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The Trump administration will tell Cuba on Tuesday to remove the majority of its diplomats from Washington, D.C. after the U.S. cut its own embassy staff in Havana last week, according to a new report.
American officials told the Associated Press that the administration will request that Cuba withdraw 60 percent of its diplomats from the U.S. The move comes amid heightened tensions between both countries after at least 21 U.S. embassy personnel in Havana were sickened in mysterious sonic attacks.
The AP reported Monday that U.S. intelligence agents working at the embassy under diplomatic cover were among the first and most severely affected victims of the attacks, which began shortly after President Donald Trump’s election in November. The U.S. spies and diplomats suffered injuries, including brain trauma and hearing loss, from some kind of device.
A U.S. investigation into the matter is still ongoing.
Last week, the State Department removed most of its staff from the U.S. embassy in Havana, unable to guarantee residents’ safety. This week’s decision to cut Cuban diplomats in the U.S. is a direct response to that move, according to the AP.
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson discussed the plan on Monday. Official confirmation of the decision is expected to come on Tuesday.
The United States will only force the Cuban diplomats to leave if Cuba does not voluntarily comply with its request.
Full article: Report: Trump Admin to Expel Most Cuban Diplomats From United States (Washington Free Beacon)
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