WASHINGTON: The United States declared on Friday that Cuba was no longer a state sponsor of terrorism.

The United States placed Cuba on its list terrorism sponsors 33 years ago when the cold war was at its peak.

“The Secretary of State has made the final decision to rescind Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, effective today, May 29, 2015,” said a statement issued by Secretary John Kerry’s office.

“The rescission of Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism reflects our assessment that Cuba meets the statutory criteria for rescission,” the official US announcement said.

It noted that while the United States still had significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba’s policies and actions, “these fall outside the criteria relevant to the rescission of a state sponsor of terrorism designation”.

In December 2014, US President Barack Obama instructed the Secretary of State to immediately launch a review of Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and provide a report to him within six months.

On April 8, the Secretary of State completed that review and recommended to the president that Cuba no longer be designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.

Accordingly, on April 14, President Obama submitted to Congress the statutorily required report indicating the administration’s intent to rescind Cuba’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation, including the certification that Cuba has not provided any support to international terrorism during the previous six-months; and that Cuba has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.

The 45-day Congressional pre-notification period expired on Thursday and on Friday, the Obama administration removed Cuba from its list of terrorism sponsors.

In December, President Obama and Cuban leader Raúl Castro announced that the two countries were working towards a rapprochement after more than a half-century of hostility. Restoring diplomatic ties is expected to be the first step, followed by opening embassies and naming of ambassadors.

President Obama also said he wanted to work with Congress to get the embargo lifted.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2015

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