The deal the administration of President Barack Obama brokered with Cuba to open diplomatic relations in exchange for the release of American prisoners was an example of "near malpractice in diplomacy," said former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.
A State Department spokesperson could not confirm on Monday whether
53 American prisoners had been released as a part of an agreement with Cuba that Obama announced in December. Bolton maintained that outcome was "predictable," because he doubted "the Castro brothers ever really intended to implement it fully."
"This Cuba deal is a good example of near malpractice in diplomacy — of giving away things and not getting hard and fast commitments in return," Bolton told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" on Tuesday.
"They are going to nickel and dime this thing as long as they can get away with it, which the Obama administration seems to be letting them do."
At the time of the announcement, Cuba released American prisoner Alan Gross in exchange for three convicted spies held in the U.S. The agreement also called for normalizing diplomatic relations, with an understanding that more Americans imprisoned in Cuba would be released.
Cuba's main incentive to enter into the agreement was because they "needed a little relief because of the collapse of oil prices," Bolton said, adding the U.S. would likely "see the same pattern on the so-called economic side of the deal."
"It will be a lot harder for American firms and people to get in there than was at least originally announced by the White House, because what the Castro government wants to do is get the benefits of increased foreign trade and investment," he said.
The "very active and concerned Cuban-American community" would monitor Cuba's compliance with the agreement, Bolton said, despite a lack of focus by the media that had "the attention span of a fruit fly."
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