Cuba announcement expected today

President Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro will hold a bilateral meeting Saturday on the margins of the Summit of the Americas, the first such encounter between the two nations in more than 50 years, White House officials told The Washington Post Friday.

“We anticipate that they will have a discussion,” deputy national security adviser Benjamin Rhodes said.

Also being reported by media outlets who have received information leaks from the State Department and the White House, Mr. Obama should announce his decision to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List on Saturday (April 11).

Explaining the process, CBS News reported that “In removing Cuba from the terror list, President Obama must certify to Congress that the country has not supported international terrorism in the last six months and will not likely support it in the future.

“Although the process gives Congress a role to play and divides the foreign policy powers between the Executive and Legislative branches of government, Congress does not have the power to block the president’s decision.”

Criticism of the administration is expected, especially from Senators Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez, who have already expressed their dismay publicly, and in the House from South Florida’s Cuban-American representatives.

“U.S. laws that authorize the terror listing do give Congress the option of passing a Joint Resolution, or a bill to block a nation’s removal, but the president has the power to override such a move,” wrote Pamela Falk, for CBS News.

Although Falk added, “It’s unlikely, however, that there would even be enough support for a vote against Mr. Obama’s decision in the Congress, largely because both Republicans and Democrats from agriculture-intensive states are looking for trade opportunities.”

[Photo on top of President Obama and President Castro Friday at the opening banquet of the Panama Summit.]