Jimmy Carter To Visit Jewish Community In Cuba, Alan Gross Connection Hinted

HAVANA -- Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is scheduled to meet with Jewish leaders shortly after arriving in Cuba Monday, hinting that his visit will deal partly with the case of a U.S. contractor whose conviction has further dented relations between Havana and Washington.

An agenda released Saturday by Cuba's Foreign Relations Ministry says Carter is to visit a Jewish institution. The imprisoned contractor, Alan Gross, had said he was trying to improve internet access for the small Jewish community when he was arrested in December 2009.

The agenda indicates Carter also is scheduled to meet with Cuban President Raul Castro as well as Roman Catholic Cardinal Jaime Ortega before leaving on Wednesday.

The trip is under the auspices of the Carter Center, whose officials have given only a general description of the motives for the visit, saying the aim is to discuss economic policies and improve relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

U.S. officials have made clear that the recent 15-year sentence imposed on Gross is a stumbling block to any rapprochement.

Gross, 61, was working for Bethesda, Maryland-based Development Alternatives, Inc. on a USAID-backed democracy-building project that Cuba's government says is aimed at toppling its socialist system and described him as a mercenary.

Gross's wife Judy E. Gross issued a statement on Saturday welcoming Carter's mission.

"If he is able to help Alan in any way while he is there, we will be extraordinarily grateful," she said in the emailed statement. "Our family is desperate for Alan to return home, after nearly 16 months in prison. We continue to hope and pray that the Cuban authorities will release him immediately on humanitarian grounds."

Carter's 1971-1981 presidency coincided with the least-chilly period of U.S.-Cuban relations since shortly after Fidel Castro led his rebels to power in 1959.

There have been no diplomatic relations between the countries since the 1960s and the United States maintains economic and financial sanctions on the island.

Carter visited Cuba in May 2002 on a six-day tour during which he met with then-President Fidel Castro and criticized both Washington's embargo and the lack of political plurality on the island.

Comments

[see-ellen2001]

02:37 PM on 03/27/2011

Bottom line is he is doing what he has done before; he is trying to secure the release of an American citizen. He is a good man.

[pa30]

12:56 PM on 03/27/2011

Oh for the days when we were worried about the cost of peanuts.

[HekmagaJuximaxx]

12:55 PM on 03/27/2011

Black beans with Matzoh balls are delicious

[totaldisbelief]

12:41 PM on 03/27/2011

how come Jimmy gets to visit Cuba and it's off limits for the rest of us?
a continuation of a rediculous and out-dated policy.

[jeffp26]

01:26 PM on 03/27/2011

Totally correct.

My advice, just go through Mexico and fcuk this government. Cuba is a wonderful place to visit.

(Cancun is nice too. wink)

[FreeAmerican7]

05:06 PM on 03/27/2011

".....out-dated policy" ?!
Yes indeed!
A Policy brought to us by lobbyists near the US Congress/Senate!
Just imagine if Castro had more money than the current Anti-Castro Lobbyists; the outcome would be an opposite policy indeed!
There is NO solution but to ban lobbyists!
Only then will the US become for the PEOPLE of the US as opposed to for the lobbyists!

[comer23]

12:36 PM on 03/27/2011

Jimmy Carter may not have been the greatest president of all time, but he is the most honest out of everyone besides Abraham Lincoln. I just think it's fishy when the hostages were release the day of Reagan's inauguration. I think call me a conspiracy theorist the oil and gas companies of America and OPEC wanted Carter out of office because he wanted energy independence and if that happens people were going to go broke. So they cooked up something to make Jimmy look bad. If that happens they'll send their guy Ronald Reagan to be the hero. Who has we all know was a corporate puppet trickle down economics every one.

[jeffp26]

01:27 PM on 03/27/2011

Jimmy Carter is the only president of this country in my lifetime who will be going to heaven.

The rest won't need winter coats where they are headed or already sweat.

[Erewhon7]

12:15 PM on 03/27/2011

Hey, who needs .en.e.m.a.s when you have friends like Jimmuh.

[BlindChance]

12:32 PM on 03/27/2011

Who needs maturity when you can make comments like that?

[Erewhon7]

02:31 PM on 03/27/2011

the word maturity is compatible with Jimmuh's naive Baptist nonsense.

[haval2]

12:09 PM on 03/27/2011

Fact checking?????

[DA A Man]

12:09 PM on 03/27/2011

Jimmy Carter what about the 4 Million Illegally Foreclosed Households in the United States of America?

A Good Banksters is a Jailed Bankster.

Jews dont want his help. Jimmy Go after the Too big too fail Banksters who are infliciting real harm to this nation and world.

The Reason Jimmy Carter was hated so much is because of the Economy Supid. Hyper Inflation under his rule.

[Farmers Market]

12:07 PM on 03/27/2011

The article incorrectly stated that Carter was President from 1971-1981. Also the visit is not about Alan Gross.

[Erewhon7]

12:17 PM on 03/27/2011

LOL. Wishful l thinking, no doubt.
I am no fan of Raygun, but 4 more years of Jimmuah would've been equally frightening to behold.

[Taxim]

12:04 PM on 03/27/2011

Gross, 61, was working for Bethesda, Maryland-based Development Alternatives, Inc. on a USAID-backed democracy-building project that Cuba's government says is aimed at toppling its socialist system and described him as a mercenary. And he was working on private internet access? BUSTED!

[vesaversa1]

12:01 PM on 03/27/2011

Didn't know there were a Jewish community in Cuba .

[looneydoone]

02:03 PM on 03/27/2011

There's a XChinatown in Habana too
Oh the things you've never known......because you're not free to travel to Cuba

[looneydoone]

02:04 PM on 03/27/2011

* typo

There's a *chinatown *in Habana too

[behavingbadly]

02:28 PM on 03/27/2011

Cuban-Chinese cuisine is available in most larger metropolitan areas, and it's wonderful. Love it!

[librldem]

11:35 AM on 03/27/2011

Well I hope he has a truthful message to those people to not try and steal any land from Castro.

[santiago sherwood]

11:47 AM on 03/27/2011

there is a huge issue as Carter may be to blame for the Palestinians for getting screwed by giving them some bad advice. Also his offence to the jews have been numerous. He started out well as a broker but screwed up when he tried advising.

Castro light the Menorah Last year so even Castro is getting it.

[Cacey]

11:21 AM on 03/27/2011

I've long believed that the vilification of President Carter was simply to deflect Americans from being reminded of how bad and, candidly, crooked Nixon was.  The same thoughts relate to my views on the sanctification of Ronald Reagan as well.  Twice, Nixon campaigned on getting us out of Eisenhower's war in Nam and twice he failed.  And Reagan cut and ran in Lebanon.  Two of the worst Presidents in my life time while Carter was among the best and certainly the most decent.

[BlindChance]

11:26 AM on 03/27/2011

Decent indeed, perhaps too decent to be President.

[totaldisbelief]

12:45 PM on 03/27/2011

and therein lies the rub.....too decent

[Eagleman]

10:29 AM on 03/27/2011

I hope he doesn't offend his Palestinian friends.

[kentah]

11:31 AM on 03/27/2011

This is Cuba, not the Middle East. What does Carter visiting a Cuban Jewish community have to do with occupation and colonization in the Middle East?--you truly believe it's about religion?

[totaldisbelief]

12:46 PM on 03/27/2011

are you saying it's not ok to have Palestinian friends?....are you???

[mgrant33301]

10:22 AM on 03/27/2011

jimmy carter is a true statesman. imagine bush doing something so selfless. lol

[jerry bear]

10:31 AM on 03/27/2011

barf!

[enigma2]

11:24 AM on 03/27/2011

Agreed.