- Title: CUBA-USA/STATE U.S. drops Cuba from list of state sponsors of terrorism
- Date: 29th May 2015
- Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 29, 2015) (STATE TV) WIDE OF U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JEFF RATHKE WALKING INTO BRIEFING ROOM REPORTER ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEFF RATHKE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "I am sure many have seen but just to point out that we issued this morning a statement about the rescission of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. It is effective today, May 29, 2015. And, this reflects our assessment after undertaking the review that was requested by the president, our assessment that Cuba meets the statuary criteria for rescission." REPORTER ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEFF RATHKE, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "The United States sees these as separate processes. The review of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terror was instructed by the president and we have had a separate process of discussions with the Cuban government about re-establishing diplomatic relations and reopening embassies so we sees these as separate." REPORTER SPEAKING RATHKE CONCLUDING BRIEFING AND WALKING AWAY FROM MICROPHONE
- Embargoed: 13th June 2015 13:00
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- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA4FF3OYI5ANOZ3O07AWJCUP9V0
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United States formally dropped Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism on Friday (May 29), an important step toward restoring diplomatic ties but one that will have limited effect on removing U.S. sanctions on the Communist-ruled island.
U.S. President Barack Obama had announced on April 14 he would drop the former Cold War rival from the list, initiating a 45-day review period for Congress that expired on Friday.
"We issued this morning a statement about the rescission of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. It is effective today, May 29, 2015," said U.S. State Department spokesman, Jeff Rathke. "This reflects our assessment... that Cuba meets the statuary criteria for rescission."
Obama ordered a review of Cuba's status on the terrorism list as part of a landmark policy shift on Dec. 17, when he and Cuban President Raul Castro announced they would seek to restore diplomatic relations that Washington severed in 1961, and work toward a broader normalization of ties.
Removal from the list is a step that has more symbolic than practical significance. It removes a prohibition on receiving U.S. economic aid, a ban on U.S. arms exports and controls on "dual-use" items with military and civilian applications.
But those bans remain in place under other, overlapping U.S. sanctions, since Cuba is still subject to a wider U.S. economic embargo that has been in place since the early 1960s.
Cuba had cited its designation as a state terrorism sponsor as an obstacle to the re-establishing of diplomatic relations and upgrading of their so-called interests sections in Havana and Washington into full-blown embassies.
The two sides have held four rounds of high level negotiations since December and say they are closing in on a deal to reopen the embassies. Rathke said that the "United States sees these as separate processes. The review of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terror was instructed by the president and we have had a separate process of discussions with the Cuban government about re-establishing diplomatic relations and reopening embassies so we sees these as separate."
Washington put Cuba on its terrorism blacklist in 1982, when Havana supported armed guerrilla movements in Latin America. That support ended after the collapse of Cuba's close trade and aid benefactor, the Soviet Union, in 1991. But Cuba remained on the list, placing onerous regulations on banks dealing with Havana and exposing them to U.S. fines.
Only Iran, Syria and Sudan remain on the U.S. list.
Congress also is considering an end to the U.S. travel ban. Obama has eased restrictions on Americans making authorized trips to Cuba, but general tourism to the Caribbean island remains illegal.
Two major obstacles to normal overall ties are the embargo and the U.S. naval base at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay, which the United States has leased since 1903. Cuba wants the 45 square mile (116 square km) area returned as its full sovereign territory.
Raul Castro, 83, took over as president in 2008 after ill health forced his older brother Fidel, now 88, to step aside. - Copyright Holder: STATE DEPARTMENT TV
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