McCain chides Obama over Cuba

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain wished Fidel Castro a quick demise, and chided Democract Barack Obama for stating he would meet with Raul Castro, with no pre-conditions for such a summit.

AFP reports:

In a formal written statement, McCain also took a shot at Obama, the Democratic front-runner who renewed his offer to speak to leaders of US foes without preconditions in a campaign debate with rival Hillary Clinton in Texas.

"So Raul Castro gets an audience with an American president, and all the prestige such a meeting confers, without having to release political prisoners, allow free media, political parties, and labor unions, or schedule internationally monitored free elections," McCain said.

"Senator Obama says he would meet Cuba's dictator without any such steps in the hope that talk will make things better for Cuba's oppressed people.

"Meet, talk, and hope may be a sound approach in a state legislature, but it is dangerously naive in international diplomacy where the oppressed look to America for hope and adversaries wish us ill."
Obama hit back in his own strongly-worded statement.

"John McCain would give us four more years of the same Bush-McCain policies that have failed US interests and the Cuban people for the last 50 years," he said.

"My policy will be based on the principle of liberty for the Cuban people, and I will seek that goal through strong and direct presidential diplomacy, and an immediate change in policy to allow for unlimited family visitation and remittances to the island.

"I am confident that the American people will choose the promise of the future over the failed policies and predictable political attacks of the past."