By Jim Burns / CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer. October 26,
2001. CNS News
(CNSNews.com) - The U.S. ban on Americans traveling to Cuba remains in
effect for the time being.
On Thursday, congressional negotiators Thursday killed an amendment to an
appropriations bill that would have repealed the 40-year-old ban on Americans
traveling to Cuba.
Insiders predict there will be no more attempts to lift the ban this year.
House and Senate negotiators dropped the Cuba ban from a $33 billion bill to
fund the Treasury Department and other government operations.
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who favored dropping the travel ban, blamed the
inaction on last month's terrorist attacks. "The Senate agreed not to
attach anything controversial to its bill. The timing wasn't good," he
said.
Flake met with Fidel Castro in Cuba last month. He is still confident that
Congress eventually will lift the travel ban.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), a Cuban exile and outspoken Castro
critic, was happy that the travel ban will stand. It will deprive the Castro
regime of much needed funds, she said.
She called Cuba a "state sponsor of terrorism...which is involved in
sharing intelligence with terrorists with links to Osama bin Laden."
President Bush continues to adamantly oppose lifting the travel ban and
economic sanctions against Cuba until Castro calls for free elections and
releases political prisoners.
But even though the travel ban remains in effect, Continental Airlines in
Miami announced Thursday that its Continental Connection will begin providing 20
additional weekly charter flights to Cuba beginning November 1.
Most flights will originate from Miami, because it is one of the few U.S.
cities that is allowed to have airline connections with Cuba.
Only Americans with permission from the U.S. government can take the charter
flights.
American journalists, humanitarian workers, academic researchers and some
Cuban-Americans usually are granted permission, which allows them passage on the
charter flights.
Those without permission can fly to another country such as Mexico or
Jamaica to reach Cuba, but they risk being fined by the U.S. government. | 
