Bush Blocks Anti-Cuba Lawsuits

Cuba

Bush Blocks Anti-Cuba Lawsuits

NewsMax.com Wires
Tuesday, July 17, 2001

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday said he would block for at least six more months any lawsuits by U.S. interests against foreign companies with ties to Cuba.

"I do so taking into account that it is necessary for the national interest of the United States and will expedite the transition to democracy in Cuba," Bush said in a statement released at the White House announcing his widely expected decision.

At issue are provisions of a 1996 law that would allow Cuban Americans and U.S. companies to sue foreign businesses in U.S. courts for using property seized by Fidel Castro's regime after 1959.

Former President Bill Clinton imposed a six-month suspension of those elements in the Helms-Burton Act 10 times in a row after signing the legislation into law during his second term.

Earlier, Bush said "I do" when asked by reporters if he planned to tack on another six-month suspension when the July 18 deadline for a White House decision comes.

Bush did not elaborate in his remarks as he spoke in the Oval Office alongside British Ambassador Christopher Meyer, who gave Bush a bust of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Bush's decision hands a victory to overseas companies with dealings in Havana and the United States, but deals a blow to anti-Castro groups in America. "Real differences remain between the United States and our allies concerning the best methods for pursuing change in Cuba," Bush's statement said. "I call upon the European Union and the international community to work together with us toward the fundamental goals that should unite us: free speech, free elections, and respect for basic human rights in Cuba."

Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., and Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., led calls for tougher U.S. actions against Havana dictatorship after Cuban fighter planes destroyed two civilian aircraft in 1996 that were piloted by Cuban exiles from Miami. But leading U.S. allies, including Mexico and Canada, say the controversial provisions would cause major trade disputes if implemented.

Last week, the White House unveiled a series of steps meant to toughen its stance on the Cuban embargo in what Cuban-American lobbyists called an attempt to soften the blow of Bush's decision on the Helms-Burton Act. Bush ordered the Treasury Department to ratchet up enforcement of the U.S. embargo against Cuba and added funding for new programs aiding Cuban dissidents still in Cuba. Bush also approved higher frequency broadcasts of radio and TV Marti, anti-Castro Spanish language programs aired from Florida.

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