While most of the media has been focusing on the Bush Administration's "tortured" responses to neither torturing prisoners nor spying on American citizens, the White House has conspired to block a Cuban baseball team from competing in the inagural Baseball World Cup this March.
The Treasury Department notified organizers of the BWC that Cuba, under terms of embargo restrictions, is prohibited from profitting from any trade with the United States. IMHO, the embargo is a stupid and failed policy. It was thought that it would force Castro from power (which will be 47 years on Jan. 1). They were wrong then, and the law has only allowed Castro to stay in power because it allows him to play the victim in the international game of world opinion.
Earlier this summer, a Cuban soccer team was permitted to compete in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, a regional championship between North American, Carribbean, and Central American national soccer teams. The Cuban team played three games in the U.S., failing to advance beyond the first round. It is not certain whether the Cuban soccer federation received any money for participating in the Gold Cup.
It seems to me that the White House is concerned that Cuba might win the BWC -- something unthinkable when baseball is as American as apple pie and Chevrolet. Treasury had no problem with Cuba participating in the Gold Cup because Cuba is one of the weakest teams in CONCACAF and was no threat to either win the tournament and thus embarass the United States.
Baseball is a different story. Cuba has a very strong team and would be considered one of the favorites in the BWC along with the U.S., Dominican Republic, and Japan. Yet, the Cuban government has more to lose by allowing their players to play in the BWC.
About a decade ago, Buffalo hosted the World University Games. Cuban shortstop Rey Ordonez defected during the tournament and later played for the New York Mets. Cuban baseball officials are always worried about their athletes defecting and a large scale defection could severely hamper the Cuban baseball program.
This morning, officials from the United States Olympic Committee pleaded with the White House to allow Cuba to participate in the BWC. They cautioned that failure to do so might jeopardize the U.S.'s short term chances of landing the Olympics.
Anchorage Alaska previously bid on the Winter Olympics for 1992 and 1994. Some suggested the bid was scuttled because the State Department had blocked the visa of a member of Chile's riflery team competing in the U.S.
The move is even more surprising considering the W. once the figurehead leader of the Texas Rangers and is close to several baseball owners and commissioner Bud Selig, the former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. Moreover, the Baltimore Orioles played home-and-home games against the Cuban national team in 1999.
Using sports as a political tool is fraught with danger. A successful example is Nixon's Ping Pong diplomacy in the early 70's. Table Tennis was used to open up U.S. - Chinese relations and ultimately led to a relaxation against American traveling to China by 1979. Unfortunately, the White House is in bed with the extreme anti-Castro elements of the Cuban exile community in South Florida.
Remember them. They were the ones who protested the Elian Gonzales decision and their backlash may have helped Bush "win" Florida. There is no way that the White House is going to alienate these anti-Castro fanatics. Unfortunately, it deprives sports fans from seeing a very strong Cuban squad and it allows Castro to benefit because he can claim once again the U.S. is bullying poor little Cuba.
If the embargo on Cuba works so well, how come he is closing in on nearly 50 years in power?