Obama administration to oppose UN resolution criticising Cuba embargo

Obama administration to oppose UN resolution criticising Cuba embargo
US official says draft does not reflect two countries' new spirit of
engagement but leaves open possibility that US could change position
before 27 October vote
Associated Press in Washington
Wednesday 21 October 2015 21.59 BST Last modified on Wednesday 21
October 2015 22.04 BST

The Obama administration has concluded that it must oppose a UN
resolution criticising the US economic embargo against Cuba, an American
official familiar with the process said on Wednesday, because the draft
in its current form does not "fully reflect" the new spirit of
engagement between the former cold war foes.

The official left open the possibility that the US would change its
position, in the unlikely event Cuba amends the text. Officials had been
hoping for a compromise that would allow the US to abstain, an
unprecedented step that would effectively pit Barack Obama's
administration with the world body against the Republican-led Congress,
which has refused to repeal the 54-year embargo.

The UN general assembly vote is on 27 October and Cuba will win
overwhelmingly. Such resolutions are unenforceable, but the annual
ritual serves to highlight Washington's overwhelming isolation on the
issue and frame the "blockade", as the Cubans call it, as illegitimate.
Last year's tally was 188-2, with only Israel siding with the United States.

This year's vote was seen as potentially different, however, coming
after the US and Cuba restored diplomatic relations and both countries'
ongoing efforts to improve commercial ties.

And in a surprising wrinkle, US officials told the Associated Press in
September that the United States could abstain instead of voting against
the resolution as it has done for the past 23 years – if the language
differed significantly from past versions.

Officials also said the US was open to discussing revisions with the
Cubans and others, something American diplomats had never done before.

Just six days away from the vote, those efforts appear to have proved
insufficient.

"Regrettably the resolution tabled looks very similar to resolutions
from previous years, and doesn't appear to fully reflect the spirit of
engagement that President Obama has championed as the best way to
advance our shared interests with Cuba," a US official familiar with the
text told the AP on Wednesday. The official was not authorized to be
quoted by name and demanded anonymity.

Source: Obama administration to oppose UN resolution criticising Cuba
embargo | World news | The Guardian -
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/21/obama-administration-un-cuba-embargo-resolution