From the FB page of:
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of people around the world woke up today to articles by Reuters and other media saying that the US Coast Guard intercepted a ship carrying “illicit fuel” to Cuba.
But is that what really happened?
No. A crime was clearly committed in international waters. The US commandeered an entire ship—including its cargo, which included fuel, and the crew. The snatching of the ship was revealed yesterday, although it happened on 5 September.
The vessel called M/V Grace was taken over by the US Coast Guard in Caribbean waters between Mexico and Cuba—which the US is starving of fuel.
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LEGAL AND ILLEGAL
It is 100 percent legal for countries to give or sell goods to each other, as long as there are no UN sanctions against such transfers.
In contrast, the US’s unilateral fuel blockade of Cuba has been repeatedly shown to violate international law, AND the UN Charter, AND sovereign equality regulations, AND the principle of non-intervention.
The US actions against Cuba have also been shown to contravene the most basic principle of moral justice, which forbids collective punishment.
To put it simply, you’re not allowed to force families in Cuba to go hungry and hospitals to close down because you dislike the fact that the country has resisted US regime change operations for decades.
Regime change itself is also unlawful.
And then of course we have the US's illegal summary executions of at least 231 people in more than 70 strikes in the Caribbean seas and east Pacific.
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ILLEGALITY ASCRIBED TO THE WRONG SIDE
Yet the reports by Reuters and other media carefully omit all this absolutely crucial contextual information.
They do, however, contain multiple references to illegal actions being taken. In every case, these push the absurd position that the US’s victims are the criminals. For example:
- Reuters quotes a US Coast Guard statement saying that the vessel was carrying containers “believed to contain illicit fuel”.
- Reuters quotes US admiral Adm Kevin Lunday saying: “The high seas are not a sanctuary for lawlessness.”
- Reuters includes his warning that that ships which quote “engage in illicit activities will not evade justice”.
Literally all references to illegality in the report are ascribed to the victims, and none to the United States.
Cuba deserves better. And so do the people around the world who depend on the western mainstream media for their news.
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