Mark Dubowitz Interview on Fox News - November 26, 2016

The following is a transcript from an interview with Arthel Neville on Fox News with Mark Dubowitz, the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan policy institute.  Mark Dubowitz comments on the death of Fidel Castro and its implications on US foreign policy (November 26, 2016).

Arthel Neville:	From the Cold War to the War on Terror, the shadow of Fidel Castro felt over US foreign policy for nearly 60 years. He frustrated presidents of all stripes: Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, and liberals, but relations started softening during George W. Bush's administration and gained steam under President Obama. Here to talk about Castro's influence on American foreign policy, past and future, is Mark Dubowitz. He's the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Good to see you.
Mark Dubowitz:	Thanks, Arthel.
Arthel Neville:	All right, let's start here. In what ways has US foreign policy been dictated by Fidel Castro over the past 55 years? Will there be any real changes between now and 2016, when Raul Castro steps down? 2018?
Mark Dubowitz:	Well, Fidel Castro has been in power for over 50 years. He's bedeviled 10 US presidents from Eisenhower to George W. Bush, and in fact, he even snubbed Barack Obama when Obama restored diplomatic relations with Cuba and visited the island. He's been a thorn in the side of these presidents. He's ruled over Cuba, 90 miles from Florida. He's responsible for almost bringing the US and the Soviet Union to nuclear war in the early 1960s and he has inspired and supported revolutionary movements and terrorist organizations the world over, all united with one central organizing principle, and that is anti-Americanism.
Arthel Neville:	Yeah. As you mentioned, President Obama normalized US relations with Cuba last July, 2015. A year and some change later, critics say that has proven to be more symbolic. So, Mark, I ask you, do you think that once he gets in office, President Trump, can he bring about system changes that would better benefit the people of Cuba, and how might he do it?
Mark Dubowitz:	I think he could. The deal that Obama struck with Raul Castro unfortunately was a deal where most of the concessions were given to the Castro regime; very little concessions provided to the United States, and more importantly, the long-suffering Cuban dissidents who've been languishing in the prisons of Castro.
	Trump could come into office and he could keep the embargo lifted, or he could restore the embargo, or alternatively, he could use targeted sanctions, including human rights sanctions, to go after the Cuban military and the Cuban dictatorship that continues its oppressive ways.
Arthel Neville:	Right. Well, you would wonder if other presidents hadn't tried the same thing, but let's talk about the business part of this. How would those systemic changes in Cuba between the US in terms of the economy, but also not just that, Mark, the impression of this country as it is held by other leaders, how would that reflect?
Mark Dubowitz:	The problem with the deal that we struck with the Castro regime is that the Castro regime and the Cuban military are going to be the prime beneficiaries of any economic opening with the United States and with the rest of the world. You could restructure that kind of arrangement so that the economic benefits actually go to the Cuban people and you could combine that with tough financial and human rights sanctions against those who continue to oppress the Cuban people.
	I think that would be a fundamental shift in the Obama strategy and I think it would also be a signal to the rest of the world that we can't just believe because Castro is gone that Raul Castro and the Cuban military are going to usher in fundamental changes in the Cuban political structure and their relationship with the world. It is still a regime that continues to support terrorist organizations and revolutionary movements the world over.
Arthel Neville:	With that in mind, after Raul Castro steps down in 2018, can you foresee a democratic election to choose the president of Cuba?
Mark Dubowitz:	Well, I can't foresee it unless the United States and our allies does something to actually advance that. The problem is the Cuban regime is as dictatorial as it was under Fidel and the Cuban military continues to be as oppressive as it had ever been. It also continues to support revolutionary movements and dictatorial regimes all through Latin America, and so I think unless the United States under President-elect Trump, and then President Trump, actually begins to speak forcefully for civil liberties, for gay rights, for freedom in Cuba, my fear is that the lifting of the embargo is just going to fortify the regime under Castro, under Raul Castro, and his successors.
Arthel Neville:	But Donald Trump on the campaign trail did say that he wants to have religious freedoms for the people of Cuba, so he does seem to have a pretty strong stance on that, and, of course, he has so many of the expats living in Miami in President-elect Trump's ear as well.
Mark Dubowitz:	That's exactly right. To reinforce the importance of religious freedom, of sexual freedom, of human rights, and also the Cuban Americans who were forced out of that country. Their property was taken away; billions of dollars expropriated. Again, none of that was addressed in the deal that was struck between President Obama and Raul Castro. That's a deeply flawed deal that will need to be rectified, need to be renegotiated under President Trump.
Arthel Neville:	Do you think Trump can rectify that? Do you think he can do it?
Mark Dubowitz:	I think President Trump has said that he's a deal maker. He's going to re-examine a number of different agreements and treaties the United States has entered into and he's going to negotiate them on better terms, and I think this would be a good place to start.
Arthel Neville:	Okay. Mark Dubowitz. Thank you very much, Mark.
Mark Dubowitz:	Thanks, Arthel.