And why wouldn't he? Heck, O just dumped a hundred billion dollars on the Iranian mullagarchy, and he's resumed diplomatic relations with Cuba. We can hardly expect the Castro brothers not to want a piece of that action:
Fidel Castro marked his eighty-ninth birthday Thursday by insisting the United States owes Cuba "many millions of dollars" because of the half-century-old American trade embargo.
Castro spoke out in an essay published in local media a day before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry makes a historic visit to Cuba to reopen the U.S. embassy as part of the countries' restoration of diplomatic relations.
The trade embargo that the United States slapped on communist Cuba in 1962, three years after Castro seized power by ousting a U.S.-backed regime, remains in effect despite the thawing.
Barack Obama wants Congress to lift it, although U.S. officials say this will take time and is not an automatic part of the restoration of ties as it requires congressional action.
Many Republicans, who control both chambers of the legislature, oppose the idea, insisting Cuba has to improve its human rights record and make other democratic reforms.
In reality, we don't "owe" the Castros anything. We're not, nor have we ever been, obligated to trade with Cuba at all. But Castro knows Obama better than Obama knows Castro. He knows that that choice of words plays perfectly with The One's worldview and mindset and will be parroted by him in trying to bulldoze congressional Republicans to lift the embargo. Although I think that Castro's demand is over and above that, which Obama will also doubtless be happy to oblige.
And if the GOP doesn't cooperate? Expect Red Barry to give the Castros what they want anyway, congressional action or no congressional action. After all, communist revolutionary dictators like them have to stick together.
Exit question: How much would you bet that providing Cuba with nuclear weapons will be part of that "deal"?
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