Dictators hate to be placed on watch lists. It scorns their zeal for legitimacy.
Thus, the long-standing obsession of the Castro regime to be removed from the U.S.'s "state-sponsors of terrorism" list.
In order to be removed from that list, the Castro regime simply coerced the Obama Administration.
It made it very clear (and public) that it was more than willing to hijack Obama's legacy of establishing diplomatic relations, unless it was first removed from the terrorism watch list.
And the Obama Administration complied.
In April, the State Department proceeded to remove Cuba from the terrorism list -- despite recognizing that Cuba continues to harbor one of the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Terrorists and members of U.S. classified Foreign Terrorist Organizations ("FTO's").
The removal was based solely on "assurances" that Castro would behave better in the future -- and accepting a lie that it has "never supported terrorism."
Today, the same has taken place with the U.S.'s human trafficking watch list.
The Obama Administration has decided to upgrade Cuba from the lowest tier -- despite recognizing that Cuba remains a major source country for sex trafficking and forced labor.
The upgrade is based solely on "assurances" that Castro is making efforts to address trafficking issues -- and accepting its lie that forced labor is not a problem within Cuba.
Never mind that the Castro regime itself is the source and beneficiary of Cuba's vast human trafficking infrastructure.
Its practices have been widely documented to violate nearly every major international forced labor, trafficking and human rights covenant.
There's absolutely nothing that merits Cuba's upgrade in the trafficking watch list -- other than some side deal as part of its ongoing negotiations.
It's simply another unmerited, unilateral concession.
Unfortunately, as in the case of Iran, the Obama Administration is not only proving to be misguided in its policy -- but also untrustworthy in the process.
Thus, the long-standing obsession of the Castro regime to be removed from the U.S.'s "state-sponsors of terrorism" list.
In order to be removed from that list, the Castro regime simply coerced the Obama Administration.
It made it very clear (and public) that it was more than willing to hijack Obama's legacy of establishing diplomatic relations, unless it was first removed from the terrorism watch list.
And the Obama Administration complied.
In April, the State Department proceeded to remove Cuba from the terrorism list -- despite recognizing that Cuba continues to harbor one of the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted Terrorists and members of U.S. classified Foreign Terrorist Organizations ("FTO's").
The removal was based solely on "assurances" that Castro would behave better in the future -- and accepting a lie that it has "never supported terrorism."
Today, the same has taken place with the U.S.'s human trafficking watch list.
The Obama Administration has decided to upgrade Cuba from the lowest tier -- despite recognizing that Cuba remains a major source country for sex trafficking and forced labor.
The upgrade is based solely on "assurances" that Castro is making efforts to address trafficking issues -- and accepting its lie that forced labor is not a problem within Cuba.
Never mind that the Castro regime itself is the source and beneficiary of Cuba's vast human trafficking infrastructure.
Its practices have been widely documented to violate nearly every major international forced labor, trafficking and human rights covenant.
There's absolutely nothing that merits Cuba's upgrade in the trafficking watch list -- other than some side deal as part of its ongoing negotiations.
It's simply another unmerited, unilateral concession.
Unfortunately, as in the case of Iran, the Obama Administration is not only proving to be misguided in its policy -- but also untrustworthy in the process.
No comments:
Post a Comment