Smokescreen

In the Monday press briefing, the State Department spokesman explains the U.S. offer of $5 million in aid that Cuba rejected.

He also talks about the recent granting of licenses for sales of agricultural products, saying that licenses for sales of about $250 million have been granted since Hurricane Gustav. The licenses include lumber, which fits in the definition of agricultural products permitted for export. He lumps these exports together with the aid offer, just as Administration spokesmen have done on previous occasions with regard to humanitarian donations.

Regarding the aid, as discussed below, I think it was a good offer that Cuba should have accepted.

Regarding the licenses, it’s good that they are proceeding, but I find it hard to grant the Administration credit for simply allowing normal private activities to proceed. The agricultural sales have been routine since 2001. And while the Administration says it is expediting licensing of humanitarian donations, it would make far more sense if Americans were not required to get licenses from two federal agencies (Treasury and Commerce) if they want to make a charitable donation, say, to a church in Cuba.

Above all, this discussion diverts attention from the fact that the Administration has given the back of its hand to dissidents in Cuba and many voices in Miami and elsewhere in America, who have called for suspension of restrictions on direct aid to family members in Cuba in this time of emergency.