Obama's Cuban Cigars

     Cuba is an island nation, a communist country about 90 miles south of Miami in the Atlantic Ocean. Obama has said he wants to normalize relations with Cuba politically and economically, and he wants to lift the United States Naval Blockade/Embargo of Cuba which has been in place for roughly 50 years. His reasoning for wanting to do this is that the blockade isn't working to bring down the communist Castro Government of Cuba, if we were to flood them with United States goods and services it could bring their regime down. Obama wants to ease travel restrictions as well as purchase restrictions between our two countries. Obama has said that 50 years of isolation (meaning the United States Cuban blockade) has not worked. Obama's exact quote on this is "I believe we can do more to support the Cuban people and our values through engagement."  He also says " these 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked, it's time for a new approach."

   Since Obama took office he has wanted to normalize ties with Communist Cuba. Late last year 2014 Cuba started a thaw in their relations with the United States by releasing an American Alan Gross held prisoner by Cuba for the [past 5 years. It seems odd that after several years Cuba would, out of the goodness of their heart release a prisoner. Obama called Cuban Dictator Raul Castro ( Fidel's Brother) to discuss the release of Alan Gross and another man being held by Cuba, a CIA operative. This call was the first engagement at the Presidential level between Cuba and the United States since Fidel Castro seized power in the Cuban Revolt of the 1960s.  It seems that the week of Dec. 17th 2014 was a busy one for Barrack Obama.

  To show his gratitude Obama released 3 Cuban criminals convicted of spying. (in my own honest opinion I have to find all of this quite comical and somewhat odd.)  Obama has caused harm to our country by releasing Islamic Terrorists being held prisoner in detention camps at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and now we have the talk about normalization of ties with Cuba. Further talks between the two countries will call for re-establishment of a United States Embassy in Havana Cuba as well as Secretary of State John Kerry's review of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. In addition to all of this Obama has negotiated the release of 53 Americans being held prisoner by Cuba.
      These 53 Americans to be released were recommended by name to Cuba, their names have not been released to the American public. Obama has said he looks forward to eventually "engaging congress in an honest and serious debate about lifting the embargo."  Can Cuba be trusted ? Can Obama be trusted ? What was discussed/ negotiated between Obama and Cuba in regards to normalizing ties has yet to happen. Obama may not be so good in negotiating as he wants the world to thing he is. The 53 unnamed Americans being held prisoner by Cuba have yet to be released by Cuba, while Obama has already released the 3 convicted Cuban Spies.

   In another setback to Obama's normalization of ties with Cuba, their Communist Dictator Raul Castro (Fidel"s Brother ) has stated that they want the United States to return Guantanamo Bay before there can be anymore talks of normalization of ties between the two countries.

   The United States captured Guantanamo Bay,Cuba from Spain during the Spanish American War of 1898. After Cuban independence from Spain, the United States entered into a lease agreement with Cuba for Guantanamo Bay, with a renewal agreement entered into between President Franklin Roosevelt and Cuban President Fulgencio Batista in 1934. This lease renewal required consent from both parties should either one want to withdrawl/reconsider. In 1961 the relations between Cuba and the United States were severed. In hopes that the United States would return Guantanamo Bay back to Cuba, the Cuban Government discontinued acceptance of the $5,000.00 yearly rent.

  The Naval Base know as Guantanamo Bay  as well as GITMO is home to 3 detention camps that were started after Sept 11 2001. They are Camp Iquana, Camp Echo, and Camp Delta, it is at these 3 detention camps that the worlds most deadliest terrorists have been imprisoned as well as released from here by Obama. What Obama seems to do baffles quite a few people including myself, we don't know the real reason he want's to normalize ties with Cuba, we don't know why he want's to continue to release terrorists from GITMO and why he wants to close GITMO. What we do know is that he wants to lift the Cuban embargo and possibly return Guantanamo Bay. I have to wonder how many Cuban Cigars we the American people were sold out for.

For more information on Guantanamo Bay and the normalization of ties please visit the following links.
                           www. cbsnews.com/...obama-to-start-normalizing-u-s-relations-with-cuba
                           www.delawareonline.com/story/...2015/01/02/obama-cuba-new.../21196455
                           freebeacon.com/...why-cuba-isnt-fulfilling-promise-made-in-obama-deal
                           www.washingtontimes.com/news/...to-obama-give-cuba-guantanamo-bay-and