Bush gives Cuba opening for new relations

Officials from farm states -- including Missouri -- have made strong arguments in favor of ending the U.S. embargo of Cuba.

During and after his recent visit to Cuba, former president Jimmy Carter appealed to the Bush administration to end the embargo.

Last week, in a formal policy announcement, President Bush said he was ready to end the embargo -- provided certain conditions were met.

The conditions should come as no surprise to Americans, who savor their freedom, voting rights and political independence. Here are Bush's conditions:

Allow opposition parties in Cuba to speak freely and to organize.

Allow independent trade unions.

Free all political prisoners.

Allow human-rights organizations to visit Cuba to ensure that the conditions for free elections are being created.

Allow outside observers to monitor Cuba's 2003 elections.

End discriminatory practices again Cuban workers.

The official Cuban reaction to Bush's demands sounded like it was concocted by a machine -- which, in many ways, is exactly what Castro's totalitarian regime is.

The Bush policy, said a front-page editorial in the Communist Party daily newspaper Granma, calls for "more expenditures, more measures, more technologies to sow poison in our country."

The editorial was reacting as much to the U.S. State Department's release last week of its latest list of terrorist nations as it was to the new Bush policy. Cuba was one of seven countries --Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, North Korea and Syria were the others -- listed as supporting terrorism. According to the State Department, Cuba has given haven to Basque militants and other terror suspects. Fidel Castro, however, continues to insist that he opposes terrorism.

The U.S. position takes a hard line on Cuba's government, but it aims to soften the effects of the embargo on the Cuban people. Among other things, Bush suggested the resumption of mail service to and from Cuba.

More than that, the latest Cuban policy statement insists that no concessions should be made toward Cuba that aren't at least matched by concessions on Cuba's part. Thus, instead of giving Cuba want it wants simply because of political pressure at home, Bush wants to make sure Cuba earns any improvement in its relations with the United States.

For all the years the embargo has been in place, one of the key aims has been to force Castro from power. Now it appears the United States would be willing to leave Castro in charge of the government, provided he accepts democratic reforms.

This approach has the potential for effecting real change in Cuba.

In that regard, the Bush administration has shown its willingness to bend on the Cuban embargo -- but not without similar gestures from Castro's regime.