Pushing ahead with his initiative to normalise relations with Cuba, President Barack Obama has notified Congress of his intent to remove Cuba from the US list of State sponsors of terrorism. The move comes just three days after Obama had a meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro on the sidelines of a regional summit in Panama, marking the first formal meeting between the leaders of the two countries in 50 years.
Following the Obama action, Cuba will officially be removed from the terror list after 45 days – the time allowed for Congress to consider the issue. Any attempt by lawmakers to block the move is set to be vetoed by Obama. “The Government of Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six-month period,” Obama certified in his notification to the Congress, adding that Havana has “provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future”.
Cuba has been on this blacklist for 33 years, and its removal will help clear a hurdle in re-establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, allowing them to reopen embassies. It will also help Cuba regain access to the US banking system. But the US will still have major differences with the Cuban government. “Our concerns over a wide range of Cuba’s policies and actions fall outside the criteria that is relevant to whether to rescind Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Secretary of State John Kerry said Cuba was originally designated as a state sponsor of terrorism because of its efforts to promote armed revolution by forces in latin America , adding: “Our hemisphere, and the world, look very different today than they did 33 years ago.”