[PEN-L:5202] ACTION ALERT/HELMS-BURTON BILL (fwd)

[D Shniad <shniad@xxxxxx>]

> >
> >From:  Wayne S. Smith, Chair
> >       LASA Task Force on Scholarly Relations With Cuba
> >
> >
> >Wayne S. Smith, the Chairman of the CUBA Task Force, with
> >the approval of President Cynthia McClintock, is calling on all
> >LASA members to be in touch with their congressmen and senators
> >to express strong disapproval of the bill now before the
> >Congress introduced by Senator Jesse Helms and Representative
> >Dan Burton. Called "The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity
> >Act of 1995", the bill calls on the president to go to the UN
> >Security Council in an effort to force other countries to join
> >our embargo against Cuba. It proposes sanctions against
> >countries that continue to trade with and invest in Cuba. It
> >also adds Cuban-American claims to the American claims long
> >registered with the U.S. Claims Commission. Putting forward the
> >claims of those who were not citizens or whose company was not
> >incorporated in the United States at the time the property was
> >nationalized goes against international law and what has always
> >been U.S. practice.
> >
> >Most damaging is that the bill outlines a series of
> >preconditions which must be met before the embargo could be
> >lifted or other steps taken to re-engage with Cuba. One of the
> >key preconditions is that all  the nationalized properties
> >mentioned above must be returned or fully paid for. Cuba has
> >already made it clear that it will not accede to this demand.
> >The president's hands would thus be tied and diplomacy would go
> >out the window. There could be no step-by-step approach in
> >dealing with Cuba. Indeed, the door would be closed for good to
> >any chance of improving relations -- or at least for so long as
> >the legislation might be on the books.
> >
> >The legislation could be voted on as early as mid-June so it
> >is important that LASA members weigh in with their
> >congressmen, and even more importantly, with their senators
> >as soon as possible. This legislation must be stopped!
> >
> >
> >Wayne S. Smith
> >Center For International Policy
> >1755 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
> >Suite 324
> >Washington DC
> >
> >Tel:  202/232-3317
> >Fax:  202/232-3440
> >E-Mail:  cip@xxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> >
> >
>
>