When Trump took office in 2017, one of the first things he did was use the infamous "sonic attacks" (attacks likely carried out by Russian intelligence) on American diplomats stationed in Havana as an excuse to roll back relations that President Obama established with Cuba. And while incoming President Joe Biden would like to finish what his former boss started, that's going to be more difficult or at least more time consuming now.
Only nine days remain during Trump's term in office, but they're still imposing policies and making decisions that will have consequences for years to come. The latest is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's decision to label Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and all that entails.
Cuba joins only Syria, Iran and North Korea -- nations more widely condemned for fomenting terrorism -- on the U.S. list. Cuba had originally been put on the list in 1982 but was removed by President Barack Obama in 2015 as he sought to improve economic and diplomatic relations with the Caribbean nation. [...]
According to the State Department, state sponsors of terror are countries that have “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism.” One of the officials said there is legal precedent dating back to the presidency of George H. W. Bush for keeping a country on the list for harboring terrorists even if it isn’t actively supporting terrorist acts.
Among other things, the Trump regime is pointing fingers at Cuba for harboring an American who killed a New Jersey state police officer in -- checks notes -- 1973.
You know, the Saudis literally conspired to kill a Washington Post journalist and their only punishment was Trump and Mike Pompeo defying Congress to sell them even more weapons of war they could use to commit genocide in Yemen. Trump also ordered thousands of American troops to Saudi Arabia to protect them from Iran a year after Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is BFFs with the Saudi crown prince responsible for more atrocities than any Cuban politician has fathomed in the last 50 years.
In so many words, I'm saying this is a fucking joke and the incoming Biden administration should treat it that way. It's a diplomatic flaming bag of dog poop.
The Cuban government may rightfully well the world that we're full of shit and I will be on their side if they do.