Cuba USA
Alan Gross’ wife plans a protest at the White House on December 3 -- hoping to persuade President Obama to move to exchange Gross for the "Cuban Five."
I learned of this planned protest from a press release issued by JTA, a Jewish news agency. JTA has published 23 releases on Gross since he was arrested -- providing a timeline for the case.
I've also published several more detailed posts on this blog.
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Update 12/2/2013
What do Barbara Boxer and Ted Cruz agree on? That Alan Gross should be freed.
On the fourth anniversary of his imprisonment in Cuba, former U.S. government contractor Alan Gross wrote a letter to President Obama, asking him to personally intervene in his case.
That letter, two others, signed by 14 and 66 US Senators are reproduced along with an article on the case in the Washington Post.
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Update 2/10/2014
Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat from North Dakota just returned from a three day trip to Cuba to talk about agricultural trade. Heitkamp, who favors a change in our relationship to Cuba, met with Alan Gross and said that his "incarceration has really led to a point of difficulty in our continuing effort to normalize relations."
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Update 8/4/2014
Alan Gross is depressed and threatening suicide, saying "life in prison is not a life worth living." What he attempted would have had little practical impact had he succeeded -- why prolong his imprisonment?
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Update 10/5/2014
CCTV (Chinese) video (9:48) interview of Judy Gros, wife of Alan Gross, She claims he was there to connect to the Cuban intranet, not the Internet, but then what was the satellite equipment for? She also claims that Gross did not know he was violating Cuban law. They also mention the Zunzuneo project, which she calls "stupid."
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Update 11/3/2014
A New York Times editorial calls for a prisoner swap -- Alan Gross for the remaining Cuban Five. For more on Alan gross click here.
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Update 11/8/2014
CNN reports that there have been government talks about a prisoner exchange:
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Update 11/12/2014
Senators Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona, and Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico, said they met with Gross for about two hours during a trip that included meetings with Cuban officials and they are optimistic about the release of Alan Gross.
There has been a flurry of other news about Alan Gross lately. Articles about him have been turning up in my "Google Alerts" pretty much every day, the USAID is reviewing their Cuban-democracy efforts and the New York Times and others are calling for the release of Gross and the end of the embargo.
I would not be surprised if he were released soon.
_____
Update 12/3/2014
Suggestion for a negotiating tactic
Would it help if the US were to take responsibility for the various USAID attempts to influence Cubans?
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Update 12/11/2014
Clip from interview of President Obama (1m 2s) -- they've been negotiating for some time through a variety of channels.
- Alan Gross Interviewed On Sixty Minutes
Alan Gross gave his first interview last night on CBS 60 Minutes. He spoke of his suffering in prison, his 20 years as a contractor installing communication equipment in 54 countries, and his surprise at not being quickly freed by the US Government. The...
- Summing Up Recent Events
I put this list of recent posts on Alan Gross and the future of the Internet in Cuba for my other blog. They are in chronological order, beginning with a November 11 post asking whether Gross was about to be freed: Where there is smoke, there is fire...
- An Alan Gross Suggestion From An Amateur
Alan Gross is starting his sixth year in prison. As I understand it, Cuba wants to discuss releasing him in exchange for the remaining Cuban Five prisoners and the US refuses to do so because they do not see equivalence in the cases, saying that Gross...
- The Cuban Man-in-the-street View Of Alan Gross
Iván García has written a post on Alan Gross in which he gives some insight into the man-in-the-street's view of the case. A kid who lives in a poor neighborhood near the prison hospital where Gross is being held says he has heard the name somewhere....
- Alan Gross Declares A Hunger Strike
I was saddened to read that Alan Gross will go on a hunger strike as a protest against both the governments of the U. S. and Cuba over his incarceration. I wonder if the USAID policy makers considered the effect it might have on Alan Gross if further...
Cuba USA
Quick update on Alan Gross on the fourth anniversary of his imprisonment
I learned of this planned protest from a press release issued by JTA, a Jewish news agency. JTA has published 23 releases on Gross since he was arrested -- providing a timeline for the case.
I've also published several more detailed posts on this blog.
-----
Update 12/2/2013
What do Barbara Boxer and Ted Cruz agree on? That Alan Gross should be freed.
On the fourth anniversary of his imprisonment in Cuba, former U.S. government contractor Alan Gross wrote a letter to President Obama, asking him to personally intervene in his case.
That letter, two others, signed by 14 and 66 US Senators are reproduced along with an article on the case in the Washington Post.
-----
Update 2/10/2014
Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat from North Dakota just returned from a three day trip to Cuba to talk about agricultural trade. Heitkamp, who favors a change in our relationship to Cuba, met with Alan Gross and said that his "incarceration has really led to a point of difficulty in our continuing effort to normalize relations."
-----
Update 8/4/2014
Alan Gross is depressed and threatening suicide, saying "life in prison is not a life worth living." What he attempted would have had little practical impact had he succeeded -- why prolong his imprisonment?
-----
Update 10/5/2014
CCTV (Chinese) video (9:48) interview of Judy Gros, wife of Alan Gross, She claims he was there to connect to the Cuban intranet, not the Internet, but then what was the satellite equipment for? She also claims that Gross did not know he was violating Cuban law. They also mention the Zunzuneo project, which she calls "stupid."
-----
Update 11/3/2014
A New York Times editorial calls for a prisoner swap -- Alan Gross for the remaining Cuban Five. For more on Alan gross click here.
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| Supporters of Alan Gross across from the White House last year. CreditPaul J. Richards/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
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| A poster in Havana of the Cuban Five, in August 2005.CreditAdalberto Roque/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
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Update 11/8/2014
CNN reports that there have been government talks about a prisoner exchange:
The signs include the admission this week by senior administration officials that talks about a swap between Gross and three imprisoned Cuban agents -- part of group originally known as the Cuban Five -- have taken place.The coverage also includes a short video:
_____
Update 11/12/2014
Senators Jeff Flake, a Republican from Arizona, and Tom Udall, a Democrat from New Mexico, said they met with Gross for about two hours during a trip that included meetings with Cuban officials and they are optimistic about the release of Alan Gross.
There has been a flurry of other news about Alan Gross lately. Articles about him have been turning up in my "Google Alerts" pretty much every day, the USAID is reviewing their Cuban-democracy efforts and the New York Times and others are calling for the release of Gross and the end of the embargo.
I would not be surprised if he were released soon.
_____
Update 12/3/2014
Suggestion for a negotiating tactic
Would it help if the US were to take responsibility for the various USAID attempts to influence Cubans?
-----
Update 12/11/2014
Clip from interview of President Obama (1m 2s) -- they've been negotiating for some time through a variety of channels.
- Alan Gross Interviewed On Sixty Minutes
Alan Gross gave his first interview last night on CBS 60 Minutes. He spoke of his suffering in prison, his 20 years as a contractor installing communication equipment in 54 countries, and his surprise at not being quickly freed by the US Government. The...
- Summing Up Recent Events
I put this list of recent posts on Alan Gross and the future of the Internet in Cuba for my other blog. They are in chronological order, beginning with a November 11 post asking whether Gross was about to be freed: Where there is smoke, there is fire...
- An Alan Gross Suggestion From An Amateur
Alan Gross is starting his sixth year in prison. As I understand it, Cuba wants to discuss releasing him in exchange for the remaining Cuban Five prisoners and the US refuses to do so because they do not see equivalence in the cases, saying that Gross...
- The Cuban Man-in-the-street View Of Alan Gross
Iván García has written a post on Alan Gross in which he gives some insight into the man-in-the-street's view of the case. A kid who lives in a poor neighborhood near the prison hospital where Gross is being held says he has heard the name somewhere....
- Alan Gross Declares A Hunger Strike
I was saddened to read that Alan Gross will go on a hunger strike as a protest against both the governments of the U. S. and Cuba over his incarceration. I wonder if the USAID policy makers considered the effect it might have on Alan Gross if further...