It's really very touching how Patrick Doherty is infused with deep concern for the fate of Cubans should this season bring a spate of disastrous hurricanes.

But is this concern real or feigned? If real, this would mark a significant departure from TWN's typical, single minded obsession with advancing America's self interest. If not real, Patrick would appear to be describing a Trojan Horse strategy for dealing with Cuba. Very clever!

I hope it's real. It would mark a very positive development.

[Not to be redundant]

Hey Steve, how about the latest TWN perspective on the CIA assassination program. Appears to be quite a bit here...........

Make sure to also read the “comments” section in following links, especially the one by “DLD” in the first article (tpmmuckraker) and the few by “Kurt” in the second article (rawstory).

Quite chilling. Would be interested in TWN/NAF positions on this.

Report: CIA Assassin Program Could Operate Anywhere -- Even Inside U.S.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/report_cia_assassin_program_could_operate_anywhere.php?ref=fpb

Report: ‘No geographical limitations’ on CIA assassination program
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/16/report-no-geographical-limitations-on-cia-assassination-program/

There are rather a lot of things already that the President can do without involving Congress. Adding one more is a pretty dubious idea, however attractive it may be for those able to focus on relations with Cuba (or at least on ending the American embargo on trade with Cuba) to the exclusion of other subjects.

fidel speaks on honduras...

http://granma.co.cu/secciones/ref-fidel/art157.html

La disparatada aventura del golpe de Estado en Honduras ha creado una situación realmente complicada en Centroamérica que no se resuelve con trampas, engaños y mentiras.

Cada día se conocen nuevos detalles de la implicación de Estados Unidos en esa acción, que tendrá también seria repercusión en toda América Latina.

La idea de una iniciativa de paz a partir de Costa Rica fue transmitida al Presidente de ese país desde el Departamento de Estado cuando Obama estaba en Moscú y declaraba, en una universidad rusa, que el único Presidente de Honduras era Manuel Zelaya.

Los golpistas estaban en apuros. La iniciativa transmitida a Costa Rica buscaba el objetivo de salvarlos. Es obvio que cada día de retraso tiene un costo para el Presidente Constitucional y tiende a diluir el extraordinario apoyo internacional que ha recibido. La maniobra yanki no incrementa las posibilidades de paz, sino todo lo contrario, las disminuye, y el peligro de violencia crece, ya que los pueblos de nuestra América no se resignarán jamás al destino que les tienen programado.

Con la reunión de Costa Rica se cuestiona la autoridad de la ONU, la OEA y demás instituciones que comprometieron su apoyo al pueblo de Honduras.

Cuando Micheletti, Presidente de facto, proclamó ayer que está dispuesto a renunciar a su cargo si Zelaya renunciaba, sabía ya que el Departamento de Estado y los militares golpistas habían acordado sustituirlo y enviarlo de nuevo al Congreso como parte de la maniobra.

Lo único correcto en este momento es demandar del gobierno de Estados Unidos que cese su intervención, deje de prestar apoyo militar a los golpistas y retire de Honduras su Fuerza de Tarea.

Lo que se pretende exigir al pueblo de Honduras en nombre de la paz, es la negación de todos los principios por los cuales lucharon todas las naciones de este hemisferio.

"El respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz", dijo Juárez.

"What [the United States] demands of the people of Honduras in the name of peace, is the negation of all the principles that the nations of this hemisphere fought for."

Benito Juarez: "Respect for the rights of others means peace."

We seem not to be able to break our addiction to demanding of nations in the western hemisphere south of the Rio Grande that they please us. I'm trying to imagine the reaction of America, and Americans in general, were the shoe on the other foot. I grew up hearing repeatedly the common mantra, "I'm tired of these little countries pushing the United States around." It sounded stupid the first time I heard it, and it still sounds stupid. What I did not realize in my naive youth was who was routinely doing the pushing. That awareness came later, and with a vengeance. I long ago tired of the United States pushing these little countries around, was sickened by the Viet Nam War, was appalled by Reagan's war against Nicaragua, was enraged when we bombed Libya, and continue to be stunned by the unbelievable inertia in the system against the United States mending its ways.

Add the tragicomedy of the United States being unable to make a quite reasonable demand of a nation which gets a generous allowance each year from US taxpayers via congress and the White House, and which made it this far only because of our patronage, and I am left wondering what exactly it is about America's behavior on the world stage post-WWII that I am supposed to be proud of, with the exception of the Marshall Plan and what we did for Japan.

Somebody help me out here, especially since I am now reading Naomi Klein's SHOCK DOCTRINE, which I find ringing truer and truer as I continue reading.

"Structured properly—say, for a term of 180 days, during which the Cuban government and people could PURCHASE nonmilitary items on the American market for cash or credit." (CAPS mine) A possible quote for Naomi Klein's next book...

Looking forward to it, JohnH. Would also love for it to include the opportunity for ordinary American who smoke them to buy Cuban cigars, as opposed to that violation of American law being available only to the privileged.

The points made in this article are pretty good. Just possibly imagine.. no embargo in Cuba. I think the sun will come up the next day.