U.S., Cuban diplomats meet about jailed U.S. man

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

U.S., Cuban diplomats meet about jailed U.S. man
Posted 47m ago

HAVANA (AP) — Washington's top diplomat for the Americas had a rare face-to-face meeting with Cuba's foreign minister to discuss the fate of an American jailed in Cuba for nearly 11 months on suspicion of spying, the State Department said Monday.
Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela met Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Sept. 24 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The meeting is thought to be among the highest-level diplomatic encounters between the two Cold War enemies since President Obama took office in 2008.

~snip~
Crowley confirmed the meeting after The Associated Press broke news of the encounter, citing two State Department officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.

Gross, a 60-year-old native of Potomac, Maryland, was working for a firm contracted by USAID when he was arrested Dec. 3, 2009, and sent to Cuba's high-security Villa Marista prison. He has not been charged, but senior Cuban leaders including President Raul Castro have accused him of spying.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-10-18-Cuba-jailed-American_N.htm

[Mika]

1. The USA/AP ditto head story has a gross mistake.

"....an American jailed in Cuba for nearly 11 months on suspicion of spying, the State Department said Monday."

Nope. He's in jail awaiting trial on charges of operating as an unregistered agent of a foreign government (in this case, the self-declared enemy state of Cuba - the USA). Similar to the US charges against, and eventual conviction of "The Cuban Five".


:hi:

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[L.Torsalo]

2. Silly political games...

[Mika]

3. A part of the campaign funding strategies in US politics - for both sides.

No embargo = no campaign fundraising plank for either side.

This is exactly why the sanctions on Cuba remain. Ending sanctions eliminates campaign funding strategies for both sides on the issue.

Castro, Cuban socialism, Miami's extremist exile minority = all strawmen used as cover for corrupt crony "democracy" we have here in the US.


:hi:

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[Judi Lynn]

4. You have to wonder where they get the nerve to insist on this guy's release, I know I do!

Spectacular gall, considering the Cuban Five actually took their material to the FBI, like the innocents they are/were, expecting the FBI would be professional and would help them. Instead, they get arrested, thrown in jail, flung to the corners of the country, put in isolation, and given long, long sentences. The first appeals court overturned the unjust first trial, only to have the Justice Department keep shopping 'til it got an answer it liked with a higher court.

Unbelievable.

There's such a huge principle at stake. I hope Cuba doesn't allow itself to be abused further by making concessions with this jerk only to have the Cuban Five consigned to oblivion, in spite of everything.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Cuba says it already had over 2 million visitors this year, despite economic crisis

Cuba says it already had over 2 million visitors this year, despite economic crisis

HAVANA : Cuba has so far this year registered the arrival of more than two million tourists, despite the international economic crisis that is affecting the sector, the Tourism Ministry reported on Tuesday.

The number of 2 million foreign visitors this year was reached 12 days earlier than in 2009, representing a growth of 3 percent. Last year the island saw approximately 2.4 million tourists.

According to the Ministry report, Canada is the main source of tourists to the island with about 900,000 visitors in 2009, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Mexico, Argentina and Russia.

In August alone, the number of visitors was 172,772 - a 5.4 percent increase year on year. In this period, the number of arrivals from Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom increased by over 10 percent compared to August 2009.

More:
http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-66234.html