Miami's Vice

by Eric Martin

Matt Yglesias, commenting on some of the warped logic surrounding our Cuban policies:

One obstacle to the adoption of a more humane and sensible Cuba policy is that the country has found itself on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. It’s pretty clear to anyone who thinks about it that this is a politically motivated move, designed to bolster status quo policies rather than an actual reason for adopting them. But it’s good to have Richard Clarke on record about this — he’s spent his career dealing with international terrorism and says Cuba has nothing to do with that problem, it’s all just domestic politics.

It's actually worse than that in some ways.  The US itself has a long and shameful history of supporting anti-Cuban terrorists.  Using an equally applied standard, we should be on Cuba's list of state sponsors of terrorism. 

Tim Weiner goes into detail about some of the US-backed anti-Cuban terrorism in his book Legacy of Ashes (assembled largely from declassified official documents).  While some of the names and incidents examined by Weiner have been popping up in the news over the past few years, many more remain much less publicized.

This is not to suggest that Castro is saintly, or that his regime has been above brutality.  Far from it.  But when it comes to sponsoring terrorism, the US has its own past to reckon with (and not just vis-a-vis Cuba), as well as its hypocrisy.

Comments

[S.G.E.W.]

America reckon with its own hypocritical past? Unpossible.

[hairshirthedonist]

When I first saw the title of this post, I thought it was the fourth about McCain's Spain gaffe, since the interview took place in Miami. Thank goodness it's not. No offense. (laughs nervously)

[Gary Farber]

"America reckon with its own hypocritical past? Unpossible."

That would be Blaming America First, rather than putting Country First. And it would be about hating America, rather than always being Proud Of America. Which Stands For Freedom.

[Gary Farber]

Speaking of foreign policy, Chuck Hagel sez Sarah Palin ain't ready:

Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is the nation's most prominent Republican officeholder to publicly question whether Sarah Palin has the experience to serve as president.

"She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials," Hagel said Wednesday in an interview. "You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything."

Palin was elected governor of Alaska in 2006 and before that was the mayor of a small town.

Democrats have raised questions about Palin since Sen. John McCain picked her as his vice presidential running mate. Most national Republican officeholders have rallied to Palin's candidacy.

Palin has cited the proximity of Alaska to Russia as evidence of her international experience.

Hagel scoffed at that notion.

"I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia,'" he said. "That kind of thing is insulting to the American people."

Hagel also:

[...] Hagel, who says he has no plans to endorse either presidential candidate, traveled with Democratic nominee Barack Obama to the Middle East in July.

[...]

So is Palin qualified to be president?

"I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States," Hagel said.

[S.G.E.W.]

Alas, Hagel also says that he will not endorse a candidate. But I kind of hope that he'll get a place in the Obama administration (along with Chafee).

[Gary Farber]

"Alas, Hagel also says that he will not endorse a candidate."

I sort of thought I had that covered with "Hagel, who says he has no plans to endorse either presidential candidate...."

[S.G.E.W.]

oopsie!

Make my comment read: "Alas, although Hagel will not endorse a candidate, I still etc. etc."

Reading comprehension: I no haz it.

[Warren Terra]

And part of that "past" includes the shielding since not long after 9/11 and continuing TODAY of a terrorist convicted (and he once admitted it in an interview, too) of blowing up an airliner full of Cuban athletes. The terrorist in question was convicted in a free court outside of Cuba (Venezuela iirc), escaped, entered the US illegally (after decades allegedly spent working with Miami exiles and sometimes the CIA on projects including terrorism in Cuba and a plot to assassinate Castro), and last I heard we still won't extradite or deport him - even though we've explicitly adopted a doctrine saying that harboring a terrorist is justification for War. But at least Bush kept the Cuban Exile Movement's support!

[Eric Martin]

That's right Warren. Details regarding the incidents you describe are available in the links embedded in penultimate paragraph from this post.

[Warren Terra]

Eric, I apologize if my comment was hyperbolic. I was reading by phone, so I couldn't see links' destinations, and as I read the post it did not seem explicit that our association with terrorists had continued under the Bush Doctrine.

[Eric Martin]

No worries. I don't always have time to follow all the links either. I was just letting people know that if they want to read more about the people/incidents you describe, there are links available.

[Nell]

Using an equally applied standard, we should be on Cuba's list of state sponsors of terrorism.

We are. And they correctly characterize our invasion and occupation of countries which pose no threat to us (Iraq, Somalia...) as terrorism.