WhatFinger

Transparency.

State Dept: Did Cuba release 53 political prisoners as promised? We're not telling.

By Robert Laurie ——--January 6, 2015

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You may recall that, as part of Obama's "deal" to normalize relations with Cuba, the Castros promised to release 53 of the countless political prisoners that they've currently got locked up. Yes, that's a whopping 53 - out of hundreds. Since Obama was so adamant that we're ushering in a new era with our island neighbors, we're sure they've held up their end of the deal. Right? ....Right? Hmmmm.....
As the Washington Post reports, not only do we still not know the names of those 53 dissidents, we have no idea whether they've been released...
An air of secrecy surrounds the fate of 53 political prisoners whom Cuba agreed to free in its historic deal with the United States last month, as Washington and Havana's refusal to publicly identify the dissidents is fueling suspicion over Cuba's intentions. Almost three weeks after the agreement, neither dissidents on the island nor leaders in the Cuban exile community know how many have been let out or whether any of the prisoners they are aware of are among those slated to be freed.
According to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, they're being released "in stages." Beyond that, he had nothing much to say about the matter. Apparently, the most transparent administration in history is unwilling to go into further detail. So, Associated Press reporter Matt Lee decided to ask the State Department about it. Unfortunately, Spokeswoman Jen Psaki didn't elaborate. As the Washington Free Beacon reported, you're not getting the names on the list, and you're not going to hear much about their release:
When asked about a lack of transparency in the prisoner exchange process, Psaki said, "Well, we know who's on there. And the Cuban government knows who's on there." … After Psaki stated that she had no updates to provide, a befuddled Matt Lee asked, "Hold on -- hold on a second. Can we -- I mean, is it -- what's happening? Are they out? Are they not out? … Where are they?" Psaki responded, "I don't have any more updates to provide for you, Matt." Lee, frustrated, followed up, "So the Cubans don't actually have to do anything?"
No. No they don't. At least, they don't unless someone is going to hold their feet to the fire and make them follow through. In the weeks since the U.S./Cuba deal was announced, the Castro regime has actually cracked down further on free speech and political dissidents. Considering that this has happened without a peep from the Obama administration, follow through seems ....unlikely. You can see all of Psaki's dodging, non-answer below.

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Robert Laurie——

Robert Laurie’s column is distributed by HermanCain.com, which can be found at HermanCain.com

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