A videotape showing high-ranking Cuban and American military officers chatting in the border area between the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay and Cuban territory has some lawmakers demanding an explanation.
After all, the United States and Cuba are barely on speaking terms, officially.On the tape, a Cuban general is seen praising an American admiral for his "intelligence and dedication." The general also receives from the admiral two gifts, one a plaque with a message extolling the cooperative relations. In addition, the Cuban was presented with a detailed map of the base.
Cuban-American members of Congress and a key House subcommittee chairman want an explanation. In identical letters to the top three U.S. officers at the meeting, the four lawmakers said they were "shocked and disgusted" at the tape and requested an immediate meeting.
The highest ranking U.S. officer at the November 1995 meeting, held in a tent, was Gen. John Sheehan, commander of the U.S. Atlantic Command in Norfolk, Va.
A command spokesman, Navy Lt. Jeff Breslau, said mutual trust in the area is important to help reduce potential tensions that could result from inadvertent rifle firings or exploding land mines.
"We can't mistake explosions for shooting at the other side," said Breslau. On occasion, he said, mine fields are set off by Cubans attempting to flee to the base. He added that cooperation is needed to turn over would-be refugees to Cuban authorities.
Joining Sheehan at the meeting was Adm. Michael Haskins, a former head of the joint task force in Guantanamo who left the base last November. The occasion for the meeting was Haskins' departure and his replacement by Col. John McKay, who replaced Haskins.
The videotape was taken by an unidentified soldier at the base who was unhappy with the year-old U.S. policy of repatriating to Cuba boat people attempting to flee the island.
She sent the tape to Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., a Cuban-American congressman and one of the four lawmakers who signed the letter to the three officers. Also signing the letter were Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Dan. Burton, R-Ind., chairman of the House International Relations subcommittee on Latin America. Burton also is co-author of recently enacted legislation to tighten sanctions against Cuba.
The Cuban general, identified only as Perez-Perez, told Sheehan, "It is really a pleasure to meet with you again."
Sheehan replied: "It's my pleasure to be here. . . . Adm. Haskins has done such a good job - but he could not have done it without your help. The relationships in the Guantanamo area must be very good."
In their letter, the lawmakers said, "The acts which appear in the video are not to be expected from leaders of the U.S. military, an institution dedicated to defending the liberty and freedom of this country."
They continued, "Gen. Perez-Perez is an official of a regime which is a sworn enemy of the United States and which has demonstrated for decades its commitment to harm our nation."