McCain lashes Obama over Cuba
20/05/2008 19:03  - (SA)  

Want to know more? Answerit can help.

Obama: Lay off my wife Obama a 'new' American hero McCain laughs at himself McCain calls Obama 'reckless' Bush's remark triggers furore Edwards backs Obama's bid

US Elections Special Report  The Candidates  Features  The Issues

Miami - Republican White House hopeful John McCain on Tuesday savaged Democratic rival Barack Obama's stance on Cuba, vowing himself to maintain the US trade embargo until democracy comes to the communist island.

McCain, in a speech in Florida to mark Cuba's Independence Day, stepped up a bruising offensive on Obama's foreign policy goals.

The Republican said the transition of power from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul had been accompanied by media talk of reforms by Cuba's communist leadership.

McCain said: "Such characterisations must sound quite cynical to the political prisoners that fill Cuban jails, to the millions who suffer under poverty and repression, and to all those who wish to choose their leaders, not suffer under them.

"Yet tyranny will not forever endure, and as president, I will not passively await the day when the Cuban people enjoy the blessings of freedom and democracy."

Anticipating a general election face-off with Obama, McCain has been portraying the Democrat's foreign policy as naive and dangerous. On Monday the Republican accused him of a "reckless" misreading of the threat from Iran.

Obama's policy of offering talks with the Cuban regime and easing some US trade restrictions "would send the worst possible signal to Cuba's dictators", McCain said in his speech.

Embargo

Such an approach would signal that "there is no need to undertake fundamental reforms, they can simply wait for a unilateral change in US policy".

McCain vowed instead to press for the release of all political prisoners, for legalised political parties, labour unions and a free media, and to schedule internationally monitored elections in Cuba.

"The embargo must stay in place until these basic elements of democratic society are met," he said.

Cuban exiles have traditionally been a safe vote for Republican presidential candidates in the key battleground state of Florida.

But Obama's call for lifting parts of the five-decade-old sanctions against Cuba has drawn some support, amid frustration over travel and money transfer restrictions imposed by President George W Bush in 2004.

The Illinois senator, who has called US policy on Cuba a "failure", proposes lifting the travel and remittance restrictions as a first step toward transforming relations with Cuba.

What is this? Yahoo Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Brought to you by OUTsurance Car Insurance
	News24 Headlines on your Facebook profile		News24 on mobile