Riggo-toni Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 Powell's Commitment to Cuba Policy Questioned Friday, May 07, 2004 WASHINGTON — President Bush received a new report Thursday outlining U.S. policy toward the communist island of Cuba, a report developed by the Commission for the Assistance of a Free Cuba (search) under the direction of Secretary of State Colin Powell (search). The new policy tightens already strict travel restrictions to Cuba. As in the past — it is a policy that is mostly stick without much carrot. "We think this report represents a positive, constructive, proactive commitment to liberating the Cuban people, and that is to say helping them liberate themselves," said Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roger Noriega (search). But questions have been raised about whether Powell believes this policy is the proper approach. Powell's chief of staff — a man said to be completely in sync with the secretary — was quoted in a new GQ magazine article saying the current isolationist approach to Cuba is the "dumbest policy on the face of the earth ... it's crazy." Powell did not publicly endorse the policy on Thursday, and reporters were rushed out of the White House photo session without being given the opportunity to ask any questions about the Cuban policy — or about how the president might feel about another quote from that GQ article that characterizes Powell as spending much of his time "doing damage control." Other critics of the Cuba policy say the report was politically motivated in order to appeal to anti-Fidel Castro (search) Cuban-Americans, many of them in Florida, before the November election. I have to agree - the embargo is an incredibly stupid, outdated policy which benefits noone while enabling the Castro regime to keep a firmer grip on a state controlled economy. Unfortunately, since by now we all know how important FL is to the presidential election :doh: , no semblance of sanity on the horizon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 The embargo is crap. BTW - if Powell ran for Pres I'd vote for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 Write down date and time. I agree Destino, the Embargo is stupid and counterproductive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@DCGoldPants Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 Yeah, Powell is pretty much done with Bush it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Predicto Posted May 7, 2004 Share Posted May 7, 2004 Our stance toward Cuba is ludicrous, and is just done to appease the south Florida Cuban exile vote. All we do is make the average Cuban in Cuba blame us for his problems instead of Fidel. If we opened everything that free markets and free expression can offer to Cuba, that fossilized dictator's regime would fall just like eastern Europe did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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