Cuba gets to play ball

The Associated Press reports that Cuba will be allowed to participate in the World Baseball Classic: The Bush administration is letting Cuba play ball. The Cubans will be allowed to participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic after the U.S. government reversed course Friday and issued the special license necessary for the communist nation to ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

The Associated Press reports that Cuba will be allowed to participate in the World Baseball Classic: The Bush administration is letting Cuba play ball. The Cubans will be allowed to participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic after the U.S. government reversed course Friday and issued the special license necessary for the communist nation to play in the 16-team tournament.One slightly bizarre aspect to this was the reasoning the Bush administration gave for rejecting the first application back in December: "The president wanted to see it resolved in a positive way," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "Our concerns were centered on making sure that no money was going to the Castro regime and that the World Baseball Classic would not be misused by the regime for spying. We believe the concerns have been addressed." The license was required by 45-year-old American sanctions against Cuba designed to prevent Fidel Castro's government from receiving U.S. currency. At the State Department, spokesman Sean McCormack said the initial rejection was based on concerns Cuban spies might accompany the team.I understand the concern about profit. But spying? Even if there are Cuban spies, what are they going to find in Puerto Rico? I, for one, welcome Cuban participation -- because I want to see them get whipped by the capitalist teams. Scanning the team rosters and the schedule of games, I'm fairly confident that if they're very, very lucky, the Cubans will get creamed in the semifinals by the Dominican team.

The Associated Press reports that Cuba will be allowed to participate in the World Baseball Classic:

The Bush administration is letting Cuba play ball. The Cubans will be allowed to participate in the inaugural World Baseball Classic after the U.S. government reversed course Friday and issued the special license necessary for the communist nation to play in the 16-team tournament.

One slightly bizarre aspect to this was the reasoning the Bush administration gave for rejecting the first application back in December:

“The president wanted to see it resolved in a positive way,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “Our concerns were centered on making sure that no money was going to the Castro regime and that the World Baseball Classic would not be misused by the regime for spying. We believe the concerns have been addressed.” The license was required by 45-year-old American sanctions against Cuba designed to prevent Fidel Castro’s government from receiving U.S. currency. At the State Department, spokesman Sean McCormack said the initial rejection was based on concerns Cuban spies might accompany the team.

I understand the concern about profit. But spying? Even if there are Cuban spies, what are they going to find in Puerto Rico? I, for one, welcome Cuban participation — because I want to see them get whipped by the capitalist teams. Scanning the team rosters and the schedule of games, I’m fairly confident that if they’re very, very lucky, the Cubans will get creamed in the semifinals by the Dominican team.

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

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