Cuba calls terrorism designation by U.S. absurd, manipulative

Cuba calls terrorism designation by U.S. absurd, manipulative
BY DANIEL TROTTA
HAVANA Thu May 1, 2014 12:53pm EDT

(Reuters) - Cuba labeled as absurd and manipulative an annual U.S. State
Department report that once again designated Cuba as a state sponsor of
terrorism, a setback for advocates hoping for a change in Washington's
Cuba policy this year.

The annual Country Reports on Terrorism issued on Wednesday continued to
list Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria as countries that have "repeatedly
provided support for acts of international terrorism." Cuba has been on
the list since 1982.

The designation carries with it economic sanctions beyond those already
imposed in the U.S. trade embargo of Cuba.

Opponents of Washington's Cold War-era policy on Cuba had hoped it would
drop Cuba from the list this year in a sign U.S. President Barack Obama
might want to normalize relations with the communist-ruled island 90
miles from Florida.

Proponents of change drew hope from an Atlantic Council poll showing a
majority of Americans supported normalizing relations with Cuba. They
were also encouraged by Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Christ's
opposition to the embargo and reports Cuban-American sugar magnate Alfy
Fanjul visited Cuba to seek reconciliation with former rivals.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department said the government had "no
current plans" to remove Cuba from the list.

Cuba said it "demanded" to be taken off.

"The Foreign Ministry energetically rejects the manipulation of a matter
as sensitive as international terrorism by turning it into an instrument
of policy against Cuba and it demands that our country be definitively
excluded from this spurious, unilateral and arbitrary list," the
government said in a statement late on Wednesday.

The case against Cuba has been based largely on its past support for the
armed Basque separatist group ETA, which declared a unilateral ceasefire
in 2011 and says it will disarm, and for Colombia's FARC rebels, who are
currently in peace talks with the Colombian government which Cuba is
hosting in Havana.

The U.S. report says Cuba's ties to ETA "have become more distant" and
it makes note of Cuba's role in the Colombian peace talks.

"There was no indication that the Cuban government provided weapons or
paramilitary training to terrorist groups," the report said.

Cuba "continued to harbor fugitives wanted in the United States," the
report said. Cuba countered that some of those received legal political
asylum, some decided to live in Cuba after completing their sentences,
and that none of them were charged with terrorism.

"Even so, political considerations and the need to justify the embargo
at all cost ... have won out over rationality yet again," Cuba said.

(Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by David Adams and
Andrew Hay)

Source: Cuba calls terrorism designation by U.S. absurd, manipulative |
Reuters -
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/01/us-cuba-usa-terrorism-idUSBREA400NH20140501