Noel Brinkerhoff reports: “In another sign of improving, if not incremental change in relations between the United States and Cuba, the U.S. military formally acknowledged a joint disaster-preparedness exercise last week between American and Cuban soldiers. Troops stationed on the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay crossed over into Cuban territory to set up a mock triage area that would be used by military personnel from both countries, if an actual emergency occurred. Meanwhile, a Cuban military helicopter was allowed to fly over the Navy base to drop water on a simulated wildfire… Retired U.S. Marine Corps General Jack Sheehan told The Miami Herald that the public acknowledgement represented a “trial balloon” by the Obama administration to test American—especially Cuban-American—feelings for closer relations with Havana.”
Military exercises are not new: Cuban and U.S. military have performed joint exercises on the island since the 1990s. But this is the first time the United States has made a public acknowledgement and provided details about this form of U.S.-Cuban cooperation. The Bush administration forbade the disclosure of this information for over a decade.
This is a particularly interesting kind of “step” in the slow thaw we have witnessed recently.