Bush wants no Castro-swap in Cuba

Published: Oct. 24, 2007 at 8:22 AM

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush isn't satisfied with leadership in Cuba being transferred from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul, The New York Times reported.

At a White House briefing Tuesday on a speech Bush was to deliver Wednesday to Cuban dissidents at the U.S. State Department, officials said Bush will call on Cubans to demand democracy instead of accepting the year-old health-related power transition to the same communist rule, the Times said.

Bush will introduce relatives of four Cuban dissidents in Cuban jails for alleged political crimes to "put a human face" on the political oppression under the Castro brothers, officials said.

Bush was expected to make offers of incentives such as allowing religious groups to send computers to Cuba and expanding cultural exchanges, White House officials said.

However, John Kavulich, senior policy adviser at the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, told the Times that angle would fall on deaf ears, as those incentives are already being provided to Cuba by Venezuela and China.

© 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
Self-testing may raise grades of students (25 min)
Brits: Sarah, Chris wildest party names (28 min)
New Zealand traffic flasher fined (35 min)
Scientists move closer to HIV vaccine (37 min)
Report: Ryan in Texas Rangers' purchase (39 min)
Mars orbiter resumes science operations (50 min)
Media revenue streams in modern shift (52 min)
fark
"I voted for medical marijuana, but I didn't expect it to be in my backyard," says dumbass who should...
Man wins lottery, does what most men only dream of doing. Sail away to some tropical island? No,...
"Please have a heart and donate...so I don't have to kill you and put your head on a pike"
Your Christmas tree should be a reflection of your family. Subby wonders what garland goes with...
"Nobody can eat fifty sewing needles.""My boy says he can eat fifty sewing needles, he can eat fifty...
If you wear tights, UGGs, and a North Face jacket, you might be a 'Coastie'