire Sterling, : “All of the world’s emerging terrorist bands in the 1970’s were indebted to the Cubans and their Russian patrons for that honeycomb of camps around Havana. None could have started without rudimentary training, and those who didn’t train in Cuba were trained by others who did.” (“The Terror Network, The Secret War on International Terrorism.”)

As reported by Sterling, “Castro was training the advance guards of the coming European fright decade – Palestinians, Italians, Germans, French, Spanish Basques – and forming guerrilla nuclei in practically every Western hemisphere state south of the American border. As far back as 1962, Castro’s camps were taking in 1,500 Latin American guerrillas a year. . ‘Any revolutionary movement anywhere in the world can count on Cuba’s unconditional support,’ declared Castro at the 1966 Tricontinental Conference in Havana”. It was then and there that the international terrorism network was consolidated under Castro’s leadership.”

Fidel Castro “jailed political prisoners at a higher rate than Stalin during the Great Terror. He murdered more Cubans in his first three years in power than Hitler murdered Germans during his first six. He came closer than anyone in history to starting a world-wide nuclear war.” Humberto Fontova. (http://www.carolinajournal.com/opinions/display_story.html?id=11121)

It is suicidal turning a blind eye to Castro, a deadly enemy at 90 miles south of Key West that does not hide his hatred for U.S.

After the restoration of diplomatic relations comes the end of the embargo.

To complete Obama’s betrayal of the American people, with the normalization of relations comes the opening to Cuba of the American and International bank credits that will sustain the Cuban regimen passing to the American taxpayers the same heavy burden that helped to bankrupt the Soviet Union.

28 posted on 12/17/2014 7:38:18 PM PST by Dqban22 (Hpo<p> http://i.imgur.com/26RbAPx.jpg)
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To: Dqban22
Pope Francis, before visiting The Holy Land boasted to be himself the “Che” of the Palestinian people.

No he didn't.

29 posted on 12/17/2014 7:45:24 PM PST by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: Kaslin

What’s in it for us to normalize relations with Cuba.

Without forcing any changes there, I don’t see a damn thing to be gained from it.


30 posted on 12/17/2014 7:50:20 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: Ken522
Obama To Unilaterally Normalize Relations With Cuba

I agree. Obama seems to do everything unilaterally and has from the start.

31 posted on 12/17/2014 7:52:36 PM PST by HeartlandOfAmerica (An army of deer led by a lion is more to be feared than an army of lions, led by a deer.)
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To: dfwgator

The Castros will gain US billions in foreign aid from the US comrade. That’s who will gain.


32 posted on 12/17/2014 7:55:28 PM PST by redcatcherb412
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To: redcatcherb412

That’s what’s sad.

The US has the leverage now to bring about change in Cuba, but Obama won’t pursue it.


33 posted on 12/17/2014 7:57:16 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: Talisker

Pope Francis: ‘The Che Guevara of the Palestinians’?

May 22, 2014 by Robert Spencer

http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/robert-spencer/pope-francis-the-che-guevara-of-the-palestinians/

According to Israel National News, “Rabbi Sergio Bergman, a member of the Argentinian parliament and close friend of Pope Francis…said that the pope intends to define himself as the ‘Che Guevera of the Palestinians’ and support their ‘struggle and rights’ during his visit.”


34 posted on 12/17/2014 8:01:13 PM PST by Dqban22 (Hpo<p> http://i.imgur.com/26RbAPx.jpg)
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To: dfwgator
What’s in it for us to normalize relations with Cuba?

35 posted on 12/17/2014 8:07:47 PM PST by Bratch
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To: Bratch

Meh.


36 posted on 12/17/2014 8:08:51 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: Dqban22

The associated quote link in your post article clarifies this as a comment by a Rabbi, and not validated or supported by the Vatican, the Pope, or Israel.


37 posted on 12/17/2014 8:25:51 PM PST by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: Kaslin

Jeez... you mean I can buy Cuban cigars legally soon? No thanks, Obama you can have your relation with the Castro’s..


38 posted on 12/17/2014 8:37:22 PM PST by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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To: Patriot Babe

California to Mexico... er wait.. they invaded it already...


39 posted on 12/17/2014 8:39:58 PM PST by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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To: Bratch

I’ll smoke a Ybor City hand rolled Cigar...


40 posted on 12/17/2014 8:42:04 PM PST by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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