CUBA WELCOMES US SHIPMENT AFTER A 50 YEAR TRADE EMBARGO

Anyone with a romantic vision of Cuba’s revolution should avoid reading the details, if they intend to keep it that way, that is. Like most great revolutions, Cuba’s was hijacked. People from all walks of life had joined the uprising to oust the corrupt dictator and American darling: Fulgencio Batista. A proportion originated from Cuba’s professional and privileged ranks and had a lot more to lose than Fidel Castro. After victory, however, many of these enlightened souls were imprisoned or killed. The lucky ones managed to escape abroad, mostly to the US, where there now are over a million exiles and their descendants. Ever since those events in 1959, the relations between the US and Cuba have been so strained, they very nearly caused a nuclear war.

Now, with a less militant American President in the Whitehouse and with Fidel Castro in the background, as his more reasonable brother, Raul, takes on the reins of power, the icy situation may be finally beginning to thaw. About time! The US embargo has been causing the islanders unfair and unnecessary hardship and even Pope Benedict XVI, when touring Cuba last March, criticised the US about it.

So the sight of the Ana Cecilia sailing into the port of Havana yesterday must have been a real symbol of hope and reconciliation. The cargo ship which had sailed out from Miami, USA, was carrying humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, food and clothing. This must now lead to the resumption of trade between the two countries, so that humanitarian aid will not be necessary in the future. It seems a bit incongruous to ostracise Cuba on the one hand and to invite China to make your Olympic costumes on the other.

TIMELINE OF US-CUBAN RELATIONS

October 1873 to February 1875
The Virginius Incident: The Virginius, a fast American ship leased to Cuban insurrectionists who were fighting for independence, is captured by the colonial power, Spain. The Spanish execute 53 members of the mostly American crew. The executions stop at the behest of the British government, whose citizens also formed part of the crew.

April 1898 to August 1898
The Spanish-American War: This was predominantly caused by America's support of the Cuban revolt and ended with Spain's defeat and the Treaty of Paris.

December 1898 to April 1899
The Treaty of Paris is signed and ratified: Spain surrenders control of Cuba to the US (together with Puerto Rico, parts of the West Indies, Guam, and the Philippines). Spain is however compensated by the US with a payment of twenty million dollars.

May 1902
Cuba becomes independent from the US and declares a republic.

February 1903
The Cuban-American Treaty: America assumes territorial control of the area around Guantánamo Bay through the agreement of a perpetual lease.

October 1940 to October 1944
The US backed Fulgencio Batista is president of Cuba.

March 1952
Batista ousts outgoing President Carlos Prío Socarrás in a military coup when he realises that he would lose the forthcoming elections. He is soon after recognised by the US.

January 1959
Batista flees to the Dominican Republic as revolutionary forces under Che Guevara begin to close in on his palace.

February 1959
The anti-American Fidel Castro becomes Prime Minister.

April 1961
Bay of Pigs Invasion (Batalla de Girón): American-supported Cuban exiles attempt to reclaim Cuba, but are defeated by Soviet trained Cuban forces.

November 1961
Operation Mongoose is endorsed by US President Kennedy: its aim is to destabilise the communist Cuban regime by any covert means possible (including, perhaps, the alleged exploding cigar plot on Castro).

October 1962
The Cuban Missile Crisis: The US blockades Cuba and raises the threat of a nuclear confrontation. The blockade is in retaliation for the installation of ballistic nuclear missiles on Cuba by the USSR; the missiles possessed the ability of striking most of the United States.

November 1962
The US blockade is officially lifted after secret negotiations with the USSR which resulted in concessions from both sides.

January 2009
Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the US, having been elected in November 2008. Once in office, he began to ease restrictions on Cuba by allowing travel to Cuba from the US and permitting unlimited remittances to Cuba from Cuban Americans.

December 2009
US citizen Alan Gross was arrested for distributing laptops and communications equipment to members of Cuba's small Jewish community under a US State Department contract. It emerged that the equipment had sophisticated satellite communication systems that was intended to support dissidents operating in Cuba. Gross was charged in 2011 and is serving a 15-year prison sentence in Cuba.

July 14, 2012
The first post-revolution shipment of supplies from the US arrives in Cuba.

July 2012
Despite Barack Obama's 2008 electoral promises to close the prison camp at Guantánamo, 168 detainees still remain incarcerated there.

RUSSIA CONTINUES TO SPIRAL INTO THE PAST

With every day that passes Russia is looking more and more like the old Soviet Union: its anti-protest laws, its unqualified support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and its arbitrary imprisonments, such as that of the lovely Mikhail Khodorkovsky whose sentence keeps creeping up, the closer it gets to his planned release. How can Putin get away with it? This week saw the approval of another oppressive law which would increase censorship and control of the internet. With hallmark hypocrisy, the law was marketed as a weapon against sites that promote child pornography, suicide or drugs. In reality it will give the government powers to pick and choose which sites it deems safe (for its own political survival).

Mikhail Khodorkovsky

The clearest sign of a Russian Spring, will be the release of Khodorkovsky, who has been languishing in prison since October 25, 2003. Prior to his arrest, he was the head of the oil company Yukos and one the richest man in the world, but his downfall was his his opposition to Putin.

The good news is that this brilliant mind is still allowed to write and he does so, with insight, in various publications around the world, as well as in his own website: www.khodorkovsky.com

Khodorkovsky's final words at his second trial on November 2, 2010, are a lasting testimony to his resolve and integrity and will continue to be a blemish on the justice system in his country, for as long as he is kept behind bars:

"I am ashamed for my country.

Your honour, I think we all perfectly understand the significance of our trial extends far beyond the fates of Platon [Lebedev] and myself. And even beyond the fates of all those who have innocently suffered in the course of the reprisals against YUKOS that have taken place on such a huge scale, those I found myself unable to protect, but about whom I have not forgotten. I remember every day.

Let's ask ourselves, what does the entrepreneur, the top class organizer of production, or simply an educated, creative individual, think today looking at our trial and knowing that the result is absolutely predictable?

The obvious conclusion a thinking person would come to is chilling in its simplicity: the bureaucratic and law enforcement machine can do whatever it wants. There is no right of private property. No person who conflicts with the "system" has any rights whatsoever.

Even when enshrined in law, rights are not protected by the courts. Because the courts are either also afraid, or are part of the "system". Does it come as a surprise that thinking people do not strive to realize themselves here in Russia?

...I am far from being an ideal person, but I am a person with ideals. For me, as for anybody, it is hard to live in prison, and I do not want to die here. But if I have to, I will have no hesitation. What I believe in is worth dying for. I think I have shown this."

VATILEAKS TIMELINE

July 12, 2012

August 13, 2011:
Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano`, who was dedicated to fighting corruption in the Catholic Church is informed that he would be sent to the US as the apostolic nuncio.

October 19, 2011:
Vigano` officially appointed nuncio to the US: this is seen by some as a move to derail his anti-corruption campaign.

May 24, 2012:
Ettore Gotti Tedeschi who was working to clean up the Vatican finances, is sacked as banker to the Holy See, officially for not carrying out important functions commensurate with his role.

May 25, 2012
The Vatican confirms the arrest of Paolo Gabriele, the pope’s butler in connection with leaks concerning intrigues in the Holy See that have been passed on to the press.

May 26, 2012
The Italian journalist, Gianluigi Nuzzi, publishes his book Sua Santità - le carte segrete di Benedetto XVI which clearly indicates that he had access to top secret documents. Nuzzi later claimed that he had a number of sources. Controversial information includes dubious contracts, cover-ups and bitter rivalries within the church's top hierarchy.

July 12, 2012
The Vatican's prosecutor declares that Paolo Gabriele would not be allowed to move to a position of house arrest. Normally the maximum a prisoner would be detained without trial is 50 days, but in exceptional cases this period could be doubled. Gabriele, who is imprisoned in a small solitary cell, is said to be spending much of his time in prayer. The fact that he is being kept under raps is a sign that what he knows may be too explosive and that the Holy See would not want to risk the possibility of it being divulged. If this is the case, Gabriele is possibly fearing for his life.

YEMENI POLICE CADETS SLAUGHTERED IN SANAA

July 11, 2012

So far the picture is that of a suicide bomber launching himself into a crowd of police cadets killing about ten of them and wounding many more as they poured out of their academy at the end of their classes. The attack is likely to be in retaliation for President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi's crackdown on terrorist organisations operating from Yemen and it has been suggested that Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP)has already claimed responsibility for the atrocity. Last May, a similar explosion in the capital, Sanaa, killed 90 soldiers during a military parade rehearsal.

One of the saddest things about this kind of slaughter is how immune we have become to it; that is, as long as it happens where we would expect it to: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria... Countries with fanatical elements that terrorise the peaceful majority. Of course, they can mushroom anywhere, but when they do they are the exceptions we take note of. The bombers, suicide bombers and those who manipulate them, however, must be even more immune. They believe they have been given the divine right over life and death, even though no known scripture exhorts: "Blessed are those that kill, maim and terrorise in the name of God, especially their own people, for they shall bring joy into the world." I have said it before and I will say it again, unless religious leaders unite and make it abundantly clear that gratuitous violence is anathema, people will continue to deceive themselves and others that "the end justifies the means".

Etcheded on a toilet wall, I once read these no so foolish words: "fighting for peace is like f***ing for virginity." Whoever wrote this had a point.

TENSIONS MOUNT BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN OVER DISPUTED ISLANDS

July 10, 2012

The Japanese call them the Senkaku Isles, the Chinese the Diaoyu or Diaoyutai Islands and they have been disputed since the 19th century. In 1885 Japan reconsidered its intention to claim the islands, because of their proximity and associations with China, but the first Sino-Japanese War gave it the opportunity to ignore the sensitivities of the Qing Empire and annex them, declaring that they had been unclaimed (terra nullius). The islands were formally ceded, together with the island of Formosa (Taiwan) at the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. A few years later a Japanese business man developed a bonito processing plant on the islands which continued to operate until the Second World War. When Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces in 1945, the treaty of Shimonoseki was rescinded and the islands passed to American control, which only formally ended in 1972. The Japanese government are now leasing the islands from the Kurihara family, who had purchased them from the Tatsushiros in the 1970s.

One of the disputed islands

Japan is now making waves by stating that it is considering buying the islands from the Kuriharas. The islands are uninhabited, but blessed with fishing stock and more importantly, offshore gas and oil reserves. Japan, claims that China and Taiwan have only expressed an interest in the archipelago since the deposits were confirmed in the late sixties. The nationalistic Tokyo Governor, Shintaro Ishihara, has already been actively raising money for the purchase and Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's recent counter proposal to buy the islands was supposed to soften the blow with regards to China and Taiwan. This was not going to be very likely and has raised the tension levels considerably.

There have been some spectacular and highly successful land purchases in history. The USA in particular has bought or given compensation for many of its territories, notably the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803 and the Alaska Purchase from the Russian Empire in 1867. The problem with this particular case is that Japan would not be paying China (and/or Taiwan) for the purchase, but its own nationals. Offering to compensate China, on the other hand, would be weakening its claim: a silly move when it already has the upper hand. Besides, Japan would not have the sort of money a nation would want for real estate with views overlooking prospective gas and oil rigs. No, it would not... but China certainly would and being at a disadvantage, it would have much to gain by doing so. There you have it; do I hear any offers?

SOUTH SUDAN IS ONE TODAY: MANY HAPPIER RETURNS...

July 9, 2012

The worlds newest UN recognised nation celebrates its first year today. It has much to think about as it blows that candle out.

While the military parades roll through the streets of the capital, Juba, one would hope that all the blood was well scrubbed off the uniforms and equipment. Admittedly, it has not been easy for President Salva Kiir and his government. On the one hand he has to deal with with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir who is constantly flexing his muscles and referring to his southern neighbours as "insects" to be crushed; on the other, tribes within his own borders are frequently rebelling and raiding each others land with the most devastating consequences imaginable. The problem is that President Kiir always takes the bate.

In January President Kiir seemed to display tactical courage when, in protest at Sudan's demands for transit fees, he reduced oil production to starve the pipeline that runs through Sudan to the Red Sea. The move was detrimental to both nations, but both are sticking to their guns, so the pipes are still dry. The deadlock it is like a game of poker caught in a Buñuel film... And history is being made.

Next we have the border clashes. By March these had escalated to a point where any meaningful dialogue between Juba and Khartoum had ceased. On the 10th April, responding to provocation from al-Bashir's forces, South Sudan occupied the oil-rich and disputed South Kordofan town of Heglig. In response to international condemnation, President Kiir responded bluntly that it traditionally belonged to the south anyway. Whether it was this pressure that forced the South Sudanese forces to relinquish it or the might of the north, is uncertain, but the clashes continue...And history is being made.

Finally there is the internal strife, which perhaps is the worst of all. Hundreds of people have died this year alone because of Shilluk rebellions and violence between the Murle and Lou Nuer communities. The army has added to the tragedy by slaughtering hundreds of Shilluk, Murle and Nuer in an attempt to disarm them. There are also countless reports of rape and torture... And all the while history is being made.

The best news this year, perhaps, has been the accords with China which has pledged billions of US dollars to support the building of the nascent nation's infrastructure. Let us hope that that does not mean tanks and other ammunition.

So the first pages of South Sudan's history will not make for happy reading. Chapter two is about to begin. President Kiir: please surprise us and show us what you can pull out of that cowboy hat!

DEMOCRACY IS NOT MADE UP OF VOTES

July 8, 2012

Over the last week or so, we have seen elections taking place in some pretty volatile countries: Mexico, East Timor and Libya. Such elections always leave me wondering what sort of democracy we are hoping to achieve. Many democratic systems are inherently flawed because they make the bold assumption that the majority is always right. It has been said that democracy is "two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner". A democracy that does not guarantee the opposition party or parties their rights is as good as a dictatorship.

Ensuring people are given impartial information on what it is they are voting for is also crucial. Too often people do not know or even care and they may simply cast their ballot on a whim. Sometimes the motivation is simply familiarity: "better the devil you know!" Hence the power of dynastic politics. This does not only apply to average sized countries like the Philippines and Bangladesh, but also to some of the largest, such as India (with the Gandhis) and the US (with the Bushes and the Clintons). For obvious reasons, constitutional monarchies have largely escaped this particular sentimental dynamic, but this certainly does not make their voting any more informed.

Perhaps the greatest concern, when it comes to voting, is the self-interested, unscrupulous and power-hungry people we are left to vote for. Occasionally they cannot even be trusted to behave when in front of the cameras. This week alone, for instance, we saw: the Jordanian MP, Mohammed Shawabka, throwing a shoe at a political activist and then pulling a gun out on him, on a live chat show; we saw the far right Greek MP, Ilias Kasidiaris, physically assault two female opponents on a televised debate; and we saw the dishonouring of the British House of Commons, as the Chancellor, John Osborne and the Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, hurled insults and accusations at each other over the Libor rate-rigging scandal. Of course, not all politicians are corrupt and everyone is, within reason, entitled to a bad day. The fact is, however, that if politicians were more accountable to their promises and for their actions, we would all feel a good deal safer. The process to becoming a politician should also be more transparent, so that merit can have a more meaningful role.

In a word, a meaningful political system is not made up of votes alone: it is also founded on vision, cooperation and good intentions.