Cuba

Jeb Bush Lays out Limited Foreign Policy Vision February 20, 2015 On Wednesday, Jeb Bush laid out the foreign policy framework for his anticipated presidential campaign in a speech at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Bush’s remarks covered a broad range of subjects, and while he identified many of the pressing international challenges facing the United States, his remarks lacked clarity or solutions. As the presidential race moves forward, the national security debate will require more depth of understanding on issues including resolving Iran’s nuclear program, addressing the threat from the Islamic State, the fighting in Ukraine, normalizing relations with Cuba, and ongoing Pentagon spending debates, and we will look for candidates that back up emerging positions with effective policies. Bush doesn’t seem to… Read More ›

Implementing Obama’s “Smarter Kind of American Leadership” Last night, President Obama in his State of the Union address touched on a host of national security issues of critical importance to the United States and international community. While his discussion of national security was broad, a key theme running through his address was the forward-looking need to reinforce America’s global position and security in the 21stcentury by emphasizing diplomatic and economic power. This “smarter kind of American leadership” applies to a number of issues, but the President’s comments on Asia, Iran, Cuba, trade strategy, and climate security in particular demonstrate the value of careful and relentless global engagement to producing results. Now armed with a clear agenda, the Administration and Congress need to work together to… Read More ›

January 6, 2015 | POTUS, The Morning Briefing with Tim Farley John Bradshaw discussing foreign policy challenges of 2015 – reaching a nuclear deal with Iran, authorizing use of military force against the Islamic State, closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, U.S.-Russian relations and Ukraine, and trade – with Tim Farley on the Morning Brief. To view the original posting, click here.  Read More ›

The decision by President Obama to normalize U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba and set America on a course to end sanctions has brought the Cold War with Cuba to a close – long after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Taking a new approach to Cuba updates American foreign policy toward Latin America for the 21st century and provides important strategic benefits to the United States. America will no longer be isolated internationally by its Cuba policy and has removed a significant roadblock to American leadership in Latin America, where leaders have strongly opposed Washington’s outdated approach to Havana. The move, which is substantially supported by domestic public opinion, including Cuban-Americans, also sets up the United States for modest economic gains. President Obama’s decision further… Read More ›

December 17, 2014 | Thom Hartmann  In the aftermath of President Obama’s announcement that the United States will begin to reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba after 53 years, NSN Executive Director John Bradshaw appeared alongside Senior Associate at the Latin America Working Group Mavis Anderson in an interview with Thom Hartmann.  When asked what positive changes could come out of this development, Bradshaw responded that the most positive changes will be for the Cuban people, as well as for the economies of both countries.  Further, he stated that reengagement with Cuba will take away the Castro regime’s ability to blame the U.S. for the nation’s economic woes, which may prompt greater political change in Cuba.  As for the many Republican politicians, particularly of Cuban-American heritage, who have come… Read More ›

National Security Network Statement on Plans to Normalize Relations with Cuba FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2014  Washington, DC — Along with the release of  USAID contractor Alan Gross and an unnamed U.S. intelligence asset, President Obama announced today sweeping changes in U.S. policy with Cuba, normalizing relations after half a century of Cold War isolation. National Security Network’s Executive Director John Bradshaw today issued the following statement: President Obama’s bold action in restoring relations with Cuba is more likely to lead to positive changes in the lives of the Cuban people than current policy. The new opening gets beyond rigid Cold War mindsets of the past and looks at the practical realities of the current situation, recognizing that our estrangement from Cuba is not changing the… Read More ›

By Brigadier Gen. John Adams, US Army retired, and David W. Jones March 21, 2012 | The Hill In 1979, the U.S. State Department began designating countries that “have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism” as State Sponsors of Terrorism. Today, four countries are on the list: Iran, Syria, Sudan and … Cuba. Seriously, Cuba? Countries not on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list include: Yemen, Lebanon, Pakistan, North Korea (the Department of State removed North Korea from the list in 2008) and Libya (removed from the list in 2006). Cuba was added to the list in 1982, due to its support for communist rebels in Africa and Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s. Having just returned from an extensive research trip… Read More ›