US severs ties with neighboring country, reverses another spineless last-minute Biden move

America’s continued crackdown on terrorism found the Trump administration severing ties with one neighboring nation that former President Joe Biden let off the hook.

Before concluding what was ostensibly a third term for President Barack Obama, one of Biden’s final acts of sowing discord involved removing Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Tuesday, the State Department called out the communist regime’s failure to aid in bringing fugitives to justice as it certified Cuba as a “not fully cooperating country.”

As detailed in a statement by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, “In 2024, the Cuban regime did not fully cooperate with the United States on counterterrorism.”

“There were at least 11 U.S. fugitives from justice in Cuba, including several facing terrorism-related charges, and the Cuban regime made clear it was not willing to discuss their return to face justice in our nation,” she explained. “The Cuban regime’s refusal to engage on this important issue, as well as other recent circumstances of non-cooperation on terrorism-related law enforcement matters, made efforts to cooperate on counterterrorism issues futile in 2024.”

As a result, “The Secretary of State has determined and certified that Cuba did not fully cooperate with U.S. counterterrorism efforts in 2024 and should therefore be certified as a ‘not fully cooperating country’ (NFCC) under section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act. This certification results in a prohibition on the sale or license for export of defense articles and services to Cuba.”

Before leaving office, Biden removed Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism over “assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future” after a purportedly clean record for six months.

The move even irked Democrats as the Florida Democratic Party issued a statement that asserted, “We condemn in the strongest terms Cuba’s removal from this list, as well as any possible lifting of economic sanctions, and call on the Biden Administration to reverse course immediately.’

President Donald Trump was responsible for initially returning Cuba to the list after Obama had removed the decades-long designation in an effort to normalize relations with the communist regime, which included his visiting the island nation in 2016.

The State Department’s action came only days after Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Moscow, Russia, as Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted select dignitaries to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

That meeting was held after members of the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Select Committee on the CCP sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem raising concerns about the threat of Chinese intelligence operations being conducted via suspected spy installations in Cuba.

In addition to the designation of Cuba, the State Department also re-certified Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela as NFCCs.

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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