[tomtud]

Another problem between US and Cuban relations hit the news the other day. Alan Gross a US citizen who is imprisoned on the island got a visit from his wife. ( that makes the news????? Must be a slow news day........ Anyhow, he was jailed for covertly installing satellite, Internet equipment while working for the US agency for international development in Cuba. Some news agencies report that he did it for the Cuban Jewish community while others (CNN) left that fact out. Interesting how you don't get all of the details.......

Cuban officials have said they want to negotiate Gross' case with representatives of the United States in conjunction with the fates of three Cuban intelligence operatives serving lengthy sentences in U.S. prisons.
But U.S. officials have called that effort blackmail and said the cases are separate matters because Gross was not working as a spy in Cuba. Yet recently, The US exchanges 5 Taliban fighters for 1 soldier who didn't break any law in Afghanistan. Maybe he broke some law or protocol for the US military, but any Afghan law, nope.

Alan gross has no right to go into another country and break it's laws so that one group can get Internet access while it's other countrymen don't. Yes he wanted to support the Jewish community, but there are other legal ways to do so. I can't believe the arrogance some people have to release him immediately.

Also had he succeeded this would've created jealousy and animosity from the non-Jews in Cuba against the Cuban Jews that this group has something that the other doesn't. Negative dissent. Nobody in Cuba is allowed to have this technology, yet one group does,,,,hmmmm not gonna fly.

Maybe mr Gross should also get the Jewish state, Israel to help him obtain a release.

[Seadog]

You seem to think the law of the land is the be all end all. While going against it may not be the smartest thing, and lead to consequences such as these, I certainly have more sympathy for someone trying to help out impoverished Cubans than someone who deserted his brothers in arms. The reason I don't kill people or steal isn't because there is a law against it.

To say if you don't like a law, explore the legal option, taken to ad infinitum, what should the slaves have done? "Ah well, that's the law, I'll just stick it out for 100 years and petition my owners.

[Patriarch]

He is a US citizen, and he broke the law in Cuba. Would it be a tragedy or stupidity if I was kidnapped by jihadists while evangelizing in Pakistan?

[lavidaloca]

This is a really old story. He has been there for easily over a half-decade now. If you go in the Melia Cohiba hotel theres pictures of the Cuban 5 writing about them in a positive light situated across from the cadeca if I recall correctly.