The Obama Administration's response to the hostage taking of American development worker, Alan Gross, in December 2009 has been high-level negotiations -- first a trip by then Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Roberta Jacobson -- and then a unilateral easing of travel sanctions in January 2011.
More than three years later, Alan Gross remains in a Cuban prison.
Yet, according to The Boston Globe, the Obama Administration is now considering removing Cuba's designation as a "state-sponsor of terrorism."
That would be another major unilateral concession for the Castro regime, which in addition to holding an American hostage, has also dramatically increased its repression against Cuban democracy activists.
Of course, much of the information in The Boston Globe's story comes from Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), whose name was infamously found all over FARC terrorist computers by the Colombian government -- so he's not the best judge of what entails terrorism.
And note that the State Department's unnamed "source" covers his/her rear by stating:
"US officials emphasized that there has not been a formal assessment concluding that Cuba should be removed from the terrorism list and said serious obstacles remain to a better relationship, especially the imprisonment of Gross."
Such a unilateral concession would be scandalous.
Ironically, the comparison being given for taking Cuba off the "state-sponsor of terrorism" list is the Bush Administration's mistake of delisting North Korea in 2008.
Because apparently that has worked wonders in tempering the North Korean regime's criminal behavior.
