US rejects Cuba demand to hand back Guantanamo Bay base

[wvit1001]

Cuban President Raul Castro included the demand in a speech on Wednesday, calling also for the US trade embargo to be lifted.

US President Barack Obama "does believe that the prison at Guantanamo Bay should be closed down... but not the naval base", the White House said.

The land on which the base stands was leased to the US by Cuba in 1903.

The Cuban government which came to power in the revolution of 1959 has long demanded its return, saying it is a violation of international law, but the US points to a legal provision making the lease permanent unless it is terminated by mutual agreement.

Last month the two countries announced a thaw in relations, agreeing to restore diplomatic ties severed in 1961. Delegations have begun negotiating the re-establishment of embassies.

However in a speech on Wednesday, Mr Castro said: "The re-establishment of diplomatic relations is the start of a process of normalising bilateral relations.

"But this will not be possible while the blockade still exists, while they don't give back the territory illegally occupied by the Guantanamo naval base."

This condition was rejected by White House spokesman Josh Earnest in remarks to the media on Thursday.

He agreed that President Obama was seeking to shut the prison at Guantanamo Bay, as it "only serves as a recruiting tool for al-Qaeda and other extremist organisations".

"But the naval base is not something that we believe should be closed," he said.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-31059030

[jst-the-fax]

Giving Joint Base Guantanamo back to Cuba has always been the long term plan of dictator obama! Are you just now figuring that out?

[WWV10MHZ]

When America won Cuba's freedom from Spain in the Spanish-American War, we were given Gitmo as a way of thanking us for their freedom.

There would be no giving back something we earned.

[wvit1001]

US President Barack Obama "does believe that the prison at Guantanamo Bay should be closed down... but not the naval base", the White House said.

[jst-the-fax]

Joint Base Guantanamo will be a bargaining chip...just wait and see!

[Truman62]

Just THINK how much money we could save if we closed it and gave it back...

[jst-the-fax]

Davik,

Let the soviets or red chinese pay for it....i think you're on too something?

[sweetwater5s9]

Obama's Cuba initiative backfires big-time                              
- 1/30/15

Raúl Castro knows a sucker when he sees one.




Alastair Jamieson reports for NBC News:
 
Cuban President Raul Castro has demanded that the United States hand back its Guantanamo Bay military base - an apparent bargaining tool in the restoration of full diplomatic relations between the countries.
Castro also asked for a complete lifting of the decades-old trade embargo and for compensation for its effects, saying that without these changes the recent diplomatic thaw "wouldn't make any sense."
 
Anywhere other than on Planet Obama, Cuba receiving diplomatic recognition for the United States would be a huge boon for the Castro dictatorship.  He should be on his knees giving thanks, but instead he is making demands – patently ridiculous ones – as a condition of receiving what he really, really wants.  And, as the TV pitchmen say, “wait, there’s more!”

More

[jst-the-fax]

Sweetwater,
Bookmark this wvit rant...as i predict dictator obama will offer Joint Base Guantanamo, to the Communist...with the soviets and or red chinese pulling in within 10 minutes after we leave.

[wvit1001]

I'll take that bet faxy.  all I require is an acknowledgement from you that you were wrong when it doesn't happen.

[jst-the-fax]

Ms wvit,
Go ahead and bookmark my comment...as i have a whole bookmark folder for you!