Fidel Castro says Cuba could talk with Obama

[kaydee457 13]

Well, here we go. A weak candidate turned President whose naked naïveté in foreign affairs he himself telegraphed to every despot and rogue nation around the world are now going to line up to take advantage him.....ugh.....A new kind of Politics? Nope, just the Jimmy Carter sequel……..

HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro said on Thursday his country could talk to U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, in Havana's latest overture to the incoming Democratic administration in Washington.

His remarks followed comments from his brother, President Raul Castro, who told a U.S. magazine he could meet Obama in a "neutral place" to try to end the Communist-run island's four-decade conflict with the United States.

"With Obama, talks could happen anywhere he wants," Fidel Castro, America's longtime Cold War enemy, wrote in the latest of a series of columns he has published in state-run media since falling ill in 2006.

"He should remember the carrot-and-stick approach will not work with our country," Castro wrote of Obama. "The sovereign rights of the Cuban people are not negotiable."

Fidel Castro, who took power nearly 50 years ago after an armed revolution, has not been seen in public since undergoing surgery for an undisclosed illness in July 2006. But he has met several state leaders and appeared in photographs.

Obama, who takes office on January 20, has raised hopes of improved U.S.-Cuba ties by saying he was open to talks with the Cuban government and has favored easing some U.S. sanctions.

He has said he will reverse the U.S. administration's policies restricting Cuban Americans from visiting Cuba and sending cash to their families. He is willing to talk to Castro but would keep the four-decade-old U.S. trade embargo as leverage to influence changes in the one-party state.

Raul Castro formally took over the Cuban presidency in February and has said several times Havana is willing to talk to the United States.

Before the U.S. presidential election last month, Fidel Castro praised Obama as intelligent and humanitarian in the columns that have become his main form of communication.

Raul suggested in the interview he could meet Obama in Guantanamo Bay, where the United States maintains a naval base, which Cuba considers a violation of its sovereignty.

(Reporting by Patrick Markey; editing by Todd Eastham)

source

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

There's been talk about opening talks with Cuba ever since Fidel stepped down.

As usual Kaydee - this is simply about what you want to believe.

[HAL 9000 96]

Poor, Poor Kaydee.

Must be hard conjuring up mental images of what most people would consider positive progress.

[almaty 19]

much ado about nothing..and so what, cuba always does this.,..

[Sister Fracas 5]

His remarks followed comments from his brother, President Raul Castro, who told a U.S. magazine he could meet Obama in a "neutral place" to try to end the Communist-run island's four-decade conflict with the United States.

Yep, that's definitely rediculous.... conflict is a good thing!

[HAL 9000 96]

much ado about nothing..and so what, cuba always does this.,..

I think Castro in the past has expressed interest in restoring diplomatic ties with the US on a regular basis. Besides, Raul Castro is the new leader in Cuba now, and has also expressed interest in moving forward instead of being stuck (primarily by mindsets not unlike Kaydee's) back in a Cold War that ended years ago.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Just when I thought we were making progress with Kaydee.............

[Sister Fracas 5]

Just when I thought we were making progress with Kaydee.............

you did?

[kaydee457 13]

Ah, more starry eyed naïveté from our resident liberals....Kumbaya, anyone?

[HAL 9000 96]

Just when I thought we were making progress with Kaydee.............

you did?

Progress and Kaydee do not go well in the same thought.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Ah, more starry eyed naïveté from our resident liberals....Kumbaya, anyone?

More fear-mongering from our resident nut-job.

[alienlovechild 75]

I think Castro in the past has expressed interest in restoring diplomatic ties with the US on a regular basis. Besides, Raul Castro is the new leader in Cuba now, and has also expressed interest in moving forward instead of being stuck (primarily by mindsets not unlike Kaydee's) back in a Cold War that ended years ago.

If you think the Castro brothers are something new you've got a lot to learn about U.S.-Cuba relations. Both have one foot in the grave and Cuba will be far better off without them. That would offer a real opportunity to change the dynamics of the relationship without giving the Castro's a heroic sendoff.

[Teacher Mark 53]

Just when I thought we were making progress with Kaydee.............

you did?

Well, he did have the non Obama related woman loves dog post yesterday and there was a non hostile post about Hillary's campaign debt.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think Castro in the past has expressed interest in restoring diplomatic ties with the US on a regular basis. Besides, Raul Castro is the new leader in Cuba now, and has also expressed interest in moving forward instead of being stuck (primarily by mindsets not unlike Kaydee's) back in a Cold War that ended years ago.

If you think the Castro brothers are something new you've got a lot to learn about U.S.-Cuba relations. Both have one foot in the grave and Cuba will be far better off without them. That would offer a real opportunity to change the dynamics of the relationship without giving the Castro's a heroic sendoff.

Which means that communism is on the way out over there. No reason not to get in on the action early - Raoul is simply a caretaker, Fidel was the idealist.

[HAL 9000 96]

I think Castro in the past has expressed interest in restoring diplomatic ties with the US on a regular basis. Besides, Raul Castro is the new leader in Cuba now, and has also expressed interest in moving forward instead of being stuck (primarily by mindsets not unlike Kaydee's) back in a Cold War that ended years ago.

If you think the Castro brothers are something new you've got a lot to learn about U.S.-Cuba relations. Both have one foot in the grave and Cuba will be far better off without them. That would offer a real opportunity to change the dynamics of the relationship without giving the Castro's a heroic sendoff.

Did I say anything about who was better off than the other in terms of heroics or Cold Warisms? Nope. What I am talking about is mere diplomacy. You know, the same we've done with other Communist nations we do business with.

And for the rest of the analysis I will defer to the Cuban side of my familia.