Courting Disaster in Miami : Rage over Cuban shoot-downs could endanger U.S. policy

The foreign policy of the most powerful nation on earth should be formulated in Washington, not on Miami’s Calle 8, the heart of the Cuban exile empire. The decision by a coalition of angry exiles to send ships and civilian planes on Saturday to the general area off Cuba where two of their planes were shot down is a dangerous proposition, one that could turn last week’s outrage and tragedy into this week’s political blunder. Brothers to Rescue and other Cuban American groups have the right, and should be expected, to rage against the brutal attack by Fidel Castro’s warplanes, but not to the point where their operations endanger American policy.

All America shares in the mourning of Cuban Americans, and many will gather at Miami’s Orange Bowl this weekend when tens of thousands are expected at a memorial. But America should do everything it can to avoid provoking a disproportionate crisis.

President Clinton warned Cuba to allow a “safe, peaceful” demonstration outside its territorial waters. He also ordered the Coast Guard to help direct the exile flotilla to the site of the downings, to “keep an eye” on the event and “to protect civilian vessels.” The president also issued a series of orders designed to keep protesters from venturing into Cuban airspace or waters. Violators could face legal action that could lead to the loss of their planes or boats, imprisonment or the loss of their pilot’s licenses. That, as the president said, “is a prudent step.”

What Washington must do now, and has already begun to undertake in recent months, is engage in a dialogue that will build a structure for improved relations, particularly those likely to be established with what appears the inevitable collapse of communist rule in Havana. Certainly, the exiles will influence that policy, for they have considerable political power, particularly in Florida. But the time is not here, the men of Calle 8 must understand.