Worldwide
Campaign for One Million Signatures to Remove Cuba from
U.S.
List of State Sponsors of Terrorism
Reject Cuba's Spurious Designation as "State Sponsor of Terrorism"
In the wake of
the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York
City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC, 22 years ago, then U.S.
President George W. Bush, at a joint session of U.S. Congress on
September 20, 2001, issued an edict to the peoples of the world.
"Either you are with us or you
are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that
continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the
United
States as a hostile regime." Bush stated in the same speech that
the
U.S. war on terror "will not end until every terrorist group of
global
reach has been found,
stopped and defeated."
Take note that Bush did not say "either you are with us or against us," he said "or with the terrorists." The central issue is who defines what constitutes terrorism, what is the definition, and who is a terrorist. It is the United States, the world's greatest terrorist country, that gave this definition, and on the basis of its decisions it waged a war of terror against the whole world.
In January 29, 2002 Bush then delivered his infamous "axis of evil" speech to describe foreign governments that, during his administration, allegedly sponsored terrorism and sought weapons of mass destruction. He initially named the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Iran, and Iraq as "an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world."
The U.S. gave itself the right to carry out all manner state-organized terrorist attacks aimed at regime change in other countries spuriously claimed to be harbouring terrorists. Within the U.S. and countries in its sphere of influence, broad campaigns of Islamophobia began, in which anyone could be declared a terrorist or potential terrorist until proven otherwise. It engaged in mass murders through sanctions, misguided bombing raids, torture, detention without charges and trials, assassinations and murders.
Long
before 9/11, in 1979, the U.S. had established a list of those
it
accused of being state sponsors of terrorism. Iraq, Libya, South
Yemen
and Syria appeared on that list. It then modified the list on
various
occasions and today, in 2023, there are four countries on the
list:
Cuba, Iran, the
DPRK and Syria. These are countries known for opposing U.S.
imperialism
and foreign interference in their internal affairs. It is also
known
that they have been targets of U.S. coups and/or outright
military
aggression, invasion and occupation and vicious human rights
violations
using various means.
The list can thus be seen as a hit list of countries that block
U.S.
imperialist aims for hegemony in various parts of the world.
Cuba was first placed on the list in 1982. Notably, on December 17, 2014, then U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a review of Cuba's inclusion on the list. On April 14, 2015, Obama announced that Cuba was being taken off the list, and after a 45-day period of review it was officially removed on May 29, 2015.
Toward the end of the Trump administration, on January 12, 2021, Cuba was once again added to the list. Then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that Cuba had "repeatedly provid[ed] support for acts of international terrorism" by harboring U.S. fugitives as well as Colombian rebel leaders. Another accusation was that Cuba supported Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during attempts by the U.S., Canada and the Lima Group to overthrow his government. The U.S. claimed that the Maduro administration created "a permissive environment for international terrorists to live and thrive within Venezuela."
The facts of life amply show who are the terrorist states which also sponsor state terrorism. Cuba's inclusion on the list is indicative of U.S. revanchism toward this small country that has successfully defended itself despite the murderous U.S. all-sided blockade of the island for more than 60 years. The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism writes:
"Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism are designated pursuant to three laws: section 1754(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961). Taken together, the four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation under these authorities include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance; a ban on defense exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions."
In August of this year, a global campaign was launched to submit one million signatures on a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden demanding that Cuba be removed from this list. The letter and signatures are to be delivered on December 10, International Human Rights Day. This campaign is part of broader efforts to end the U.S. unjust and genocidal blockade against Cuba and to demand that the U.S. restart the process to normalize relations with Cuba.
All out to join this campaign which has presently already reached nearly 214,000 signatures!
Visit LetCubaLive.info campaign website to sign the petition and send it to others to sign and ask them to send to others.
This article was published in
Volume 53
Number 7 - September 2023
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/MS53073.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca