Applauding The State Dept.

For Continuing To Keep Cuba On The List Of State Sponsors Of Terrorism

Written By: Alexander Mendez Many Americans have recently begun to wonder why Cuba is still on the list of state sponsors of terrorism that also includes Iran, Syria and Sudan and why the state department again this year decided to keep the nation on the list. This list has kept a trade embargo with Cuba for over 50 years. The argument being that the economically and socially crippled nation, which has been under the control of the socialistic Castro Regime for 54 years, is not a threat to democracy or freedom. The Cuban government has time and time again said that it has no terrorist connections or ties, yet President Raul Castro attended the funeral of Hugo Chavez and seen conversing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, a man who has no love for the United States. The fact that many well meaning Americans think that Cuba is now a nation to do business with is a foolish notion. There had been speculation among analysts and others that say that if the U.S. were to take Cuba off the list, it would boost efforts to improve political and economic relations with this socialist nation. "It's a missed opportunity. There's no doubt about it," says Philip Peters, a longtime Cuba analyst based in Washington. "It would have been an important step. It would have removed an accusation that the whole world knows is false." Mr. Peters could not be more wrong. With Cuba being taken off this list, it is the

United States government and the private sector approving of a Soviet-like nation with leaders, who have murdered, deprived, starved, and lied to its people. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Cuban-American Republican from Florida, said keeping Cuba on the list "reafrms that the Castro regime is, and has always been, a supporter and facilitator of terrorism. Ros-Lehitnen, who was the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee from 2011-2013 states, the Castro brothers will always take any step to undermine U.S. interests, harm U.S. citizens, and support our enemies. The Castro regime sponsors terrorism abroad and against their own people, and removing a country from the list of nations that sponsor terrorism requires evidence of reform, said Senator Marco Rubio (FL-R). We have not seen such evidence in Cuba. Cuba has not proven itself as an ally of the United States and as a nation that is clearly against any sort of democratic, capitalistic, or humanitarian ideals should not conduct any sort of business with the U.S.