With the United States and Cuba barely on speaking terms diplomatically, four anti-Castro lawmakers are demanding to know why senior American military officers were chatting amiably with Cuban counterparts near the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay.
A videotape of the November 1995 gathering shows a Cuban general praising an American admiral for his "intelligence and dedication." The admiral presented the general with two gifts, one a plaque with a message extolling the cooperative relations. In addition, the Cuban received a detailed map of the base.In identical letters to the top three U.S. officers at the meeting, three Cuban-American members of the House and the chairman of the House International Relations subcommittee on Latin America said they were "shocked and disgusted" at the tape and requested an immediate meeting.
The highest ranking U.S. officer at the 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 last week that 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," Breslau said last week. 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.