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US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

bbc.com

21–30 of 41 posts

Re: US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

#21
Words like terrorism just can't be left in the hand of politicians. It's incredible how middle eastern dictators have picked it up as a name for their enemies.

This is all very Orwellian. Terrorism is currently just a euphemism for "enemy." We should just go back to using that title. It's way more honest. 'US removes Cuba from list of enemies' is what actually happened.

Can you imagine a military conflict today without at least one side accusing the other of terrorism?

Re: US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

#23
post #21

Words like terrorism just can't be left in the hand of politicians. It's incredible how middle eastern dictators have picked it up as a name for their enemies. This is all very Orwellian. Terrorism is currently just a euphemism for "enemy." We should just go back to using that title. It's way more honest. 'US removes Cuba from list of enemies' is what actually happened. Can you imagine a military conflict today witho…

It used to be a political tool for furthering potentially legitimate political or ideological interests. These days it has been corrupted to further illegitimate, religious interests. That's out of bounds. So let's make a rule to only use it in cases where it applies to illegitimate political and ideological interests. Otherwise, let's call them potential freedom fighters, depending on outcome.

Re: US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

#24

My friend whose uncle was murdered by FARC will be happy to know Cuba no longer supports terrorism.

I'm sorry to hear about your friend's uncle's fate.

But look at the bright side of this announcement! This is not about Cuba supporting terrorism or not. It's about the US government taking the Cuban government off its list labeled "governments supporting terrorism". Two governments are improving their communication.

With some luck, this will help diminish state (sponsored) violence against innocent people a little bit.

Re: US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

#26
post #3

The existence Cuba on that list was purely political esp. to appease a section of Florida voters. It is a weird form of identity politics. It goes to show, that politicians willingness to use laws addressing Terrorism for something other than Terrorism.

> The existence Cuba on that list was purely political esp. to appease a section of Florida voters. It is a weird form of identity politics. It goes to show, that politicians willingness to use laws addressing Terrorism for something other than Terrorism. Cuba being not removed may have been for that reason, but Cuba being placed on that reason was not for that reason. While one might argue that the terrorism involve…

Maybe.. but every militarily active country does this. IE, everyone backs non state militant organizations of one kind or another. How many countries would you estimate have sent cash, arms or consultants to non-state militant groups in Syria and Iraq? Off the top of my head: US, France, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, Qatar, probably Russia. Possibly a lot more than that.

If you support one side, those who support a different side are sponsoring terror. What conflict in the last few decades did not involve "terrorists?"

Re: US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

#27
post #10
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what you mean by "backing terrorists"... actually I'm not sure of your definition of "terrorists", but if you meant members of the Basque separatist group ETA, you should be aware those ex-militants were sent from France through Panama to reside in Cuba after an agreement of the Spanish government (under Felipe González) with Cuba. disclaimer: I'm Cuban

Maybe he was talking about Mandela. One man's "Terrorist" is another man's "Freedom Fighter". The US viewed Mandela as a "Terrorist"... and Cuba viewed Mandela as a "Freedom Fighter". In the course of history... these things happen.

Cutting through the bullshit, the real issue behind US embargos against Cuba was whether Cuba was involved in any kind of warfare conducted against the US. The Moncada Barracks was one thing, the missile crisis was another, the Mariel boatlift another, and FARC yet another - just to name a few. But Cuba was never under an embargo because of Mandela and implying that is the purest propaganda.

Re: US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

#28
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what you mean by "backing terrorists"... actually I'm not sure of your definition of "terrorists", but if you meant members of the Basque separatist group ETA, you should be aware those ex-militants were sent from France through Panama to reside in Cuba after an agreement of the Spanish government (under Felipe González) with Cuba. disclaimer: I'm Cuban

The remaining ETA members in Cuba and their relation to the government were the one of the last things cited in recent (2010-ish) US terrorism reports on Cuba, along with incomplete evidence of having completely cut ties with FARC, but rather more substantial support to international armed revolutionary groups that the US described as terrorist (including ETA, FARC in Colombia, various groups opposed to US-friendly c…

I won't argue either... It seems I misunderstood your first comment. Sorry. Just for the sake of clarification, regarding ETA I'm aware there several versions of the story, but those 2010-ish US terrorism reports are not understandable when the very Spanish government was stating the contrary [+]. About the Colombian conflict, I've heard of the Cuban support to National Liberation Army (ELN) but never of any military support to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

[+] (Spanish) http://www.lavozlibre.com/noticias/ampliar/1041341/moratinos...

Re: US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

#29
post #23
post #21

Words like terrorism just can't be left in the hand of politicians. It's incredible how middle eastern dictators have picked it up as a name for their enemies. This is all very Orwellian. Terrorism is currently just a euphemism for "enemy." We should just go back to using that title. It's way more honest. 'US removes Cuba from list of enemies' is what actually happened. Can you imagine a military conflict today witho…

It used to be a political tool for furthering potentially legitimate political or ideological interests. These days it has been corrupted to further illegitimate, religious interests. That's out of bounds. So let's make a rule to only use it in cases where it applies to illegitimate political and ideological interests. Otherwise, let's call them potential freedom fighters, depending on outcome.

Lets not use it at all. Lets call them enemies. ISIS are an enemy, that's unambiguous. They would not dispute it.

I'm not saying lets not apply moral judgement. Call them assholes, brutes, whatever.

Re: US removes Cuba from list of state sponsors of terror

#30
post #23
post #21

Words like terrorism just can't be left in the hand of politicians. It's incredible how middle eastern dictators have picked it up as a name for their enemies. This is all very Orwellian. Terrorism is currently just a euphemism for "enemy." We should just go back to using that title. It's way more honest. 'US removes Cuba from list of enemies' is what actually happened. Can you imagine a military conflict today witho…

It used to be a political tool for furthering potentially legitimate political or ideological interests. These days it has been corrupted to further illegitimate, religious interests. That's out of bounds. So let's make a rule to only use it in cases where it applies to illegitimate political and ideological interests. Otherwise, let's call them potential freedom fighters, depending on outcome.

> It used to be a political tool for furthering potentially legitimate political or ideological interests.

By "it," I assume you mean terrorism, as a tactic.

> These days it has been corrupted to further illegitimate, religious interests. That's out of bounds.

Why? What's specifically out of bounds about religiously inspired terrorism, but acceptable about purely political and/or ideological terrorism? And where does the boundary get drawn - Northern Ireland, for example, has had no small amount of trouble with terrorism where the political and religious motives are inextricably linked.

> So let's make a rule to only use it in cases where it applies to illegitimate political and ideological interests. Otherwise, let's call them potential freedom fighters, depending on outcome.

Or perhaps your post was merely sarcasm.

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