Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2015 21:29:51 GMT
President Obama told Congress on Tuesday he plans to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, another step in his effort to improve relations with the island after more than 50 years of diplomatic isolation. In a formal notice to Congress, Obama said a State Department review determined that Cuba -- added to the terrorism list in 1982 -- met the requirements for removal.
Cuba "has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding 6-month period," and has offered "assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future," the president told lawmakers. Announcing the change, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that "we will continue to have differences with the Cuban government, but our concerns over a wide range of Cuba's policies and actions fall outside the criteria" to declare it a state sponsor of terrorism.
Obama discussed the terrorism issue last week in a meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro — the first formal face-to-face discussion between American and Cuban leaders since Fidel Castro established a communist regime on the island more than 50 years ago. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas in Panama.
Some Republicans denounced the removal of Cuba from the terrorism list. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a 2016 presidential candidate whose parents were from Cuba, said the government there has helped North Korea evade U.N. weapons sanctions and harbors U.S. fugitives, including the killer of a New Jersey police officer.
Cuba had pushed hard to be removed from the terrorism list, saying it damaged attempts at economic development. Obama's decision is likely to make it easier for the Cuban government to attract foreign investment from the U.S. and other countries. Under federal law, the terrorism state designation remains in effect for another 45 days, giving Congress time to review the decision. Congress could try to restore Cuba to the list, but Obama would probably veto such a bill. With Cuba off the list, only Iran, Syria and Sudan remain as state sponsors of terror. Other countries dropped from the list over the years are South Yemen (1990), Iraq (2003), Libya (2006) and North Korea (2008).