tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851163370258594999.post7768865297966927976..comments2023-11-16T03:57:05.158-05:00Comments on The Cuban Triangle: Defending the USAID programPhil Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06724525896667349935noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851163370258594999.post-41030925900446099742010-02-24T12:04:17.187-05:002010-02-24T12:04:17.187-05:00Phil, in your otherwise informative article on Gro...Phil, in your otherwise informative article on Gross' plight, you touch on Cuba's "world class" intelligence services, and you refer to the (more than 200) state security agents that are "employed" there. Why do we continue to use this arrangement, when (1) it obviously affects the security of the embassy and U.S. staffers, and (2) the arrangement, as you well know, violates the same international labor rights that are violated by the hotel operators and virtually all NON-US foreign investors in Cuba? Certainly cost cannot be a criterion. It's hard to understand the sheer folly of granting free entry to several platoons from a "world-class" intelligence service to 6 or 7 of the embassy's 8 floors PLUS to the residence of Foreign Service officers stationed in Havana, including the Chief of USINT!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15062017928684922226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5851163370258594999.post-38844554851528005132010-02-24T11:57:18.155-05:002010-02-24T11:57:18.155-05:00Basically he is screwed. Even without the politica...Basically he is screwed. Even without the political implications, the spying stuff and law 88, he was breaking the Cuban telecommunications law, importing restricted equipment and illegally trying to provide a service.<br /><br />Thats pretty bad over there, and if they find that they were going to charge money for the service thats going to be even worse, from tax evasion to illicit enrichment and that can end with some properties confiscated and a few years more in prison for him.<br /><br />I think the Cuban government has not presented any charge because they hope to use him to negotiate the liberation of the cuban five or similar and if he is tried and convicted that might be harder to do within their current legal framework.<br /><br />In any case I agree that the reactions so far won't help his cause and further politicization of the issue will complicate things for him. After all he was breaking the cuban law, so he is going to be punished no matter what; how much will depend on the will of the judge, adding politics to the mix will screw things for him badly. <br /><br />acAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com