Congress members visit American jailed in Cuba

[Judi Lynn]

Congress members visit American jailed in Cuba
| May 5, 2014 | Updated: May 5, 2014 5:48pm

HAVANA (AP) — Four U.S. House members have met with an American government subcontractor who is serving a 15-year prison sentence in Cuba.

The delegation includes U.S. Reps. Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, Sam Farr and Barbara Lee of California and Gregory Meeks of New York.

Cleaver says they are hoping to start negotiations on securing the release of Alan Gross, a Maryland native.

Lee says it is time for both countries to "make a serious commitment" to serious negotiations.

The delegation also met Monday with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez.

Gross was arrested in 2009 after he was caught setting up hard-to-detect Internet networks for Cuba's small Jewish community on a U.S. government contract. Havana considers such programs to be an affront to its sovereignty.

http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Congress-members-visit-American-jailed-in-Cuba-5454963.php

[Mika]

1. Just saw Barbara Lee on the Mrs Greenspan show say ...

... that she wants Cuba to start negotiations over Gross - but those negotiations SHOULD NOT include any negotiations over The Cuban Five.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Barbara Lee should take the time to look more deeply into the Cuban Five.

I'm having a hard time with what you heard her saying. I didn't expect this from her!

Thanks, Mika.

[Mika]

3. I was disappointed too.

You can see it here ...

@ about 3 minutes ...

http://www.msnbc.com/andrea-mitchell-reports/watch/us-fights-to-free-an-american-held-in-cuba-249333315602

[Judi Lynn]

4. You're right, she says "no preconditions." Brilliant! So Cuba should accept this criminality, too!

Can't begin to see what could be behind this insane short-sightedness. How could she be this blind?

She must be out to make points for herself alone in this, to bring back the "poor prisoner" for this country, like scoring a touchdown. Horrible idea.

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[Daniel537]

5. What i got from her statement was that there should be no preconditions

to start off the negotiations, not that the issue of the Five(now Three) shouldn't be mentioned during the negotiations themselves. That sounds reasonable.

[Mika]

6. She clearly stated that the Gross negotiations are to be discussed separately.

Granted, she's open to other negotiations over the Cuban Five and other issues, but the negotiations over Gross are separate - that is what she means by no preconditions.
In contradiction, the group that went to see Gross set conditions to their "no conditions" negotiations. Cuba can't set any conditions, but the US can and does.

Way to go! NOT.