Two years ago, Juliette Kayyem wrote a passionate enjoiner to remove Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list.
Tuesday, the Obama Administration made her call to action a reality by announcing it was removing Cuba from that list.
"To me, having Cuba on that list with countries that included Sudan and Iran and North Korea, not only was wrong vis-à-vis Cuba, because they don't support the kind of terrorism that we're actually worried about, but also denigrated the terms 'terrorist' and 'terrorist organizations,'" said Kayyem, homeland security expert and host of the new podcast "Security Mom."
"How can we take it seriously if we're just throwing the word around against people or countries we just don't like?" she continued.
The state-sponsored terrorism classification is a list maintained by the State Department which the president can alter without Congressional approval. Congress does have 45 days to block the resolution if they choose, but CNN reports that such a move would be unlikely. Countries on the list are subject to strict sanctions, including restrictions on commercial exports and aid.
Normalizing relations with Cuba, Kayyem said, greatly benefits both countries by increasing humanitarian and military aid for Cuba and providing new opportunities for private investments for the United States.
"I'm thrilled," Kayyem said. "It's part of a détente I've been pushing for for a long time."
To hear more from Juliette Kayyem, tune in to her full segment on Boston Public Radio above. To hear the first episode of her new "Security Mom" podcast, click here.
