Cuban Cigar Hypocrisy Watch: Cohibas for Saddam
15 Nov 2007
[Editors’ Note: We come across hypocrisy about the Cuban Embargo regularly…so regularly that we are starting a “Cuban Cigar Hypocrisy Watch” series to keep track.]
On Tuesday, November 13, Robert Kessler, Washington Corespondent for the conservative magazine NewsMax, released his latest book: The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack.
According to the book’s publisher, “Kessler takes you inside the war rooms of this battle – from the newly created National Counterterrorism Center to FBI headquarters, from the CIA to the National Security Agency, from the Pentagon to the Oval Ofï¬ce – to explain why we have gone so long since 9/11 without a successful attack and to reveal the many close calls we never hear about.â€
It may or may not be an interesting read (personally I have no plans to read it) but my interest was peaked by this juicy tidbit, told to Kessler by an FBI agent named Piro who interviewed and interrogated Saddam Hussein after the Iraqi dictator’s capture in December 2003:
On July 1, 2004, Piro took Saddam to court for his arraignment. Piro prepared a so-called prosecutive memo, which, with exhibits, ran to more than 700 pages. Because the Iraqis wanted the trial of Saddam to be an Iraqi affair, they did not introduce the memo into evidence. However, they used witnesses and evidence cited in the memo that detailing Saddam’s atrocities.
Then it was time to say goodbye. In all, Piro had been with Saddam eight months, including seven months of interviews. At a souq (market), for $6 apiece, Piro bought two Cuban Cohiba cigars, Saddam’s favorite brand.
“We sat outside, smoked a couple of Cuban cigars, had some coffee, and chatted,†Piro says. They said goodbye in the traditional Arab manner: a handshake and then a kiss to the right cheek, a kiss to the left, and a kiss to the right again.
What FBI agent Piro did was illegal. For Americans, purchasing Cuban Cigars is illegal, even when abroad, as noted on the website of the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control:
The question is often asked whether United States citizens or permanent resident aliens of the United States may legally purchase Cuban origin goods, including tobacco and alcohol products, in a third country for personal use outside the United States. The answer is no.
What does it say about U.S. policy when an average citizen can be fined up to $250,000 and can face up to 10 years of prison time for Cubans, but government agents buy them for themselves and dictators to smoke together over a nice cup of coffee?
Now, technically, Piro could be prosecuted for violating the law, but we won’t hold our breath waiting for that trial to start. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that buying Cuban cigars for Saddam (in violation of the U.S. embargo) was actually a long-standing government policy.
photo credit: Time
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I'm sure someone would argue that the cigars were fakes, and therefore may not have been of Cuban origin. (You can't buy Cuban Cohibas in a market for $6.) But as I understand it, even goods not from Cuba, that claim to be from Cuba, fall under the ban. So this agent did indeed (though probably unknowingly, considering he thought you could get real Cuban cigars for so little at a souq) violate the law.
I read the article a couple days ago and it made my head spin, it is fine for a government employee to buy Cuban Cigars for Saddam, but I'd be bent over a barrel if I bought one for myself.
I don't think the U.S. government really stresses that much about Americans smoking Cuban cigars anyway. I own more boxes of Cuban cigars (yes they are authentic) then any other country. Oops, did I say that…uh oh, I hope I don't get a knock on my door later…lol. But really, If this was such an issue I am sure the many Cuban smoking Americans wouldn't be enjoying their Party Shorts, Petit Emundos, and the real Bolis. I do however find it hypocritical since we do business with China, for example. But, in defense of the many great cigar families who had to give up their farms to the bozo running Cuba now, I almost feel ashamed for even purchasing Cuban cigars right now. And by the way, as amazing as some of the Havanas can be, I have had some disappointing Cubans cigars that didn't live up to the name.
You said "to explain why we have gone so long since 9/11 without a successful attack and to reveal the many close calls we never hear about.”
It may or may not be an interesting read (personally I have no plans to read it)
I am glad that you have stated that you are a liberal, because of the statement that I have cut from your comment describing the book. Because you and the libs do not want to give Bush any credit for anything, but if there was an attack, I am sure you would slam Bush for it. You are a true loser!!! and I give you 5 out 5 stogies rating for your liberal artcle!!!
Eugene, Pat S. is a liberal in the same way that George Washington, Milton Friedman, and Barry Goldwater were. Guessing from your name you’re used to living in a police state, but in America we’re not big fans.
I hear Eastern Europe's lovely by the way- perhaps you should go back.
You say liberal, well yes I did come from Russia, and I am a very lucky that way, and I hate to see America become social like Russia or China, that is why I know that when I hear libera-social ideas that distribute wealth to losers from people who worked hard to earn education, and start their own business, that a great country like USA will be like China and Russia. By the way if George Washington was here today and saw democrats debate he would call them a sell out and say that they are buying people's votes to gain power. Perhaps you should travel and live in other countries like I have to see what is going on here in America!!!
Hello!
I think this try.
A hypothetical question for you guys.
What would you say a giant corona Cohiba, that may have been previously owned by a former dictator be worth to someone.
Hmmmm…
Eugene, if your from Russia, I'm pope John Paul II.
However I agree totally with what you are saying.
does anyone know what cigar saddam was captured in the spider hole with?
(You can’t buy Cuban Cohibas in a market for $6.)
I can tell you for a fact that they aren't fakes. I am serving in Iraq now, and Cohiba's are sold here on base for about 120 USD per box. When he was in power, Saddam and Fidel Castro were personal friends, and they were often given by Castro as gifts. Being his favorite cigar, several supply lines were set up for shipping Cohiba's into Iraq. There is no embargo on Cuban products in Iraq, so they are just like any other high quality cigar here.