About the campaign

The threat is real – why we say Hands off Cuba!

Since September 11, the United States has made it clear that it is going to eliminate all those it perceives as a threat to its security.

After the removal of the regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is obvious that the US will not be stopped by international law or the UN from carrying out its plans. The threat to Cuba is real.

Without a shred of evidence, Cuba was listed by George W Bush as one of those countries that were of ‘concern’ in his war against terror. High-ranking US officials such as the US ambassador in the Dominican Republic have announced that the removal of Saddam Hussein was a ‘good example’ for regime change in Cuba. George W’s brother Jeb, the governor of Florida, has called publicly for the US to invade the island and in Miami people drive around with ‘Iraq today, Cuba tomorrow’ bumper stickers on their cars.

Recently, the US stepped up its campaign to isolate Cuba as a ‘rogue state’ and to construct a new pretext for invading the island. This began last year when
Bush sent James Cason to Cuba as the Head of the US Interest Section (de facto embassy) in Havana. Cason travelled throughout the island distributing money and equipment explicitly designed to build internal dissent, a clear violation of laws governing diplomatic conduct. Cuba responded by arresting, trying and jailing 75 of its own citizens that were involved in Cason’s groups.

Contrary to the way it has been reported here, these so-called dissidents were not jailed for expressing ideas or publishing papers, but for breaking Cuban laws that forbid collaboration with the United States – an enemy state bent on destroying the Cuban political order.

But the arrests unleashed a storm of hypocritical attacks on Cuba, including from the UK. As a consequence, it appears that the EU and the UK are moving towards adopting their own economic sanctions – a move that has been criticised by respected figures throughout the political spectrum including even the Conservative Lord Moynihan who argues that Britain must not slavishly follow the US in its policy towards Cuba.

As far as the CSC is concerned, regardless of what one’s views of the Cuban system may be, it is beyond question that the Cuban people do not deserve the way they have been treated by the US over these past 44 years.

We call on all people to contemplate the enormity of the crime that would be committed if the bigots in Miami succeed in pushing for an ‘Iraq-style’ invasion of the island.

It is time now for the British government to be told once and for all – Hands off Cuba! Take action now.