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US GOVERNMENTS REPORTS |
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11 July 2002
Bush Administration
Opposes Legislative Efforts to Amend Cuba Policy
(Powell and O'Neill would oppose easing embargo or travel ban) (1030)
In a July 11 joint letter to David Obey, ranking member of the House of
Representatives' Appropriations Committee, Secretary of State Collin Powell
and Secretary of Treasury Paul O'Neill wrote that the Bush Administration
would strongly oppose any legislative efforts to ease U.S. sanctions against
Cuba or to change restrictions on travel to the island nation by U.S.
citizens. They added that they would recommend that the president veto any
such legislation.
In their letter, the two cabinet secretaries noted that Cuba's trade with
other nations has done little to end its despotic practices. They also cited
Cuba's hostile relationship with the United States, and its poor human,
civil and political rights record. In addition, Powell and O'Neill cited the
State Department's classification of Cuba as a state sponsor of terror. For
all of these reasons, they said, circumstances "do not support changing our
position on trade with Cuba." The cabinet secretaries argued that
unrestricted tourist travel to Cuba would benefit the Cuban government more
than the Cuban people, and they concluded that the current regime for
licensing Americans to travel to Cuba is appropriate.
The Bush Administration policy toward Cuba "continues to promote the goal of
a rapid and peaceful transition to democracy," according to the joint
communiqué. Bush challenged the Cuban government to enact democratic and
market reforms in his "Initiative for a New Cuba" in May.
Following is the text of the joint letter issued by Secretary of State Colin
Powell and Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill:
(begin text)
The Honorable David R. Obey
Ranking Member
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Obey:
We are writing to reiterate the Administration's strong opposition to any
legislative efforts that weaken the United States' current Cuba policy by
permitting U.S. citizens to finance the Cuban purchase of American
agricultural commodities or by changing the restrictions on travel to Cuba
by U.S. citizens. We would recommend that the President veto such
legislation if it reaches his desk.
Our Cuban policy recognizes that a relationship of continuing hostility
exists between the Government of Cuba and the United States. Cuba has long
been listed by the State Department as a state-sponsor of terrorism. It
continues to harbor fugitives from the American justice system, and it
supports international terrorist organizations.
International human rights organizations recognize that Cuba violates
internationally accepted standards of basic human rights in the treatment of
its own citizens. The U.N. Commission on Human Rights recently addressed
Cuba's egregious conduct by directing it to make progress on human, civil,
and political rights. And Cuba recently responded to a grass-roots petition
drive calling for a referendum on fundamental freedoms for all Cubans by
drumming up a sham petition drive of its own that purported to show that the
Cuban population overwhelmingly waists to make "socialism" immutable in
Cuba.
Current U.S. law allows Cuba to purchase agricultural commodities from the
U.S. on a cash basis (or with financing by a third county's financial
institutions). Some make the argument that expanding trade might bring
change to Cuba. But trade by other nations with Cuba has brought no change
to Cuba's despotic practices, and it has frequently proved to be an
unprofitable enterprise.
France, Spain, Italy, and Venezuela have suspended official credits, because
Cuba has failed to make payments on its debt including debt incurred while
making agricultural purchases from these countries. Two governments have
approached the U.S. to complain that Cuba's payments of cash for U.S.
agriculture products have meant that they are not getting paid at all.
In sum, current economic circumstances in Cuba do not support changing our
position on trade with Cuba. Moreover, the lack of a sound economic
rationale makes it more likely that Castro would use any liberalizing of our
trade position for his political benefit.
Some argue that loosening travel restrictions to Cuba would help open Cuba's
closed society. On the contrary, unrestricted tourist travel by U.S.
citizens would benefit the Government of Cuba more than the Cuban people.
The existing licensing regime, which promotes outreach to the Cuban people
by facilitating humanitarian endeavors and activities that involve both
Cuban nationals and Americans, appropriately fits current conditions.
The Cuban government has refused to cooperate with the global coalition's
efforts to combat terrorism, refusing to provide information about al Qaeda.
On November 13, 2002, Cuban Foreign Minister Perez Rogue delivered a speech
at the United Nations in which he accused the United States of war
atrocities in Afghanistan. And in a June 8, 2002, speech, Castro
slanderously compared President Bush's terrorism policies to Nazi Germany's
efforts to assert world hegemony, suggesting that the Administration
permitted the 9/11 attacks in order to "reshape the world as they wish."
Our Cuba policy continues to promote the goal of a rapid and peaceful
transition to democracy in Cuba. On May 20, 2002, President Bush laid out
his "Initiative for a New Cuba," challenging the Cuban government to take
steps toward a democratic, free-market system that respects human rights.
President Bush has also indicated his intention to continue our country's
legacy of strong support for the Cuban opposition. The Administration is
determined to oppose any policy action that would bolster the Cuban
dictatorship.
Cuba has repeatedly demonstrated its implacable hostility to the United
States. It has a long history of espionage activities directed against the
U.S. The highest-ranking Cuba analyst in the Defense Intelligence Agency
confessed its march to having spied for Cuba for 16 years. And last year,
seven Cuban spies were convicted of conspiring to commit espionage against
the United States, after being caught seeking to infiltrate the U.S.
Southern Command. Any easing of the financing restrictions in the Trade
Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act or any loosening of the
restrictions on travel to Cuba by America" would be inconsistent with our
continuing and long-held foreign policy objectives regarding Cuba.
Colin L. Powell
Secretary of State
Paul H. O'Neill
Secretary of Treasury
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) |
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