U.S.-Cuba talks are getting more and more interesting.  The Castro regime wants Guantánamo back, essentially the naval base, since the city of Guantánamo has always been part of Cuba, compensation for the U.S. embargo, and the cancelation of Radio & TV Marti.   

It won't happen.  

Another unresolved issue is the status of U.S. nationals living in Cuba – i.e., fugitives of U.S. law.  We've all heard about Joanne Chesimard, who killed a police officer in New Jersey and was granted asylum in the island.

However, there are others, and apparently we don't have a clue or didn't bother to ask the Castro regime for a list.  The Castro regime should have a pretty good idea of who they are, because they had to issue some kind of residency status to them.  I don't believe that they've been living as illegal immigrants in the island.

The Sun Sentinel has been reporting on this for a year.  These are their latest findings:

The Jan. 23 letter Rubio and the two other senators sent to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, requesting a list of all fugitives the FBI believes are living in Cuba, notes "there is little definitive information about their cases available publicly."

The senators wrote that there are longtime murderers and airplane hijackers in Cuba, but also "numerous others guilty of lesser but still important crimes, including money laundering and health care fraud."

For years, members of Congress have accused Cuba of harboring 70 to 80 fugitives, most of whom fled there decades ago

More recently, the FBI in Miami has compiled a spreadsheet showing 20 Medicare fugitives thought to be hiding in Cuba.

How can we re-establish diplomatic relations with a country harboring fugitives of U.S. law?   

Furthermore, how did we sit with Cuba for 18 months and not settle some of these issues?

It sure looks like President Obama was more interested in making the announcement than doing all of the background work necessary to settle disputes with Cuba.  On the other hand, doesn't that sound like the way that the Obama administration does business?

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