[Marxism] U.S. State Dept. Daily Press Briefing on Cuban acceptance of US offer

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

(Presumably the "George" referred to is AP State Department
correspondent George Gedda, who later reported on this.

(Note this phrase, "In the case of Cuba, any assistance would
be provided through independent non-governmental organizations."
Further, note the State Department declined to speculate on the
Cuban motivations for accepting the US offer on this occasion.

(Finally note the polite displomatic discussion of this matter,
quite different from the White House response to Cuba's Katrina
aid offer in which Scott McClellan brusquely responded, saying
- paraphrasing now - "Fidel Castro should offer the Cuban people
their freedom." The key to normal relations between Cuba and the
US, or any other country in the world, is mutual respect between
the parties. Getting to that from the current state of relations
between Cuba and the US won't be easy or simple, but each and
every postive interaction can be a step in the right direction.)
================================================================

Daily Press Briefing
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
October 27, 2005

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2005/55736.htm

MR. MCCORMACK: George.

QUESTION: Has Cuba said yes to the U.S. hurricane relief offer?

MR. MCCORMACK: The United States -- the short answer is yes. Let me
describe the process that has transpired over the past couple of
days. The United States offered on October 25th, via diplomatic note,
to send an assessment team to Cuba as part of our offer of initial
and immediate assistance to the Cuban people, following the damages
cased by Hurricane Wilma.

Late in the day, on October 26th we received word, also via
diplomatic note, that the Cuban Government has accepted the offer. A
three-person assessment team from the USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance, the acronym is OFDA -- O-F-D-A -- is on standby
to survey damage from Hurricane Wilma and recommend further
assistance if appropriate. These teams typically what they do is they
provide assessments of a country's needs and, if necessary, recommend
assistance the United States can effectively provide. In the case of
Cuba, any assistance would be provided through independent
non-governmental organizations.

QUESTION: What does standby mean?

MR. MCCORMACK: Standby -- they're just waiting to make the logistical
arrangements to travel down.

QUESTION: Was there any aid offered with that initially,
automatically?

MR. MCCORMACK: No. What happens is you have to do the assessment
first and then based on the needs assessment you would maybe make a
specific offer of aid.

QUESTION: Well, Sean, in other instances you've kind of said to the
government, you know, whatever you need let us know and we'll send
this kind of assessment team for further assistance. Is there a
reason why you didn't, you know, ask the Cubans what they need or
offer any kind of emergency like, you know, how some -- I don't know
if your Interests Section has that kind of emergency money at their
disposal?

MR. MCCORMACK: I think that the officials involved in this discussion
decided that this was the appropriate course of action in this case.

Yes. George.

QUESTION: You don't have history of Cuba saying yes, do you?

MR. MCCORMACK: I was actually going to ask you this, George.
(Laughter.) Doing a survey around the building here, I think that
this -- in everybody's memory, this was the first time that they have
accepted an offer of assistance.

QUESTION: Do you think this says something --

MR. MCCORMACK: At least in the collective memory banks here at the
State Department.

QUESTION: Does this have something to do with the fact that Cuba
generously offered to help after Katrina?

MR. MCCORMACK: You'd have to ask the Cuban Government for their
motivations.



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