The New York Times is reporting that the Obama administration on Friday removed Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, a crucial step in normalizing ties between Washington and Havana and the latest progress in President Obama’s push to thaw relations between the United States and the island nation.
According to the report, Secretary of State John F. Kerry rescinded Cuba’s designation as a terrorism sponsor at the end of a 45-day Congressional notification period that began on April 14, when Mr. Obama announced his intention to remove Cuba from the list.
The move “reflects our assessment that Cuba meets the statutory criteria for rescission,” Jeff Rathke, the State Department spokesman, said in a statement. “While the United States has significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba’s policies and actions, these fall outside the criteria relevant to the rescission of a State Sponsor of Terrorism designation.”
For the New York Times story, click here and keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for the latest Caribbean news.