Carter visits Cuba amid dispute over contractor

**Linda Kelso** · 03-28-2011

Carter visits Cuba amid dispute over contractor

HAVANA – Former President Jimmy Carter arrived in Cuba Monday to discuss economic policies and ways to improve Washington-Havana relations, which are even more tense than usual over the imprisonment of a U.S. contractor on the island.

Carter was scheduled to meet with Jewish leaders — suggesting that his visit will deal at least partly with the case of Alan Gross, who was arrested in December 2009 while working for Bethesda, Maryland-based Development Alternatives Inc. on a USAID-backed democracy-building project.

Gross has said he was trying to improve internet access for Cuba's small Jewish community. Jewish leaders here, however, have denied working with him, and he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison earlier this month.

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Carter visits Cuba amid dispute over contractor - Yahoo! News

**silent cal** · 03-28-2011

Communism in Cuba is GREAT until one of their own suffers from it. I'm sure if that contractor were a white Baptist, Jimmie Carter wouldn't even bother to get on the plane.

**lewiswestgard** · 03-28-2011

I thought the Jews hate the man's guts for writing a couple of books about Palestine, now he's springing a Jew spy for them?

And how come when I can buy all the great stuff made by commies in the Great Wal Mart of China I'm not allowed any Cuban cigars?

**Linda Kelso** · 03-28-2011

Originally Posted by lewiswestgard

I thought the Jews hate the man's guts for writing a couple of books about Palestine, now he's springing a Jew spy for them?

And how come when I can buy all the great stuff made by commies in the Great Wal Mart of China I'm not allowed any Cuban cigars?

I've often wondered about that contradiction, though at this point, I think the "hatred" for Cuba is far less than it was, say, 50 or 60 years ago or so. I think there are a lot of people who like, "Well, Cuba can't be as bad as the Ivory Coast, Somalia, Libya, etc."

Even so, these people in all of these countries don't like us. How difficult is it to see that? I'd like to ask a U.S. official that.

**Linda Kelso** · 03-28-2011

Carter meets Cuban Jews, no talk of jailed U.S. man

HAVANA (Reuters) – Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter met with Cuban Jews on Monday at the start of a private three-day visit to the island, but he did not discuss with them a U.S. aid contractor jailed for allegedly providing illegal Internet access to Jewish groups.

Local Jewish leader Adela Dworin told reporters Carter did not talk about contractor Alan Gross or any political topics during a stop at Cuba's main Jewish headquarters, located in Havana's Vedado district.

"That was not talked about," she said when reporters asked about Gross. "In reality, we did not talk about anything political."

She said Carter asked about religious freedom and was told "that we openly practice our religion."

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Carter meets Cuban Jews, no talk of jailed U.S. man - Yahoo! News