Trump returns Cuba to U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism

[webfact]

Trump returns Cuba to U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism

By Matt Spetalnick

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media prior to meeting with Kuwait's Foreign Minister in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 24, 2020. Saul Loeb/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday announced it was returning Cuba to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that could complicate any efforts by the incoming Biden administration to revive Obama-era detente with Havana.

 

Just nine days before Republican President Donald Trump leaves office, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Cuba was being listed for "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism" by harboring U.S. fugitives and Colombian rebel leaders.

 

Pompeo also cited Communist-ruled Cuba's security support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, which he said had allowed the socialist leader to maintain his grip on power and create "a permissive environment for international terrorists to live and thrive within Venezuela."

 

"With this action, we will once again hold Cuba’s government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of U.S. justice," Pompeo said in a statement.

 

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

 

The terrorism list decision followed months of legal review, with some administration experts questioning whether it was justified, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

 

It would require further lengthy legal deliberations for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden to reverse the designation.

Trump has clamped down on Cuba since coming to power in 2017, tightening restrictions on U.S. travel and remittances to Cuba, and imposing sanctions on shipments of Venezuelan oil to the island.

 

Trump's policy was popular among the large Cuban-American population in South Florida, helping him win the state in November though he lost the election to Biden, who was Obama's vice president.

 

Biden said during the election campaign he would promptly reverse Trump policies on Cuba that “have inflicted harm on the Cuban people and done nothing to advance democracy and human rights.”

 

But Trump's move could make it more difficult for Biden to resume rapprochement when he takes office. Syria, Iran and North Korea are other countries on the list.

 

"We condemn the US announced hypocritical and cynical designation of #Cuba as a State sponsoring terrorism," Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Twitter. "The US political opportunism is recognized by those who are honestly concerned about the scourge of terrorism and its victims."

 

Trump has kept up a steady stream of 11th-hour sanctions announcements and other actions against targets including Cuba, Venezuela and Iran, and Biden aides have said some appear designed to tie his hands when he is sworn in on Jan. 20.

 

"We’ve taken note of these last-minute maneuvers," a Biden official said. "The transition team is reviewing each one."

 

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, a staunch supporter of Obama's rapprochement, condemned Pompeo for a "blatantly politicized designation," saying "domestic terrorism in the United States poses a far greater threat to Americans."

 

A re-listing of Cuba has heavy symbolic meaning for Havana, which had chafed for decades under the U.S. designation, though it is unclear how much practical impact there will 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 institutions such as the World Bank and the 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.

 

In Monday's announcement, Pompeo singled out, among others, the case of the most prominent U.S. fugitive in Cuba:

Joanne Chesimard, who fled there after escaping a New Jersey prison following her conviction for killing a New Jersey State trooper in 1973 and who changed her name to Assata Shakur.

 

Pompeo also condemned Cuba's refusal of Colombia's request to extradite leaders of the ELN rebel group after it claimed responsibility for an attack at a Bogota police academy in January 2019 that killed 22 people.

 

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 after the attack.

 

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

 

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, additional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis in Washinton and Sarah Marsh in Havana; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-12

 

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[steve187]

its just Trump putting a spanner in the works for no reason

[Jeffr2]

Time to get this person out of the WH.  What a horrible leader, and horrible enablers that should pay for their support of our lying president.

 

Luckily, they are facing a huge backlash now with many donors back away.  Love it.

[PatOngo]

Strange he'd do this to Cuba as he's been playing right into the communists hands of late, Emperor Xi and Czar Putin love what he's done!

[Jeffr2]

6 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Strange he'd do this to Cuba as he's been playing right into the communists hands of late, Emperor Xi and Czar Putin love what he's done!

Just did the same thing to the group in Yemen.  Pompeo is just doing this to screwup the Biden administration.

 

What a horrible person.  Hopefully, this is it for Pompeo's political career.

[mtls2005]

So no Trump Havana Hotel I guess?

 

 

[Jingthing]

"Interesting" timing coming right after Mr. trump himself incited an insurrectionist terrorist attack on his own capitol. Counting the days!

[harada]

3 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Just did the same thing to the group in Yemen.  Pompeo is just doing this to screwup the Biden administration.

 

What a horrible person.  Hopefully, this is it for Pompeo's political career.

I think he can see the Trump Organization at the end of the tunnel, concierge at Mar a Lago ?

[animalmagic]

State sponsors of terrorism?  Doesn't that now include his administration?

[blazes]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

and a decades-old U.S. economic embargo remains and can only be lifted by Congress.

 

The Cuban embargo is a great stain upon US politicians of all stripes from 1960 to the present day. 

 

But if it can "only be lifted by Congress", why doesn't the new administration (with everything in its favour) get down to the task of  being civilized to its near-neighbour?  (oh, silly me, I forgot the importance of Florida in American elections....)

[natway09]

Just another Trump "last gasp" to make it harder for the incumbant.The guy is not  only a goose but a dangerous one

[wombat]

just asking...when was the last time Cuba committed terrorism in the states?

[Jeffr2]

21 minutes ago, wombat said:

just asking...when was the last time Cuba committed terrorism in the states?

Such lovely people and a beautiful country. Sadly, run by a nut.

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, animalmagic said:

State sponsors of terrorism?  Doesn't that now include his administration?

Bingo. Domestic terrorism, that is. 

[heybruce]

Upgrading ties with Taiwan, declaring the Houthis of Yemen a terrorist group, and now this with Cuba.

 

One could argue that one or all of these moves were justified, but all of them could have been done long ago.  Trump is just stirring the pot in as many international hot spots as he can so he can inflict the Biden administration with as many crises as possible on its first day.

 

In short, Trump is doing his best to set up Biden for failure, and doesn't care that he is also setting up the US for failure.

[Jeffr2]

20 minutes ago, heybruce said:

Upgrading ties with Taiwan, declaring the Houthis of Yemen a terrorist group, and now this with Cuba.

 

One could argue that one or all of these moves were justified, but all of them could have been done long ago.  Trump is just stirring the pot in as many international hot spots as he can so he can inflict the Biden administration with as many crises as possible on its first day.

 

In short, Trump is doing his best to set up Biden for failure, and doesn't care that he is also setting up the US for failure.

They are all being done at the last minute to screw up the Biden administration. Horrible people.

[ChouDoufu]

1 hour ago, Jeffr2 said:

Such lovely people and a beautiful country. Sadly, run by a nut.

 

not much longer.  drudge is counting down the hours.

biden and the rest of the adults will be settling in soon.

[Andyfez]

Is Trump on this list?

[sirineou]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump returns Cuba to U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism

For a week. 

[ballpoint]

12 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

So no Trump Havana Hotel I guess?

 

 

Close, but no cigar.

[Phoenix Rising]

13 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

So no Trump Havana Hotel I guess?

 

 

1: He's got no money, only debt, and investors wouldn't touch him with a 10 foot pole and nose pinchers.

2. Hard to be a developer when in jail.

3: Where the frack are the diehard ever-trumpers - anyone heard from them??

4: Countdown to President-Elect Biden's inauguration, 20 Jan 2021 12:00 in Washington DC, District of Columbia

[Tug]

35 minutes ago, ballpoint said:

Close, but no cigar.

Good one lol imo it’s rediclous to embargo our neighbor so close Cuba will evolve towards a better government naturally if exposed to a more diverse group of people and money meanwhile they have educated their people witch ic commendable imo 

[Pique Dard]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Just nine days before Republican President Donald Trump leaves office,

anything to prove, he is still in power! 

[Estrada]

13 hours ago, wombat said:

just asking...when was the last time Cuba committed terrorism in the states?

It is a fact that the only Country to have plotted to assassinate a President of the United States was Israel. 

[Jeffr2]

14 hours ago, wombat said:

just asking...when was the last time Cuba committed terrorism in the states?

One of the big issues is repayment of money lost by many after the revolution.  It's a big number.

 

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2014/05/02/cuba-you-owe-us-7-billion/

 

Quote

Cuba, you owe us $7 billion

 

[animalmagic]

14 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

Such lovely people and a beautiful country. Sadly, run by a nut.

Which country?

[Jeffr2]

Just now, animalmagic said:

Which country?

Ummm....the one in the topic headline.

[animalmagic]

Just now, Jeffr2 said:

Ummm....the one in the topic headline.

I was confused when you said it was run by a nut; can think of others.

[Jeffr2]

Just now, animalmagic said:

I was confused when you said it was run by a nut; can think of others.

I spent a fair amount of time in Cuba.  Great people with a horrible leader.  Back then, it was Fidel, now Raul.

 

The people are soooooo poor.  It's incredible to see how they live under strict control by the government.  They are treated terribly.

[animalmagic]

2 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

I spent a fair amount of time in Cuba.  Great people with a horrible leader.  Back then, it was Fidel, now Raul.

 

The people are soooooo poor.  It's incredible to see how they live under strict control by the government.  They are treated terribly.

Would love to go there.  I've been to the country just north of there; currently run by a nut.