CASTRO DELENDA EST:

U.S. works for regime change in Cuba, too (Bill Sternberg, 10/23/02, USA TODAY)

James Cason, the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba, served up a surprise along with the mojito rum drinks to a group of American newspaper editors who visited his residence here last week. Three of the island nation's leading political dissidents materialized on the veranda to air grievances against Fidel Castro's government.

The meeting was part of the Bush administration's relatively unpublicized effort to promote regime change in Cuba. Administration officials aren't considering a military operation like the one being planned to oust Iraq's Saddam Hussein--or, for that matter, like the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion to depose Castro.

But, much to the annoyance of Cuban leaders, U.S. officials have been working inside Cuba to promote democracy and end Castro's 43-year rule. Their efforts have irritated U.S.-Cuban relations just as Castro is engaged in what has been called a ''charm offensive'' aimed at getting the United States to drop its four-decade ban on tourism and trade.

All of the stuff enumerated here is great, but as we said below, the Administration should be vocal about this and repeat it ad nauseum: Cuba Libre. Posted by Orrin Judd at October 23, 2002 2:17 PM