US Diplomats Vs. Cuban Gov't Over Christmas Decorations

[NATO AIR]

good of the US diplomats to piss castro and his ilk off...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6728335/

Billboard escalates Cuban Christmas crisis
Prison abuse display responds to goading U.S. holiday decorations

Tourists take pictures of a massive billboard showing photographs of Iraqi prisoners being abused by American soldiers and a red swastika on Friday in front of the U.S. Interest Section in Havana.

The Associated Press

Updated: 12:26 p.m. ET Dec. 17, 2004
HAVANA - Cuba responded Friday to a U.S. diplomat’s refusal to take down Christmas decorations by putting up a huge billboard in front of the U.S. Interest Section emblazoned with a swastika and showing photographs of Iraqi prisoners being abused by American soldiers.

The billboard, put up overnight, had a large swastika in red and the word “fascist” covered with a “Made in the U.S.A.” stamp. It sat prominently on the Malecon, Havana’s coastal highway, facing the mission’s offices.

There was no immediate response from American diplomats in Havana.

The U.S. Interest Section, headed by chief James Cason, ignored a demand earlier this week to remove Christmas decorations that included a reference to dissidents jailed by Fidel Castro’s government.

The trimmings included a Santa Claus, candy canes and white lights wrapped around palm trees — and a sign reading “75” — a reference to 75 Cuban dissidents jailed last year.
Claudia Daut / Reuters file
This year's Christmas decorations at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana include a lighted display of the number 75 in remembrance of the March 2003 arrests of 75 opponents of Cuba's communist government.

Cuban Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon called the sign “rubbish” this week, and said Cason seems “desperate to create problems.”

Cuba had warned the U.S. Interest Section to remove the decorations or face unspecified consequences.

No other officials from Castro’s administration have commented on the spat.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

[Merlin1047]

Sounds like the ACLU and Moveon are in league with Castro.

 

[NATO AIR]

Sounds like the ACLU and Moveon are in league with Castro.

think the ACLU will sue over the decorations being too religious?

I'm quite proud of our diplomats there, nothing better than to challenge castro using a sense of humor and a smart aleck attitude.