President Obama to Lift Restrictions on Cuba

Abcnews.com ^ | 01/13/09 | Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller

[Sleeping Freeper]

At today’s daily White House briefing, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs will announce that the administration will lift travel, remittance, mail and business restrictions relating to the Communist nation of Cuba.

The changes will allow unlimited visits to family members on the island as well as unlimited remittances -- the cash recent immigrants to the U.S. send to relatives back home. President Bush imposed stricter restrictions on both in 2004.

"As hard as we search, we can't find anyone who thinks the limitations Bush put on family travel and family remittances in 2004 were a good idea," a senior administration official tells ABC News.

The Obama administration will also take steps to enhance the flow of information by allowing U.S. telecommunications networks to link the U.S. and Cuba; and will allow an expansion of humanitarian items that can be sent to the island (including clothing, personal hygiene items and fishing equipment). It will remain illegal to send items to senior government officials and members of the Communist Party. "These steps are being taken in support of the Cuban people's desire to freely determine their own future and to open up the space needed to see democratic progress in Cuba," says a White House official.

[ETL]

July 23, 2008

Russian nuclear bombers in Cuba?

The media has been abuzz today at the prospect of Russian nuclear bombers being stationed in Cuba if the US goes ahead with plans for missile defense bases in Eastern Europe.

The story has riled the US enough that a US general has been wheeled out to tell the world’s press that any Russian attempt to build another nuclear base in Cuba would cross US “red line”.

The story broke earlier this week, when Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted an un-named source from within the Russian military. He told the Russian daily:

“While they are deploying the missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, our strategic bombers will already be landing in Cuba.”

The quote hasn’t been independently confirmed, but the Russian Defense Ministry added fuel to the fire when they refused to comment on the story.

The prospect of Russian nuclear forces being stationed in Cuba - which is, after all, only 90 miles from the US coast - would bring back some rather unpleasant memories for the US of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, where the Soviet Union under Nikita Kruschev launched an audacious and foolhardy bid to station nuclear missiles on the Caribbean island.

http://www.siberianlight.net/2008/07/23/russian-nuclear-bombers-cuba/

[Rebelbase]

You have a better chance of Key West becoming 50% heterosexual before that happens.

[SelfishCapitalist]

I didn’t see anything about the most important issue: Can I buy Cuban cigars now?

[Rebelbase]

I wonder how much port entry bribes will cost?

[justsaynomore]

And yet, too many people in this country are fine with that.

You know, Obama's actions don't surprise me that much, based on his background, he's doing what I expected. But what I didn't expect was for people to be so nonchalant, even accepting, of all of this. I truly thought when people saw him for who he really is they would be outraged.

I am amazed that in just a few months we have morphed into a country I don't recognize. :-(

[ETL]

Barack Obama, from Dreams from My Father, Three Rivers Press, New York, Revised Edition, 2004, ISBN 1-4000-8277-3, p. 76-7:
"But by the time I met Frank [Frank Marshall Davis] he must have been pushing eighty, with a big, dewlapped face and an ill-kempt gray Afro that made him look like an old, shaggy-maned lion. He would read us his poetry whenever we stopped by his house, sharing whiskey with Gramps out of an emptied jelly jar."

___________________________________________________________

From Accuracy In Media | AIM.ORG

Obama’s Red Mentor Praised Red Army
AIM Report | By Cliff Kincaid | April 30, 2008

Frank Marshall Davis

Barack Obama’s childhood mentor, Frank Marshall Davis, a member of the Moscow-controlled Communist Party USA (CPUSA), wrote a poem dedicated to the Soviet Red Army. “Smash on, victory-eating Red Army,” he declared. He also wrote poems attacking traditional Christianity and the work of Christian missionaries.

The “Red Army” poem goes beyond hoping for the communists to beat the Nazis in World War II and hails the Soviet revolution. It says:

Show the marveling multitudes
Americans, British, all your allied brothers
How strong you are
How great you are
How your young tree of new unity
Planted twenty-five years ago
Bears today the golden fruit of victory!

http://www.aim.org/aim-report/obamas-red-mentor-praised-red-army/

[ameribbean expat]

lifting restrictions on totalitarian dictators, placing restrictions on Americans. Yep, he’s a Democrat.

[wbill]

Good, just what we need, more American $$$$ sent out of country.

[Bean Counter]

Figures. Still can’t buy a legal Cubano in this Country...probably for the best, because the Gubment would just tax the living hell out of them anyway...

[NavyCanDo]

I would love to see the tens of thousands of 1950’s cars someday make it into the hands of American classic car restorers - but I'm will to wait out the Castros. They cant live forever.

[dfwgator]

This will make Cuba a wonderful place to launder money, which I am sure has not escaped the alleged Obama Administration.

"We're bigger than US Steel."

[wardaddy]

true socialist asshat

[zaphod3000]

Cubans have a privileged place in immigration policy. Under the current “wet feet dry feet” policy (back to the Clilnton Administration), any Cuban refugee that makes it to land is automatically granted asylum (and eventually premanent residence and citizenship), but if they are stopped at sea they are returned.

[wardaddy]

Only shows their confidence that they have an overwhelming majority in this country.

due to RINOs in the senate, they do have power beyond their 53% of the electorate in the POTUS election

and they have the will to use the power unlike the GOP

and they have the media-entertainment complex, this cannot be underestimated

[Bean Counter]

Do any of you realize what a boost this will be for Canuckistani cigar smugglers...??

At least he isn’t giving them “stimulus” money...yet.

[GOPsterinMA]

Perhaps this flips FL back to being a red state. IMO, Elian Gonzales won the election for GWB in 2000.

[visualops]

hehehe good one

[puroresu]

After a few more years of an Obonga presidency we might all have to relocate to Cuba, which will be a freer and more prosperous country.

[2harddrive]

Will the last American leaving Miami please remember to bring the flag?

[chuck_the_tv_out]

From 9/11 to this in 7 years.