President Barack Obama's
new diplomatic policy toward Cuba is a "bad decision" that will end up giving other dictators around the world the idea that now is the time to get the deal they want from the U.S. government, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton told Fox News' "Happening Now."
"Our adversaries all around the world will be saying, 'Two years to go in the Obama administration. Now is the time to line up to get what we want,'" Bolton said Wednesday.
"It's a very bad decision."
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The White House announced on Wednesday that American Alan Gross, held captive for five years in a Cuban prison, would be released in exchange for three Cubans imprisoned in the U.S.
In addition, Obama stated Wednesday the U.S. would restore diplomatic relations with Cuba and ease restrictions placed by an embargo initiated during the administration of President John Kennedy.
Reaction has been mixed, with some hailing the move as a diplomatic step forward, and others criticizing Obama for legitimizing a communist government. Bolton said the action served to "throw the Castro regime a political lifeline of legitimacy that they don't deserve."
"It will undoubtedly result in more economic resources flowing into Cuba, largely at the government's control. That's an economic lifeline," he said.
Bolton suggested the change could signal to countries, such as Iran and North Korea, that they might be able to sway the U.S. to make concessions with their nuclear programs.
"In Iran, they're recalculating their negotiating strategy on the nuclear weapons program saying, 'We're going to get even more concessions now.' In North Korea, they're saying . . . 'Let's get into negotiation, a serious one, now with the United States over our nuclear program. We can get what Iran gets,'" he said.
Bolton maintained it was a mistake to believe the diplomatic change with Cuba would "suddenly turn it into a free society," adding that what Obama was conducting was a policy of "appeasement."
"It's the notion that if we just give in, and say, 'You know, we have only your best interests at heart' that the Cuban government will say, 'Oh, well, 55 years of worries are over. We'll change our policies.' It's not going to happen," Bolton said.
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