Homeland Security Official Touts Cuban Embargo Enforcement

[Say_What]

Your taxpayer dollars at work in the *free and democratic* USSA.

<clips>

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Office of the Press Secretary
December 10, 2003

UNDER SECRETARY ASA HUTCHINSON TOUTS CUBAN ENFORCEMENT SUCCESS

Hundreds of Violations Enforced in Short Period

MIAMI, FL -- Today the Department of Homeland Security released the results of the first 60 days of heightened enforcement of the U.S embargo against Cuba. Speaking at the 27th annual Caribbean Latin American Action Conference, Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, Asa Hutchinson, announced that inspectors had conducted more than 45,000 baggage examinations on the nearly 54,000 passengers who traveled between the United States and Cuba over the past two months. On October 10, 2003, President Bush ordered the increased scrutiny to ensure that the people and businesses dealing with Cuba do so in full compliance with the embargo.

The Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have stepped up inspection efforts of current Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) travel regulations. Passengers now traveling to and from Cuba (directly or indirectly) are subject to intensified inspections. In addition, Homeland Security / U.S. Coast Guard stops and boards all U.S. registered private vessels that are suspected of heading to or from Cuban territorial seas.

Under Secretary Hutchinson announced that CBP officers had discovered almost 600 violations of the embargo, nearly half of which were for illegally transporting tobacco or alcohol products. In addition, 171 people were denied permission to travel to Cuba, when inspectors discovered that they did not have the proper OFAC licenses. Another 44 people arriving in the United States were discovered to have traveled to Cuba without the proper licenses. Those found in violation of the travel embargo are routinely subject to civil penalties.

"In the 60 days since the increased enforcement began, we've taken a number of enforcement actions, but we're also now seeing a high level of compliance with the law," Under Secretary Hutchinson said. "More than 99% of the people we searched were in compliance with the restrictions of the embargo. I attribute this to the fact that this crackdown has been well-publicized. People know we are enforcing."

more...

[Malva Zebrina]

1. After all this time, I never thought I would see Cuba threatened

by the US again. It makes me wonder when we will be using piss and vinegar propaganda against the evil, commie atheist Russians, or the evil Chinese communists, equally as despicable for their socialistic tendencies and non belief in the god of wanton, excessive capitalism gone amok.

The people in Cuba are living fine, it seems to me, considering the sanctions imposed upon them by the US. They do have health care for all, in spite of the embargo on medicines, education for all, have made great strides in the production of organic gardening and farming, and a literacy rate of 99%. :shrug: Sounds like someone knows what the important things are in a person's life besides the obscene accumulation of so much money that they could not possibly spend it, or use it within their lifetime.

Further, Americans want to visit the beautiful island. Cuba has survived forty years and seems to be a peaceful place--I never thought some idiot insane little boy dauphine would be bringing it up once more and trying for all he is worth, to overthrow Castro merely for his, as usual, political gain. Did Castro gas his own people or what? What will be used to villify him -- I mean the dictator has forty years to his credit and no one seems to be suffering for it. Are his people rising up against him? To the contrary, it is people in the US who are rising up in protest over the squelching of their human rights to travel wherever they choose. :eyes:

[Judi Lynn]

2. Carter and Clinton relaxed travel restrictions for Americans

The Republicans tightened them back up again.

Have you read any of the material concerning declassified documents revealing John F. Kennedy was in the early stages of diplomacy, preparing the way for more and more talks with Cuban leaders, on the way to bringing Cuba away from the Russian orbit, and closer to the U.S.?

This was was was happening during the time before he died. One of his aides even had discussions with Che Geuevara. One of their topics, initiated by Che Guevara was the compensation for nationalized property.

Who would have stood to lose from a new U.S./Cuban relationship at that time? The Cuban "exiles" and the Mafia, and whatever rightwing extremists we had within our own governent.

You're right, Americans by golly do want to visit Cuba, including all of the ones who have been there multiple times already.

_{Bush is doing the country an absolute disservice by plotting aggression against Cuba.}

[Osolomia]

3. When did the US ever stop threatening Cuba?

And where are all the "people in the US who are rising up in protest over the squelching of their human rights to travel wherever they choose"?

So why are all the leading 2004 Democratic presidential candidates AGAINST your freedom to travel?

DUers ought to know the Democratic Party’s record on this issue before jumping to naïve conclusions or bashing Bush for what the Dems are doing themselves.

In the historic votes in the House and Senate last month Lieberman and dozens of other dems voted with the minority AGAINST your freedom to travel to Cuba, all the other candidates were absent for the vote but here’s where they stand:

Democratic Presidential Candidates on Cuba

Of the ten current democratic hopefuls, Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) is the only one who supports an end to the embargo.

Much more...
http://www.lawg.org/pages/new%20pages/Misc/prez-candidates1.htm

Wesley Clark also pandering to the extremist right wing minority: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=250379#250431

Clinton first eased the travel restrictions in 1997 allowing CNN to open a bureau there and other US journalists the freedom to go for the first time in nearly 40 years and just in time for the Pope’s historic visit to Cuba in January 1998.

It was strictly as a result of the Pope pleading with Clinton that he eased the restrictions further to allow educational “people to people” exchanges according to the US State Dept’s web site at the time.

Bush is just enforcing a law passed by Clinton's America in 1996 in a fit of ignorant hysteria that evidently persists to this day, and commonly known as the Helms-Burton Act:

According to the language of the act itself, its purpose was to increase economic pressures on the island so as to replace Fidel Castro with a transitional government that would lead the island to full democracy.

THE HELMS-BURTON ACT: A LOOSE CANON?
By Wayne S. Smith
http://ciponline.org/loosecan.htm


Since 1985, we have stated publicly that we will encourage and openly finance dissident and human rights groups in Cuba; this, too, is in our interests. The United States isn't financing all those groups--only the ones that are best known internationally.

Those dissidents and human rights groups in Cuba--that are nothing but a few people--are only important to the extent that they serve us in a single cause: that of destabilizing Fidel Castro's regime.

Through those two policies--economic pressure and human rights--we want to force the overthrow of Fidel Castro and then install a transitional government that we like--to reinstate the people we want and, thus control Cuba once again.

--Wayne Smith, former head of the US Interests Section in Havana http://members.attcanada.ca/~dchris/CubaFAQ112.html


Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996

P.L. 104-114
One Hundred Fourth Congress
of the United States of America

An Act
To seek international sanctions against the Castro government in Cuba, to plan for support of a transition government leading to a democratically elected government in Cuba, and for other purposes.

Full text:
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/ar/us-cuba/libertad.htm

Any wonder why the Dems don't want you to see and judge Cuba for yourself either!

[Judi Lynn]

4. Jesse Helms, Dan Burton crafted a filthy piece of legislation,

one other countries view as illegal, as well. Pathetic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wanted to post this snip. concerning YET ANOTHER COMPANY embarking upon a business relationship with Cuba:

(snip) Transfer Point LLC Obtains Commercial License to Sell its Beta 1,3-D Glucan Products to Cuba


Transfer Point Executive Team to Attend Cuba’s ALIMPORT Exhibition in Havana Cuba December 14-18

Columbia, SC – Transfer Point LLC, a dietary supplement and food ingredient company specializing in Beta 1,3-D Glucan, Glucosamine, Astaxanthin and other dietary supplements has obtained a commercial license from the US Treasury Department to sell its products to the Republic of Cuba. Under current law, the only product categories exempt from the U.S. Trade Embargo on Cuba are food, agricultural products, and medicines. Since the allowance has been granted, the Cuban government has purchased over $500 million dollars of goods from the United States over the last three years. Dietary supplements, food additive ingredients, and raw materials under the food and medicine categories are permitted to be sold to Cuba. Transfer Point, LLC joins over seventy other companies and fifteen state departments of agriculture and commerce that will be selling U.S. products to Cuba in transactions expected to total approximately $100 million in this round of negotiations.

“We are very excited by the opportunity to sell our products to Cuba”, stated A.J. Lanigan, the company’s formulator and contract manufacturer. The Cubans appreciate the importance of natural products like ours and the role they can play in their food supply and medical system. We look forward to beginning a productive business relationship with the Cuban people and delivering high quality products that will enhance their health and nutrition.” (snip/...)

http://www.npicenter.com/index.asp?action=NBViewDoc&DocumentID=5338

This kind of news pops up frequently now, as more and more U.S. companies break through the fear of backlash from our rigid right-wing, megalomaniacal buttheads in government.

[Osolomia]

6. Actually Bacardi and CANF crafted it, but who voted for it?

And how did Clinton's America treat the countries that opposed it?
For one thing they were publicly tearing strips off Canadians backs for travelling there. Prior to Bush it was the lowest point in US-Canada relations, it was nasty and well documented on the World Wide Web at the time including discussion boards.

[pinto]

5. Hi...I, for one, appreciate your posts and links, especially, but please

would you lighten up on folks. Gets hard to see the forrest for the trees, y'know what I mean? Thanks.

[Osolomia]

7. Better to cling to ignorant fantasies than know the facts?

is that what you want?

[pinto]

8. No, I support your positions and will also not take your bait. eom

[Osolomia]

9. What bait? That you should deal with facts instead of fantasies?

Better to not know what you're voting for?

[Osolomia]

12. One historical explanation for the exasperation with US-Cuba policy

In the midst of the 1996 US presidential election campaign:

WILL CLINTON PUT CUBAN-AMERICAN LOBBY AHEAD OF TRADE ALLIES?:
The U.S. should not unilaterally impose its view on the rest of the world

Marie-Josee Drouin
Financial Post, Daily edition, Wed 03 Jul 1996

The G7 leaders succeeded in extricating from the U.S. its signature on a communique that reinforced international commitments to multilateral trade liberalization, but failed to convince the U.S. to repeal the extraterritorial reach of the Helms-Burton Act.

… The complaint voiced by the U.S.'s partners is that no matter how that country chooses to manage its relations with other countries, it should not unilaterally impose its view on the rest of the world.

Debate about the effectiveness of economic sanctions in Cuba and elsewhere remains controversial.

… This internal U.S. debate notwithstanding, the international community is aggrieved at the extraterritorial application of U.S. law. Whether or not the U.S. Congress and administration feel the U.S. must harden its own position toward Cuba, they should not force other countries to adopt a similar stance. Domestic political tensions vary from one country to another and the world cannot be governed by the Cuban-American lobby.

Besides this objection on principle, some specific provisions of the Helms-Burton bill are clearly objectionable… …

… We will soon find out if purely domestic electoral considerations win the day or if the U.S. president decides to maintain his hardline attitude toward Cuba without requiring the rest of the world to subscribe to every restriction of the Helms-Burton Act.

More…
http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/fp/fp703962.htm

7 years and 3 presidential campaigns later and Americans still “subscribe to every restriction of the Helms-Burton Act” to the point of being self travel banned and still pander to the Cuba-American lobby with no end in sight for years to come.

World leaders in freedom and democracy and multi-party elections and a free press eh?

[Vogon_Glory]

10. Should The Worst Happen, Bill Dubya and the CANF

If the worst should happen between the implementation of this idiotic policy and al Quaeda succeeds in launching another lethal attack on American shores, some measure of blame should deservedly be laid at Dubya's and the Cuban exile lobby's doors for the deaths of American citizens and the destruction of American property because of the diversion of taxplayer dollars and Homeland Security man-owers away from the far more important task of protecting the US and its citizens from terrorist attack.

If, heaven forbid, such an attack should occur, I think that Dubya, his advisors, and the Cuban exile lobby should be held accountable, just I still believe that the partisan Congressional investigators and Ken Starr and Co. should be held accountable for tasking hundreds of FBI agents looking into the Lewinsky trysts and away from pursuing al Quaeda

[Mika]

11. I agree with your point 100%

Lets not forget the billions of lost trade with American businesses over the 40+ years of the US sanctions on American trade and travel with Cuba. Jobs jobs jobs.

The anti Cuba lobby should be held accountable for all of the damage done by this insane policy.

[Osolomia]

13. Where's the opposition, do they not have responsibilities?

So the USA is a dictatorship and there's nothing anyone can do about it?