Daily Times

President Obama has asked Congress to remove Cuba from the list of terror sponsoring countries in a bid to normalise relations between Washington and Havana. It is perhaps premature to guess the outcome of this decision due to the hostile attitude of the Republicans who dominate Congress. Despite this caveat, the momentum of change in the relationship between the two countries seems unstoppable. The Cuban government has hailed this decision and said that it should never have been on this list in the first place. Cuba was designated a state sponsor of terror in 1982 because of what the White House said were its efforts to promote armed revolution by organisations that used terrorism. Obama and Castro announced a thaw in relations in December last year when the US president expressed his willingness to remove Cuba from that list. The current move is the result of the recent meeting held on the sidelines of a regional summit in Panama between Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro. The historic talks marked the first formal meeting between the two leaders in half a century. There has been a history of hostility between Washington and Havana since Fidel Castro’s revolutionary movement culminated in the establishment of a socialist regime in Cuba that was not acceptable to the US. After decades of hostility, a transition is in progress. It will not be easy for both states to come to friendly terms all at once, as doubts are still lingering about the sincerity of the US. There is a school of thought in Cuba that opposes rapprochement with the US. It believes the US has changed its modus operandi but the aim remains to overthrow the communist government. On the other hand, many amongst the Cuban people are sick of the US-imposed blockade. There is also a visible change in the policies of Raul Castro who has adopted a pragmatic approach and wants friendly ties with the US.

For over 50 years the embargo did not work despite causing immense hardship. The US hardliners and their affiliates amongst the Cuban community in the US need to bury the hatchet and move on. Times have changed. The US wants to promote its agenda of capitalism under the camouflage of calls for democracy and human rights but Cubans are not unaware of this fact. All efforts aimed at improving ties should be welcomed and the US should learn to respect Cuba’s sovereignty. Cuba’s removal from the terror list will pave the way for the end of a number of trade restrictions. The results of that process will have profound political and economic effects for the entire hemisphere and it can only be welcomed. *