A terrorism designation Cuba doesn't deserve
By Eugene Robinson
WashPost
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Under new rules prompted by the failed Christmas Day terrorist attack, airline passengers coming to the United States from 14 nations will undergo extra screening: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. For our first quiz of the new decade, which country doesn't fit with the others?
The obvious answer is Cuba, which presents a threat of terrorism that can be measured at precisely zero. Cuba is not a failed state where swaths of territory lie beyond government control; rather, it is one of the most tightly locked-down societies in the world, a place where the idea of private citizens getting their hands on plastic explosives, or terrorist weapons of any kind, is simply laughable.
There is no history of radical Islam in Cuba. In fact, there is hardly any history of Islam at all. With its long-standing paranoia about internal security and its elaborate network of government spies and snitches, the island nation would have to be among the last places on Earth where al-Qaeda would try to establish a cell, let alone plan and launch an attack. Yet Cuba is on the list because the State Department still considers it -- along with Iran, Sudan and Syria -- to be a state sponsor of terrorism.
Really? Despite the fact that the U.S. Interests Section in Havana was one of the few American diplomatic posts in the world to remain open for normal business, with no apparent increased security, in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks?
(More here.)
WashPost
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Under new rules prompted by the failed Christmas Day terrorist attack, airline passengers coming to the United States from 14 nations will undergo extra screening: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. For our first quiz of the new decade, which country doesn't fit with the others?
The obvious answer is Cuba, which presents a threat of terrorism that can be measured at precisely zero. Cuba is not a failed state where swaths of territory lie beyond government control; rather, it is one of the most tightly locked-down societies in the world, a place where the idea of private citizens getting their hands on plastic explosives, or terrorist weapons of any kind, is simply laughable.
There is no history of radical Islam in Cuba. In fact, there is hardly any history of Islam at all. With its long-standing paranoia about internal security and its elaborate network of government spies and snitches, the island nation would have to be among the last places on Earth where al-Qaeda would try to establish a cell, let alone plan and launch an attack. Yet Cuba is on the list because the State Department still considers it -- along with Iran, Sudan and Syria -- to be a state sponsor of terrorism.
Really? Despite the fact that the U.S. Interests Section in Havana was one of the few American diplomatic posts in the world to remain open for normal business, with no apparent increased security, in the days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks?
(More here.)
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2 Comments:
Cuba Disappointed by Inclusion on Security Threat List
http://eggplantpost.com/2010/01/05/cuba-disappointed-by-inclusion-on-security-threat-list/
Under new rules prompted by the failed Christmas Day terrorist attack, airline passengers coming to the United States from 14 nations will undergo extra screening: Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Is America fighting the last war again ?
Focusing only on these countries will just push alQaeda to other airports. Yes, Amsterdam may be a re-routing point for flights orginating in Africa, but there are others … such as Senegal. There is virtually no security in Sendgal for flights traveling to Atlanta. Senegal’s president, Abdoulaye Wade, has been in the news lately for his $27 million 160-foot African renaissance monument. He has been criticized by his Muslim brothers … and his response was to argue that Christians prayed to “someone who is not God." (Wait till Britt Hume gets a chance to comment on that !)
Oh, and by the way, the monument was built by North Koreans … who are NOT listed on the above list.
With all the terrorist activities associated with Bali, why isn't Indonesia on the list ?
And on the Cuba issue (which Minnesota is losing out on ag and medical business opportunities), currently the US forbids direct commercial flights between America and Cuba ... so what good does this do? Don't most travelers have a stopping point or use Air Canada to get here ?
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