Castro Brothers Signal to Obama They Want to Meet -- Perhaps at Gitmo

President elect Obama has more important issues to deal with at home when he takes office. He should let the Castro brothers rot with their ill fated communist ideology that has kept the Cuban people locked and imprisoned in a time warp,lifting the embargo should be the last thing on his agenda.

this is wonderful news.unless your part of the 'good ole boy' network.A Havana free to the states?sounds good

robert - why would Raul Castro be talking concessions to an American actor? Geeze! Though it would be cool indeed to have the privilege of Havana stogie and to hear Buena Vista Social Club in stateside concerts more. They've got this octogenarian who belts it out smooth as silk. oh yeah, and a Cuba Libre will quench a thirst good.

Dictators can be very fascinating.

So you think Raul was putting forward any concessions or even hinting at any?
Not concession to US, we don't really need much, doing without their cigars and such.

Concessions to his people's freedoms!!!

How can something be of sheer propaganda value and yet, communicate vital information at the same time?

Wow I took a read of Penn's article and this neocon amazingly was somewhat impressed.

Of course the interview with Castro was sheer propaganda value on his side. But the revelations about cooperative arrangements between Cuba and the US on Gitmo, drug interdiction and the like were fascinating.

And Jake...Mr Penn's inner dialog on how his opinions affected his questions showed a kind of self awareness and vulnerability rare in journalism when feigned stands of objectivity is the default stance.

Blood red wine would have been appropriate. Perhaps a cigar or two - no wait a second - smoking is politically incorrect.

Jokes are not covered under the Logan Act then...

Hmm, if Franken loses I move to appoint him special rep to Cuba - our man in Havana so to speak.

The flag joke came at the end of the talk with Penn and apparently, a bottle of wine. It's not too representative of their talk. Actually, Raul Castro sounds receptive in opening Cuba to the rest of the world. Particularly when he suggests the offshore drilling potential for European and American interests. I can't imagine that the people of Cuba are satisfied with their isolation on a small island.

Scanner -

The Cuban missile crisis didn't start this. Castro started this by overthrowing Batista, a corrupt dictator who'd turned his country over to mobsters and American corporations.

The embargo only hurts the Cuban people and satisfies the anti-Castro bitter enders in Southern Florida. It's time to move on.

Perhaps we can turn Gitmo over as reparations to all the Cuban Americans whose properties were confiscated by the Castro brothers.

I agree...Raul was rather snarky at the end of his comment, which in effect undermines the entire statement (about meeting and solving our problems).

I think this is a significant, and positive, development. Any time a dictator says they want to talk, before the U.S. extends an invitation, it's a good sign. It certainly doesn't mean anything will change with Cuba, but the fact that they're open to a conversation is a good sign.

Did 3 out of 4 of you actually read Raul's snarky comments??!!
Let me translate it "We will meet at Guantanamo and on the way out take the flag with you, and don't let the door hit your butt on the way out"

That my friends is not negotiations. We just SOFAed successfully. We have given back bases all over the world when real governments accountable to their people ask us to.

Our treaty, our lease, our DUTIES in the Caribbean are not over.

No to Gitmo back to Cuba (Note: this is different than closing the prison for terrorists, I'm talking about our 99 year lease for the whole base)

No to end of sanctions

UNTIL the Castro Regime becomes accountable to its people!!

Remember what started this in the first place. Cuba pointed missles at America.

If meeting in a neutral location means a possible beginning of the end of this decades long mess, I'm all for it. The millions of people who have suffered for so long may finally see a light at the end of the dark tunnel. Let's hope the Castro brothers are serious.

I would like to see relations with Cuba normalize (or somewhere close). Our ignoring them isn't hurting the Castro bros for sure, only the people.

It's about time we had a talk with Cuba. The embargo did NOTHING except allow thousands of Cubans to suffer needlessly. The surest way to make a Capitalist out of a Communist is to give him some money---if we had been dealing with Cuba instead of shunning them, there'd be MacDonalds in Havana and we could be good neighbors.