Skip to main content

US makes Cuba staffing cuts permanent after 'health attacks'

By
WASHINGTON -- The United States said Friday it was making permanent its decision last year to withdraw 60 percent of its diplomats from Cuba, citing a need to protect American personnel from what the State Department calls "health attacks" that remain unexplained.

In October, the department ordered non-essential personnel and all family members to leave Havana, arguing the U.S. could not protect diplomats from unexplained illnesses that have harmed at least 24 Americans. But by law, the department can only order diplomats to leave for six months before either sending them back or making the reductions permanent.

The six months expire Sunday. So the State Department said it was setting a new, permanent staffing plan that maintains the lower level of roughly two-dozen people -- "the minimum personnel necessary to perform core diplomatic and consular functions." The department also said that the embassy in Havana would operate as an "unaccompanied post," meaning diplomats posted there will not be allowed to have their spouses or children live with them in the country.


Source :- foxnews
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Only international body can rule if chemical weapons used in Syria: Kremlin

By
Only an impartial investigation in Syria by an international commission can determine if allegations about the use of chemical weapons are true, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. Asked about the possibility that the United States could launch strikes on Syria over allegations that forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had used chemicals weapons, Peskov said the Kremlin hoped that nothing would be done that breaches international law. Source :- yahoonews
Post a Comment
Read more

After Park, former South Korean President Lee summoned over bribery allegations

By
South Korean prosecutors have called former President Lee Myung-bak to appear for questioning over allegations he took bribes when in office, a prosecutor said on Tuesday in the latest top-level political corruption scandal to rock the country. Prosecutors last month sought a 30-year jail term for former President Park Geun-hye, Lee's successor, who was ousted last year amid an influence-peddling scandal and is standing trial on charges of bribery, abuse of power and coercion. Lee was asked to present himself for questioning on March 14, the senior prosecutor said. "We must question (Lee) to reveal the truth", the prosecutor told reporters. "We expect him to show up since we gave sufficient time for him to prepare for the questioning". Lee has denied any wrongdoing, calling the investigation into the bribery allegations, summoning his family and confidants and raiding their homes and offices, politically motivated. Source :- yahoonews
Post a Comment
Read more

We're open to work with Britain over incident involving ex-agent

By
The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was ready to cooperate if Britain asks it for help investigating an incident involving a former Russian double agent who fell ill after exposure to an unknown substance. Sergei Skripal, once a colonel in Russia's GRU military intelligence service, was critically ill in hospital on Tuesday after he was exposed to an unidentified substance in southern England. "Nobody has approached us with such a request," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters, when asked if the British authorities had been in touch seeking help. "Moscow is always open for cooperation." When asked to respond to British media speculation that Russia had poisoned Skripal, Peskov said: "It didn't take them long." Calling the incident "a tragic situation," he said the Kremlin did not have information about what had happened. Source :- yahoonews
Post a Comment
Read more