Michael Bowman. Miami. 17 Jul 2001 20:25 UTC.
VOA
News
President Bush's decision to suspend a controversial element of U.S.
economic sanctions against Cuba is drawing criticism from many of the
President's backers in the Cuban-American community. But, the criticism is far
from severe, especially among fellow-Republicans in Congress.
At issue is "Title Three" of the much-debated Helms-Burton law
that tightened U.S. sanctions against Cuba five years ago. The provision permits
U.S. citizens to sue foreign interests that conduct business in Cuba using
property seized after the island's 1959 communist revolution.
But, since Helms-Burton's enactment in 1996, Title Three has never gone into
effect. President Clinton repeatedly suspended the measure. Now President Bush,
who pledged to maintain a hard line on Cuba during last year's campaign, has
done the same.
But reaction has been mild among south Florida's large Cuban-American
community, which voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Bush last November in the state's
hotly-contested presidential contest. In Congress, Representative Ileana
Ros-Lehtinen represents Miami's Little Havana neighborhood.
Representative Ros-Lehtinen says the suspension of Title Three is a shame.
But, even though she regrets Mr. Bush's decision, she says it should not be
forgotten that the President has backed other programs that will help promote
freedom in Cuba. The congresswoman points out that Mr. Bush continues to support
other aspects of the U.S. embargo of Cuba, such as the travel ban to the island.
Last week, President Bush announced his administration would boost the
signals of U.S. Government broadcasts to Cuba and do more to assist dissident
groups on the island. That, according to Joe Garcia of the Cuban-American
National Foundation, shows the President remains committed to promoting change
in Cuba.
"Today we are looking at an administration that has a determined and
set policy where the embargo is no longer in play," he said. "It is an
administration that is reaching out to dissidents on the island and helping us
try to bring about democratization in Cuba."
For most observers, the continued suspension of Title Three came as no
surprise. If allowed to take effect, the provision could spark lawsuits claiming
tens of billions of dollars aimed at some of the United States' closest allies.
Analysts say a trade war, and a damaging war of words, would almost surely
ensue. Sally Grooms Cowal is a former U.S. diplomat who served in the Caribbean
and has since become a leading critic of U.S. sanctions against Cuba. Ambassador
Cowal says Title Three, if enforced, would be a disaster for the United States.
"It was waived by the Clinton Administration ever since the
Helms-Burton law was passed in 1996," he said. "That's because not
giving the waiver would put us in some real difficulties with our close allies
namely the Europeans, the Canadians and the Mexicans. Most of our democratic
allies regard it as an over-reach of U.S. law. And, of course, we have a large
stake in the world's trading arena."
Ms. Cowal and other critics say the Title Three provision of the
Helms-Burton law forces the United States to engage in a farce steadfastly
maintaining a draconian measure that can exist on paper only. She says Title
Three, like the overall economic embargo of Cuba, may satisfy domestic political
considerations but does so at a terrible price.
"We should simply get rid of the embargo," she said, "not
because we don't agree with [Cuban] exiles that there should be democratic
change in Cuba, but because the embargo is largely unenforceable, puts us in an
unenviable position with our allies, and simply hasn't worked to bring about the
democratic change that we would like to see in Cuba."
Defenders of the embargo maintain that, with or without Title Three, U.S.
sanctions against Cuba must not be dismantled. Doing so, they argue, would
reduce pressure for change on the island. Many embargo-backers view the
suspension of Title Three as a concession they are willing to endure if doing so
allows other sanctions to remain in place. | 
