As the House Impeaches Trump for Insurrection, Pompeo Targets Cuba
Mike Pompeo Puts Cuba Back on the State Sponsor of Terrorism List
As President Donald J. Trump faces a second impeachment and prepares to leave the White House in disgrace, apparently he wanted to leave something behind — perhaps a consolation prize — for his loyal Cuban-American supporters in Miami. Why not lash out at Cuba, always an easy target for the right-wing?
Accordingly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo “designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism…in a last-minute foreign policy stroke that will complicate the incoming Biden administration’s plans to restore friendlier relations with Havana,” the New York Times reported.
The charge is that Cuba supports “international terrorism.” As usual, the Trump administration offered no solid evidence to back up its claim, just a collection of out-of-date grievances. In fact, as part of President Barack Obama’s historic rapprochement with Cuba, he had removed Cuba from the list.
“At a time when we are focused on threats from al Qaeda to ISIL, a nation that meets our conditions and renounces the use of terrorism should not face this sanction,” Obama said.
