World Watch
January 15, 2010 8:06 AM

Cuba Lets U.S. Use Airspace

By
Sean Alfano
Topics
Cuba
Cuba has agreed to let the United States military use restricted air space for the purposes of medical evacuations out of Haiti, Reuters reported Friday.

The deal shaves 90 minutes off the flight time it normally takes from Port-au-Prince to Miami.

Disaster relief teams from the U.S. military have been taken injured quake survivors to the U.S. Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay. Some victims have then been taken to south Florida from Guantanamo.

How to Help Victims
"Family Links" Web site for the Missing
Blog: The Latest Developments
Complete Coverage: Devastation in Haiti

The U.S. economic embargo on Cuba remains in place.

Add a Comment See all 18 Comments
by edgy44 January 15, 2010 10:16 AM EST
Cuba has a medical infrastructure designed to treat humans with quality care, and the doctors don't have to bow to some money grubbing accountant in Palm Beach who runs an insurance company.

Get the Cubans into Haiti, and get the people fixed-up and out of pain.
Reply to this comment
by YoureSoWrong25 January 15, 2010 11:33 AM EST
And indoctrinated?
by AlwaysSmiling January 15, 2010 10:04 AM EST
Get people to write to their Congressmen. Congress is the one that will have to release the embargo (or at least they will be the ones who can pressure the release of the Embargo).

Talking here doesn't do any good. Talking to them may. Supposedly (if you believe PBS or Radio Havana) Cuba has a pretty good healthcare system. Maybe the US could learn a thing or two from them.

Have a great day:)
Reply to this comment
by memphispiano January 15, 2010 9:57 AM EST
The embargo is a matter I'll leave to politicians but preventing US citizens from visiting Cuba is absolute hypocrisy. We are trying to say their communist system is stripping their citizens of human rights...so our response is to strip American citizens of their rights. As an American, it is supposed to be my right to travel anywhere I choose. I know the idea is to prevent tourist $ from pouring into Cuba, but taking away our rights is not the way to win this situation.
Reply to this comment
by patocc123 January 15, 2010 10:31 AM EST
umm you do not have the right to travel anywhere you choose. If you are banned from lets say Canada . . as a US citizen do you have the right to go to Canada. No you do not. As a citizen of this country you have to obide by the rules and regulations of this country and by the countries that you are visiting.
by 6591Hou January 15, 2010 12:26 PM EST
memphispiano "As an American, it is supposed to be my right to travel anywhere I choose."

Where in the Constitution does it say that you have a right to travel to anywhere you choose? And how does that get other countries to let you in? There is no Constitutional right to travel.
by ramos1129 January 15, 2010 9:55 AM EST
Aside from the fact that some old rich influential (with the GOP) Cuban-Americans hate Castro, why we insist on maintaining an ineffective Cuban embargo.

Reasons they use:

Cuba is a dictatorship. Yes, it is. But we have diplomatic and economic relations with hundreds of countries that are also dictatorships. Also, it is up to the people there what kind of government they want and not us.

We need to punish Cuba economically. Do we? Countries like Canada, Germany, France, etc love it. Despite a USA forbidding trade with Cuba, they do it 365 days of the year. We are the only major country not trading with Cuba.

Cuba needs to release its political prisoners. Fair enough but we are the pot calling the kettle black. We still have about 190 detainees at GITMO and have not tried them for many years. We also hold hundreds in prison camps in Iraq and Afghan.
Reply to this comment
by ratchow1962 January 15, 2010 10:10 AM EST
Another reason is the fear of the Cuban Americans living in Florida with its 25 Electoral votes.A Presidental candidate whether Democrat or Republican knows they cannot win the election unless they win Florida.
by YoureSoWrong25 January 15, 2010 11:33 AM EST
Move there and enjoy.
by ici2i January 15, 2010 9:49 AM EST
Yet another sign that Cuba wants to be a good neighbor. Too bad their overtures have been largely ignored by the US. What a great trading partner they would make. Time is long over due to get over teh cold war. Compared to today's international threats to our security and safety, Cuba could hardly be considered in the top ten or even 20 anymore. Let's shift our distrust and concerns about threats to global peace to where it rightfully belongs; the mid-east and Isreal, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, and China in particular....Wow, what a list! Cuba is a good buddy compared to this bunch.
Reply to this comment
by YoureSoWrong25 January 15, 2010 11:34 AM EST
They have a fabulous auto industry. It consists of our old cars.
by ianlou January 15, 2010 9:43 AM EST
I heard the junk food health problems that the U.S. suffers from are non-existant in Cuba. Perhaps we did them a favor by embargoing them for 50 years.
Reply to this comment
by YoureSoWrong25 January 15, 2010 11:34 AM EST
India uses animal dung as fuel. Another approach the US won't try.
by nasadawg January 15, 2010 9:39 AM EST
Thanks CUBA!!! God Bless
Reply to this comment
by stevex47 January 15, 2010 9:24 AM EST
Thank you Cuba.
Reply to this comment
by FHMullane January 15, 2010 8:34 AM EST
Glad Cuba is being a good neighbor
Reply to this comment
by mikeydxer January 15, 2010 8:32 AM EST
Now that Fidel is gone (mostly) the U.S. should drop that embargo and let the citizens of the U.S. visit Cuba.I hear it has some beautiful places to see.
Reply to this comment
by YoureSoWrong25 January 15, 2010 11:35 AM EST
Some should relocate now.
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