Bush Talk of Cuba Sanctions Alarms Canada

[Khephra]

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada expressed concern on Friday at President Bush's announcement of more measures against Communist Cuba, and hoped that many Canadian firms doing business with the island would not be affected.

Ottawa has for decades ignored a U.S. trade embargo on Cuba to pour in millions of aid dollars and encourage Canadian firms to help revitalize the economy. Bilateral trade in 2001 was worth $575 million.

"There are many Canadian companies active in Cuba with investments there, with employees there," Industry Minister Allan Rock told reporters when asked about Bush's comments.

more.....................


http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3595073

[prolesunited]

1. If free trade

is a way of opening up communist China, which also does not have a sterling human rights record, why can't we have free trade with Cuba?

What to they gain by re-opening this decades-long bid to oust Castro?

[montanacowboy]

2. Hello!

Votes for Chimpy in the '04 election in Fla. Florida is a hot bed of Cubano American nationalism and Chimpy and Jebby feed into it - they are truly disgusting -
hey, maybe we should invade Cuba and bring them the same happiness we brought to the Iraqis

[prolesunited]

3. I'm aware of that

How many votes are at stake there? Do you think it's worth pissing off the rest of the country to get them? I know a lot of farmers want to open up trade with Cuba. Or, is this just not a big enough issue that the rest of the country would even care?

[guajira]

5. If the Rest of the Country Actually Cared - B* Couldn't Get Away with it!!

What is unique about Miami mafia batistianos is that they have one issue and one only that influences their votes.

If we could threaten to vote according to the Cuba issue, Congress would be falling all over themselves to end the embargo and travel ban!

[NashVegas]

9. It's Not Just a Matter of Opening it Up

It's a matter of making sure our folks control everything when it does happen.

If Castro doesn't croak in the very near future, who ever is in the White House is going to have to tell Florida to take a flying leap, or US business will be left out in the cold while everyone else and their grandmother gets a piece of the pie.

[Say_What]

6. votes and money

What to they gain by re-opening this decades-long bid to oust Castro?

votes and money

[BiggJawn]

7. Unfinished Business...

Have we forgotten who was trying to prop up his sagging manliness by helping with a little operation called "The Bay of Pigs Invasion"?

"I'm going after Castro because he made my Dad have to kill JFK..."

[Muddleoftheroad]

10. Let's try the reverse

and shut them both out.

Of course, the reality is that is what the U.S. really wanted to do for years, but there are too many consumers in China for that to happen.

[Bandit]

4. Let's send the Marines into Canada and show them what for.

Those Canooks are getting too upity what with helping their people (health care) instead of the wealthy.

[joshcryer]

8. All I can do is shake my head.

To be expected, though.

[Say_What]

11. This will also piss off Italy, Spain and other countries that have

investments in the island. Let's not forget about China, Vietnam, Korea and others who also have interests there. It will be interesting to see how the world responds to BoyKing.

[treepig]

12. looks like an opportunity to imprison more canadians . . .

April 3: A Canadian businessman was convicted of violating the U.S. embargo against Cuba. James Sabzali, 42, whom U.S. authorities described as the only foreign national ever prosecuted for alleged infringement of the Cuban embargo, was found guilty by a federal jury on 20 counts of violating the U.S. Trading With the Enemy Act (TWEA) and one count of conspiracy. Two of his fellow business executives, both U.S. citizens, were also convicted, along with their Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania-based chemical company Bro-Tech Corp. Sabzali faces a maximum sentence of 205 years in prison and over $5 million in fines. Bro-Tech Vice President Donald Brodie faces 330 years in prison and $8.3 million in fines after being convicted on 34 counts. His brother, company President Stefan Brodie, could spend up to five years in prison and pay $1 million in fines for a single-count conspiracy conviction. However, before the trial began on March 15, prosecutors had already recommended prison sentences of 41 months to 51 months based on the indictment. The verdict could result in the forfeiture of the company, which was convicted on 45 counts carrying a maximum penalty of $44.5 million. (Reuters, 3/4/02)

http://www.cubasource.org/chronicles/apr02.htm