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Posted on 03/19/2015 1:14:53 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
Three Republicans in the Florida congressional delegation -- U.S. Reps. Carlos Curbelo, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen -- joined U.S Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2016, in urging members of the Obama administration to stand against a Cuban embassy in Washington, D.C., as normalization with that Caribbean nation continues.
Cruz and the representatives from Florida were joined by U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J., in sending a letter to Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson and National Security Council Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs Ricardo Zuniga on Thursday -- both against a Cuban embassy in Washington.
“We are writing to express our strong opposition to allowing the Cuban communist dictatorship to open an embassy in Washington, D.C., or any consular offices elsewhere in the United States, and to request a briefing immediately from your offices, updating us on the status of these negotiations,” Cruz and the representatives wrote. “We believe that allowing the Castro regime to open an embassy in Washington, or consulates elsewhere in the United States, would be detrimental to U.S. interests. We are all too familiar with the Castro regime’s efforts to utilize their diplomats as intelligence agents tasked with the goal of committing espionage against their host countries. The Cuban regime’s track record has illustrated that it is not a responsible actor in accordance with international norms and agreements."
Cruz and the representatives insisted a Cuban embassy “will further open the door for their espionage activities" and pointed to eight incidents over the last 20 years of Cuban spying in the U.S. before warning that the Obama administration was “following a dangerous path that will undermine U.S. national security.”
Ros-Lehtinen, one of the leading congressional Republicans on foreign affairs, offered her reasons for the letter on Thursday.
“Contrary to popular belief and the propaganda of the Castro brothers, the Cuban espionage apparatus remains one of the most advanced in the world, and is almost exclusively focused on targeting the United States and keeping the regime in power,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “By allowing the Cuban regime to open an embassy in our nation’s capital, and potentially additional consular offices around the country, the administration risks allowing Cuban spies even more access to sensitive information that can be sold to the highest bidder.
“Cuba’s long history of espionage in the United States has already had severe consequences for our national security,” Ros-Lehtinen added. “There is no doubt that the regime will continue to jeopardize the security and economic prosperity of the United States by stealing and selling the intelligence it gleans here in order to stay in power and oppress the Cuban people. It’s time for the Obama administration to put aside its aspirations for a foreign policy legacy, end these misguided talks with the thugs in Havana, stand up for the human rights of the Cuban people, and stop putting politics before U.S. national security.”
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Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
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When the Castro brothers are room temperature, then maybe. Not till then. It could be a long time. They are rumored to be Undead Zombies.. jk.
CRUZ or LOSE! What intelligence would that be, Rice cooker recipes? Like Cuba is some
majesty of super inventions with military might and secrets unknown to the planet.
Excellent.
Just out of curiosity, how are out-of-the-closet homosexuals treated in Cuba?
If they’re President of the United States, quite well!
They hate America. All they have to do is tell Obama that and there will be an Embassy within a week.
They hate America. All they have to do is tell Obama that and there will be an Embassy within a week.
Once again, Cruz takin’ the lead!
Cuba will sell anything to anybody, and they were Soviet satellites for years. Vlad recently paid them a visit and wrote off $30 Billion the cubans owed russia, leaving them only 10Billion in debt. How do you think they’ll pay him back?
http://www.newsweek.com/2014/08/22/russia-and-cuba-get-back-bed-each-other-263924.html
No cuba embassy in DC says cruz....
Probably because there’s no real prospects to recruit H1-B workers out of cuba.
In the meantime, cruz’s home state of texas is being openly overrun by mexican nationals, and neither him, nor anyone in texas is saying or doing squat about it.
Says a lot about the position texas has taken on illegal invasion.
Still, why not? Hell, the ChiComs have an embassy, don't they? The Soviets did. I'm assuming the Vietnamese do.
Castro can't live forever.
Sad, funny and accurate.
He’s a huge supporter of increasing H1-B visas and Cruz’s wife sits on the board of Goldman Sachs
He’ll do it, though.
Secondly, Mr. Cruz is for higher H1B visa entries for workers. At least 500% in some cases.
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