US: Obama’s Gross Problem (and Blunder)

US: Obama’s Gross Problem (and Blunder) – Capitol Hill Cubans

Taking a page from the Obama Administration’s playbook — or perhaps mocking its announcement of unilateral concessions exactly three weeks earlier – the Castro regime also chose a late Friday afternoon to announce its charges (and a potential 20-year prison sentence) against U.S. development worker, Alan Gross.

It took the Castro regime more than 14 months to file charges against Alan Gross (for helping Cuba’s Jewish community to freely connect to the Internet).

So what are these charges that took 14 months of “intrigue”?

Gross was charged with violating Castro’s arbitrary “Law Against Independence and Territorial Integrity.” In other words, for disrespecting the absolute authority of the Castro brothers.

Ironically, this is the same “crime” for which the Castro regime imprisons Cuban dissidents — except it only takes them overnight to invent charges in those cases.

So now what happens?

There will surely be a show trial and Gross will be found “guilty.”

The question then becomes — will the regime make Gross serve the 20-year sentence or release him on “humanitarian” grounds (and thereafter seek international praise for releasing a man that should have never been arrested in the first place)?

Time will tell. However, one thing is for sure — it will be a very well-orchestrated show trial.

The audience? U.S. travelers.

The message? Bring me your money and shut up (or you too can become a hostage).

And unfortunately, the Obama Administration just made that a whole lot easier three weeks ago.