Military Review

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere, Frank O. Mora, and U.S. Special Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere, Nicholas F. Zimmerman, have written a joint article in the September-October, 2010 issue of Military Review titled ”The Top Seven Myths of U.S. Defense Policy Toward the Americas.”

The article is adapted by a speech delivered by Mora in Miami, Florida earlier this year.  Cuba is the seventh myth, and subtitled “Myth Seven: U.S. Cuba policy is either too over-reaching or too modest.”

Mora and Zimmerman start off the section with:

Although not necessarily a security or defense issue, the seventh myth concerns Cuba.

Further emphasizing:

It is important to recognize that the President has done exactly what he promised he would do with regard to Cuba policy.

[...]

In sum, the promises that President Obama has fulfilled are significant. They create opportunities for relationship building and exchange, and they demonstrate that the United States is sincere in its openness and in its desire to write a new chapter in the history of U.S.-Cuban relations. Of course, a fundamental change in the U.S.-Cuba relationship requires action and good will from both sides. Unfortunately, the Cuban authorities have demonstrated little good will and even less positive action to date. As Secretary of State Clinton noted, the Cuban authorities remain intransigent.

And, on the policy itself:

Despite the continued intransigence of Cuban authorities, U.S. policy remains focused on reaching out to the Cuban people to support their desire to determine their future freely, and it remains committed to advancing its national interests. Thus, the promotion of people-to-people bonds will continue. The risk that such bonds somehow aid current Cuban authorities is negligible. As such, the administration’s approach is appropriately cautious because it strikes the right balance between moving the U.S relationship with Cuba in a positive direction and maintaining pressure on the Cuban government to allow the Cuban people to be truly free.

Click here to read the entire article.

(Image: People load luggage from a Miami charter flight onto a car at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana August 11, 2010. By Reuters.]