In El Pais, the first USINT Havana cable

The 2009 cable is written by the U.S. Interests Section’s security officer in response to a questionnaire that apparently asks for an assessment of the local security environment.

Considering that Cuba is designated a “state sponsor of terrorism” by the Obama Administration, these judgments from the cable stand out:

· ELN, FARC and ETA have a presence in Cuba but “are unlikely to conduct terrorist operations in Cuba.” Also: “There is little chance of any operational activity given the need for safehaven.”

· USINT has “seen no evidence that the GOC allows hostile intelligence service to plan terrorist, anti-U.S. operations in Cuba…Moreover, the GOC guards its own prerogatives jealously and would not want a foreign service or organization operating on its soil even if relations between the GOC and that organization or service were excellent. Post gauges the most immediate threat from hostile intelligence services to be from a counterintelligence perspective.”