Obama Administration Follows Bush Path of Near Total Isolation
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, October
28, the UN is scheduled to take up its annual debate on the unilateral U.S.
embargo of Cuba. Expectations are of a crushing U.S. defeat similar to last
year, 185 to 3.
"Most Americans, including government officials, may not pay much attention
but this annual vote signals that no U.S. foreign policy is as universally
despised as our trade war against Cuba," said John McAuliff, Executive
Director of a leading non-governmental advocacy group, the Fund for
Reconciliation and Development.
"Likewise," he noted, "the margin of the U.S. defeat reflects the most
dramatic failure of the Obama Administration to live up to its promise to
improve U.S. standing in the world."
McAuliff, head of a 25-year-old non-governmental organization based in New
York, added, "The tragedy is that the White House could have easily influenced
the vote by making a straightforward reform consistent with its own values and
goals and the opinion of two-thirds of Americans.
President Obama has the power to reverse his predecessor's virtual ban in 2004
on non-tourist travel to Cuba for educational, cultural, religious,
humanitarian and other people-to-people purposes; while pledging to sign
pending legislation eliminating all travel restrictions."
"Instead," he commented, "the U.S. and Cuba are mirror images, each
sacrificing freedom to travel for political reasons. We stopped the NY
Philharmonic from performing in Havana this week by refusing a travel license.
They stopped the blogger Yoani Sanchez from receiving an award in New York
last week by denying an exit visa."
McAuliff also said, "The President could have addressed humanitarian concern
about the embargo by licensing sale and donation of construction, medical and
agricultural equipment and supplies in response to last year's triple
hurricane devastation."
McAuliff explores the issue further in an Op Ed essay available for
publication at:
http://mcauliffsmusings.blogspot.com/2009/10/un-embargo-vote-confirms-us-isolation.html.
Illustrations of the humanitarian and developmental cost of the embargo can be
seen in the 117 page annual report by the Secretary General of the United
Nations:
http://democracyinamericas.org/pdfs/UNGA%202009.pdf.
Analysis and excerpts prepared by the Center for Democracy in the Americas:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-stephens/un-vote-to-condemn-obamas_b_333722.html.
SOURCE Fund for Reconciliation and Development
John McAuliff of the Fund for Reconciliation and Development, +1-914-231-6270,
+1-917-859-9025
