[Via... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . .*HELMS-BURTON'S "TITLE 3" A BONE OF CONTENTION BETWEEN US, EUROPE Right-wing extremist Senator Jesse Helms, is destined to leave behind a legacy of US foreign policy blunders. This week Helms will be forced to step down as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as a consequence of James Jeffords' decision to declare himself an Independent. With control of this key Senate committee out of Republican hands, some positive adjustments may be made in US foreign policy, which has been riding rough shod over international relations. Among the most notorious achievments of the ultra right-wing legislator is the internationally rejected Helms-Burton Law against Cuba. The law, uniformly denounced as "interventionist" and "extraterritorial," seeks to internationalize Washington's more than four decade blockade against the island, by forcing other nations to refrain from trading with Cuba. Because of its illegality under US and international law, the leglislation has never been completely implemented. President Bill Clinton, who signed Helms-Burton into law, was forced to suspend its offensive Title Three for more than eight semesters. That section, which establishes sanctions against people and countries that maintain commerical relations with Cuba, is soon coming up again for dispostion by President Bush. It is expected that Bush will be obliged to maintain the suspension if he wishes to avoid aggravating differences with Europe. Cuba currently has commerical relations with 160 countries and diplomatic relations with 170. If the application of Title Three of the Helms-Burton law is implemented, sparks are sure fly between Washington and its European trading partners which have important interests in Cuba. (c) 2001 Radio Habana Cuba, NY Transfer News. All rights reserved. =================================================================
