Exclusive: U.S. considers returning Cuba to list of state sponsors of terrorism - source

By Matt Spetalnick

 

FILE PHOTO: A security guard stands next to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba, March 11, 2019. Picture taken March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is considering returning Cuba to its list of state sponsors of terrorism, a senior Trump administration official told Reuters on Thursday, a move that would mark another major blow to increasingly tense relations between Washington and Havana.

 

There is a “convincing case” that Cuba should be placed back on the U.S. blacklist, in part because of its continued backing for socialist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the refuge it gives to leaders of Colombia’s ELN rebel group, the official said.

 

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official did not rule out that a decision on Cuba’s re-listing could come by the end of the year.

 

In what was possibly a preliminary step, the Trump administration said on Wednesday it had put the Communist-ruled island back on a separate list of countries that do not cooperate fully with its efforts to counter terrorism.

 

Havana, which has long denied any link to terrorism, dismissed Wednesday's State Department announcement as "spurious."

 

Returning Cuba to the blacklist would be a further rollback of the detente that former President Barack Obama orchestrated between the old Cold War foes. His decision to formally remove Cuba from the terrorism list in 2015 was an important step toward restoring diplomatic ties that year.

 

Trump’s toughened stance on Cuba, as well as Venezuela, has gone down well in the large Cuban-American community in south Florida, an important voting bloc in a key political swing state as he seeks re-election in November.

 

Designation by Washington as a state sponsor of terrorism, which carries the potential for sanctions and trade restrictions, would put Cuba in the company of Iran, North Korea, Syria and Sudan.

 

CUBA'S ROLE IN VENEZUELA

Any decision to put Cuba back on the list would take into account Havana's support for Maduro, whose 2018 re-election was considered a sham by most Western countries. The U.S. government indicted him and much of his inner circle in March on charges of "narco-terrorism" conspiracy, corruption and drug trafficking.

 

The United States and dozens of other nations recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president last year. But Maduro, who calls Guaido a U.S. puppet, remains in power, backed by Venezuela's military as well as Russia, China, Cuba and Iran.

 

Some U.S. officials have said privately that this has been a growing source of frustration for Trump.

 

The senior official said the U.S. government was also considering designating several of Venezuela's security services as terrorist organizations, in part for alleged links to drug trafficking. Those include the national intelligence service, the military counterintelligence agency and elite police unit, in addition to paramilitary groups loyal to Maduro.

 

The deliberations on whether to re-list Cuba are focused heavily on legal questions required to justify naming a country a sponsor of terrorism, the official said.

 

Also figuring into the discussions is Cuba's refusal of Colombia's request to extradite ELN leaders after the group claimed responsibility for an attack at a Bogota police academy in January 2019 that killed 22, the official said.

 

The leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN), the largest active guerrilla group in Colombia, traveled to Havana as part of peace negotiations that collapsed last year after the car bomb attack.

 

Cuba has received broad plaudits in the past for hosting the successful peace talks between the Colombian government and the former FARC rebel army.

 

Another issue expected to weigh on Washington's decision is Cuba's harboring of several U.S. fugitives, some of whom have lived on the island for decades.

 

A re-listing of Cuba would have heavy symbolic meaning for Havana, which had chafed for decades under the U.S. designation.

 

It is unclear, however, how much practical impact there would be.

 

The designation carries a prohibition on U.S. economic aid, a ban on U.S. arms exports, controls on “dual-use” items with military and civilian applications, and a requirement that the United States oppose loans to Cuba by international financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

 

But many of those restrictions are already in place - or have even been tightened by Trump - and a decades-old U.S. economic embargo remains and can only be lifted by Congress.

 

(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick, additional reporting by Sarah Marsh in Havana; Editing by Alistair Bell and Marguerita Choy)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-15

 

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Saudi Arabia should be on that list, not Cuba or Venezuela.

Translation:  45 thinks he's losing FL, so this is an attempt to pander to the Cuban-American community.

 

Also, 45 has no business interests there and is never going to get funding from Cuba. Saudi Arabia on the other hand, gets a free ride, It doesn't matter than Saudi funds Sunni terror groups like al Qaeda and ISIS, nor that its leader ordered the brutal slaughter of a US Person and journalist....they loan money to 45 and his son-in-law, and 45 wants a mixed-use tower in Riyadh, so Saudi and MbS get a free ride.

 

In contrast, 45 abrogated the best deal the US had ever put together (JCPOA) simply because it was done under Obama. The JCPOA, aka "Iran Deal" completely took Iran out of the nuke game. Reactors were filled with cement, high speed centrifuges used to enrich U-235 were smashed, and IAEA Inspectors were allowed full and instant access to any facility they so chose. The agency kept tabs on Iran and was required to issue a report on compliance by Iran ever six months, and every single time Iran was found to be 100% in compliance with the agreement. The main goal, of course, was to take Iran out of the nuke game, but the agreement was also to be used as a stepping stone to reach additional agreements regarding Iran sponsoring Shi'a terror groups like Hezbollah. An intelligent POTUS and real dealmaker would have used the JCPOA to put further restrictions on Iran, but sadly the US lacked such a person. Then DCI Pompeo, a 100% 45 sycophant, actually tried to get the agency to state Iran was not in compliance with the JCPOA. The analysts and senior staff of the agency refused, Pompeo subsequently left and went over to destroy the State Dept instead. As SecState Pompeo tried to get the agency to state that MbS had nothing to do with the slaughter of Jamal Khashoggi. Gina literally told Pompeo to "F off", much to the delight of the agency workforce.

 

The saddest part of the abrogation of the JCPOA was that the youth of Iran had been moving toward the West, and an intelligent Administration could have made overtures and made plans for when the Ayatollahs die off and Iran could be welcomed back into the family of nations. The new sanctions destroyed all the goodwill that had arisen in Iran's youth toward the US, and guarantees the clerics will retain power for the foreseeable future. In contrast, under 45 the US is embracing Saudi at a time when its youth, particularly male youth, are becoming more fanatic and anti-Western.

 

Now 45 will insure Cuba remains a foe for another generation.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump’s toughened stance on Cuba, as well as Venezuela, has gone down well in the large Cuban-American community in south Florida, an important voting bloc in a key political swing state as he seeks re-election in November.

and that is all that matters to trump. 

Edited May 15, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

Troll post removed

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The United States is considering returning Cuba to its list of state sponsors of terrorism,

…...while they infiltrate the world with Coca Cola, McDonalds and Burger King.....yeah right!

The US government has a long history of sponsoring terrorism (for that's what US-inspired fascist governments are like for the locals); eg Chile, recently Bolivia, Honduras.....and meddling in Venezuela. And often with a view to ripping off a country's resources - oil (Venezuela), lithium (Bolivia). Cuba is better off now than under  the NY mafia who ran it before, despite suffering from Washington's sanctions . And Cuba provides medical assistance to others in emergencies - eg Ebola - when wealthy US can't provide proper healthcare for its own citizens.

1 hour ago, flossie35 said:

The US government has a long history of sponsoring terrorism (for that's what US-inspired fascist governments are like for the locals); eg Chile, recently Bolivia, Honduras.....and meddling in Venezuela. And often with a view to ripping off a country's resources - oil (Venezuela), lithium (Bolivia). Cuba is better off now than under  the NY mafia who ran it before, despite suffering from Washington's sanctions . And Cuba provides medical assistance to others in emergencies - eg Ebola - when wealthy US can't provide proper healthcare for its own citizens.

Cuba's main export as you say is doctors, no doubt they are terrorists in disguise, ready to inject you with disinfectant at the slightest provocation! 

 

When Castro came to power he emptied the jails and sent them of to Miami, Crooks, whores and all. The Mafia ended up in their very own concrete boots- so to speak. The economy of Miami boomed on a mountain of cocaine. 

 

There is a rogue nation in this story, and it ain't Cuba.

Edited May 15, 20206 yr by Nigel Garvie

Pandering for the Cuban vote in must win Florida and trying to look tough to the rest of his supporters personally I’d like to see a different approach of working together towards common goals,Cuba’s government will change on its own just like you see in the rest of the old communist world but that’s just me trump would rather creat more enemies imo

12 hours ago, stevenl said:

Saudi Arabia should be on that list, not Cuba or Venezuela.

De facto usa as well then together with Israel...

Here’s a revolutionary idea (plz excuse the obvious associative pun????) for America to consider.

Mind your own bl..dy business.

To have kept sanctions on Cuba for close to 50 years is nothing short of bizarre.

plz don’t respond with deadhead remarks like the US is holding up the light of liberty to an oppressed people I.e. the Cubans. 

I’m not at all sure if Cuba supports terrorism, I doubt Trump is either.

 

However Cuba does have a solid and proven record of not recognizing pharmaceutical patents and producing, exporting cheap generic medicines and vaccines.