'The message that we are sending the world is that the United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism. And we are going to do so vigilantly, and we are going to do so effectively, and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals.'
- Barack Obama
This is what Obama signed
Obama signs order to close Guantanamo in a year, and this executive order came on Day Two of his presidency, and this is the new president's way of trying to show that the United States will not torture and will abide by the domestic and international laws governing the treatment of detainees. So with these changes due to take place on Cuban soil (while it's American land?) I obviously wanted to know what the Cuban reaction was, and more specifically what Fidel Castro had to say. According to Cristina Kirchner, the Argentinian President, after her meeting with Fidel recently - she said:
Fidel Castro “told me that he followed with much interest President Barack Obama’s assumption of power, and that he spent the whole day watching the event on television. He told me that (Obama) not only had a very good background as a political leader, but also that he was a man he saw as being absolutely sincere.”
Argentina's Cristina Kirchner shakes hands with Raul Castro
Could Obama be in a substantially better position to negotiate with Cuba than Bush or, arguably, Clinton ever was? Raul Castro has said he was willing to talk with Obama, as long as there are no intermediaries and as equal parties to the dialogue. If they met it would be the first meeting of leaders from the neighboring nations and Cold War-era foes in five decades.
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