US drops Cuba from terrorism blacklist - but move only symbolic
Move is largely symbolic, with sanctions on Communist country to remain in place
The United States formally dropped Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism yesterday, an important step towards restoring diplomatic ties but one that will have limited effect on removing US sanctions on the Communist-ruled island.
President Barack Obama had announced on April 14 he would drop the former cold war rival from the list, initiating a 45-day review period for Congress that expired yesterday.
Obama ordered a review of Cuba's status on the terrorism list as part of a landmark policy shift on December 17, when he and Cuban President Raul Castro announced they would seek to restore diplomatic relations that Washington severed in 1961, and work towards a broader normalisation of ties.
Removal from the list is a step that has more symbolic than practical significance. It removes a prohibition on receiving US economic aid, a ban on US arms exports and controls on "dual-use" items with military and civilian applications. But those bans remain in place under other, overlapping US sanctions.
"Rescinding of the ... designation against Cuba is an important step, however, as a practical matter, most restrictions related to exports and foreign aid will remain due to the comprehensive trade and arms embargo," said a US official.
Cuba had cited its designation as a state terrorism sponsor as an obstacle to the re-establishing of diplomatic relations and upgrading of their so-called interests sections in Havana and Washington into full-blown embassies.
The two sides have held four rounds of high level talks since December and say they are closing in on a deal to reopen the embassies.
Washington put Cuba on its terrorism blacklist in 1982, when Havana backed armed guerrilla groups in Latin America. That support ended after the collapse of Cuba's close trade and aid benefactor, the Soviet Union, in 1991. But Cuba remained on the list, placing onerous regulations on banks dealing with Havana and exposing them to US fines.
