Sen. Lugar says US must rethink Cuba embargo

[ProSense]

Sen. Lugar says US must rethink Cuba embargo

Senior Republican Sen. Lugar says US should rethink embargo against Cuba because it's failed

ANNE FLAHERTY
AP News

Feb 22, 2009 14:06 EST

The U.S. policy of shunning communist Cuba by imposing a strict trade embargo has failed to prod the island nation toward democracy and should be re-evaluated, according to the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"We must recognize the ineffectiveness of our current policy and deal with the Cuban regime in a way that enhances U.S. interests," wrote Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., in a report dated Monday.

The report lends new weight to a bipartisan view in Congress that Raul Castro's rise to power has opened a window for U.S.-Cuban relations.

President Barack Obama has promised a fresh look at the U.S. policy. He says he would be open to meeting with Castro, who took over as Cuba's president for his ailing brother, Fidel. Obama also supports easing limitations on the number of visits and the amount of money sent to Cuba by family members in the U.S.

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[Captain Hilts]

1. I'm not sure how the embargo 'failed'. But I would like to see it gone. nt

[karynnj]

2. This is an openning that should be taken to make this a bipartisan effort

Lugar is the most respected Republican on foreign policy. Various Democrats have said the same thing - in 2008 both President Obama and Senator Kerry did.

[ProSense]

3. Yup, it's only

a matter of time, the cards are aligned.

[democrattotheend]

4. I hope Obama takes action on this

Whether or not the embargo and the travel ban made sense at the height of the Cold War is debatable, but at this point these policies are way outdated and ought to be changed. Americans are free to travel to Iran, Syria, Libya, North Korea, and a whole host of outlaw nations. The only country in the world Americans are actually banned from traveling to is Cuba.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Great to see Lugar take this stand

I hope Obama and others take him up on it. Does it seem like, at least with *some* Republicans, there has been some return to "sanity" now that Bushco is gone? Also, doesn't it seem somewhat strange that there are actually Republicans pushing some rather heretofore verboten ideas like Senator Lindsay Graham pushing nationalization of some banks, as well as Senator Lugar now pushing for a possible change in policy towards Cuba- which will, of course, make it easier for Obama and the Democrats to pursue both things if necessary and desirable?

I've always thought that the embargo against Cuba was a dumb idea not to mention counterproductive. It would seem to me that the best way for us to influence a change in conditions in other countries is to allow the free exchange of ideas, culture, etc. At the very least, it just seems dumb to criminalize travel to another country, particularly when we are allowed to travel to other countries whom have just as bad human rights records (i.e. Saudi Arabia) as (if not worse than) Cuba.