between our two countries. meanwhile, the qnx community in -- the cuban exile community in the united states made enormous contributions to our country, in politics, business, culture, and sports. like immigrants before, cubans help to remake america. even as they felt a painful yearning for their land and families they left behind. all of this bound america and cuba in a unique relationship. flooe.family and proudly, united states has supported democracy and human rights in cuba through these five decades. we have done so, primarily, through policies that americans can enjoy anywhere else. although this policy has been rooted in the best of

intentions, no other nation joint is an imposing the sanctions. and they have had little effect, beyond providing the cuban government for rationale for restrictions on their own people. today, cuba is still governed by the castros and the communist party that came to power half a century ago. neither the american north cuban people are well served by a rigid policy that is rooted in event that took place before most of us were born. consider that for more than thirty-five years, we have had relations wwith china -- a far larger country also governed by a communist party. nearly 2 decades ago, we reestablished relations with vietnam, where we fought a war that claimed more americans than any cold war country. that is why, when i came into office, i promise to re-examine our cuban policy. as a start, we lifted restrictions for cuban-americans to travel, and sent remittances to their families and cuba. cubans have been reunited with their families. one of the best ambassadors for

our values. and through these exchanges, a younger generation has question of approach that is to keep cuba closed off from the world. i have been prepared to take major steps for a long time. the wrongful imprisonment, in cuba, of a u.s. citizen and u.s. subcontractor, allen gross, for five years. over many months, my administration has held talks with the cuban government. his holiness, pope francis, gave a particular plea to me and the cuban government for the release of allen gross. today, allen returned home.

reunited with his family at long last. allen was released by the qa government on humanitarian grounds. separately, in exchange for the three cuban agents, cuba today released one of the most important intelligence agents that the united states have -- agent that the united states has ever had in cuba. this man, who sacrifice has been known to only a few, provided america with the information that allows to arrest the nnetwork of agents and other spies in the united states. having recovered these two men, who sacrifice for our country, are now taking steps to place the interest of people of both countries at the heart of our policy. first, i have instructed secretary kerry to reestablish diplomatic relations that have

severed since january 7 of 1961. going forth, the united states will establish an embassy in havana where we can advance shared interests. we will. on issues like health, migration, terrorism, drug trafficking, and disaster response. indeed, we have seen the benefits of cooperation between our countries before. it was a cuban who discover that mosquitoes carry yellow fever. his work helped walter reed fight it. cuba has sent hundreds of healthcare workers to advocate to fight ebola. now, where he disagree, we will raise those differences directly. as we will continue to do on issues related to democracy and human rights in cuba. i believe that we can do more to support the cuban people, and promote our values, through engagement. after all, these fifty years have shown that isolation has

not worked. it is time for a new approach. second, i have instructed secretary kerry to review cubans designation as state-sponsored terrorism. this review will be sponsored by the facts and the law. terrorism has changed. in a time where we are concerned with threats from isis and al qaida, cuba should not face the sanction. third, we are taking steps to increase travel, commerce, and the flow of information to and from cuba. this is fundamentally about freedom and openness. and also expresses my belief in the power of people and people engagement. with the changes i am announcing today, it will be easier for americans to travel to cuba. and americans will be able to

use american credit and debit cards on the island. i believe this contact will ultimately do more to empower the cuban people. i also believe that more resources should be able to reach the cuban people. so we are significantly increasing the amount of money that can be sent to cuba, and removing the limits on remittances that limits human projects and the cuban sector. i believe that american businesses should not be put at a disadvantage. an increasing commerce is good for americans and for cubans. will facilitate authorized transactions between the united states and cuba. u.s. financial institutions will be allowed to open accounts -- and it will be easier for u.s. exporters to so good in cuba. i believe in the free flow of information. unfortunately, our sanctions on cuba have denied cubans access to technology that have empowered individuals around the globe. so i have authorized increased telecommunications access between the united states and cuba.

businesses will be all the sell goods to enable cubans to communicate with citizens from the united states. these are the steps that i can take, as president, to change this policy. the embargo that has been imposed for a decades is now quantified and legislation. i look forward to engaging congress in an honest and serious debate about lifting the embargo. yesterday i spoke with raul castro to finalize the release of allen gross. in addition to the return of

allen gross, we welcome cuba's decision to release a substantial number of prisoners whose case was raised by my team. we invite cuba to increase engagement with international institutions, like the united nations and the international committee of the red cross, that promote universal values. but i am under no illusion about the continued barriers to freedom that remain for ordinary cubans. the united states believe that no cuban should face harassment or beatings or arrest simply because they are exercising an international right to make their voices heard. while cuba has made reforms to gradually open up its economy, we continue to believe that cuban workers should be free to form unions. just as their citizens should be free to participate in the political process. moreover, given their history, i suspect that they will continue to pursue foreign policies that will be, at times, sharply conflicting with american interests. i'm not expecting this to bring

about a transformation of cuban society overnight, but i believe we can help the cuban people help themselves as we move into the twenty-first century. to those who oppose what i'm announcing today, let me say that i respect your passion and share your commitment to liberty and democracy. the question is how we uphold that commitment. i do not believe we can keep doing the same thing for over five decades, and expect a different result. moreover, it does not serve america's interests, or the cuban people, to try and push cuba towards collapse. even if that works, and it hasn't for fifty years, we know from hard-earned experience that countries are more likely to enjoy lasting transformation if the people are not subjected to chaos. we are calling on cuba to unleash the potential of 11 million cubans by adding unnecessary restrictions. in that spirit, we should not

allow u.s. sanctions to add to the burden of u.s. citizens that that we seekzens to help. to the cuban people, america extends a hand of friendship. some of you have look to us as a source of hope, and will continue to shine the light of freedom. others have seen us as a former colonizer, intent on controlling jose martine said, liberty is the right of every man to be honest. today, i'm being honest with you. we can never arrest history between us, but we believe that you should be empowered to live with dignity and self-determination.

cubans have a saying about daily life -- no es facile -- it is not easy. today, the united states wants to be your partner in making the lives of ordinary cubans a little bit easier, more free, more prosperous. to those who have supported these measures, i thank you for being partners in our efforts. in particular, i want to thank his holiness, pope francis, whose moral shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be. the government of canada, which hosted our discussions with the cuban government. and a bipartisan group of congressman who have worked tirelessly for allen gross's release. finally, are shifting policy towards cuba comes at a new moment of leadership in the united states of america. we are prepared to have cuba join us at the summit of america's. but we will insisted that civil societies join us. so that citizens, and not just leaders, will join us. i call on all my fellow leaders to give meaning to the commitment to democracy of human rights at the heart of the inter-american charter. let us leave behind a legacy of

both colonization and communism. the tyranny of drug cartels, dictators, and sham elections. a future of greater peace, security, and democratic development is possible if we work together. not to maintain power, not to secure vested interests, but instead to advance the dreams of our citizens. my fellow americans, the city of miami is only 200 miles or so from havana. countless thousands of cubans have come to miami -- on planes and makeshift rafts. some with little but the shirt on the back, and hope in their hearts. today, miami is often referred to as the capital of latin america. but it is also a profoundly american city. a place that reminds us that ideals matter more than the color of our skin. or the circumstances of our birth. a demonstration of what the

cuban people can achieve, aand a demonstration of the openness of the united states. todos somos americanos. change is hard. and changes even harder when we carry the heavy weight of history on her shoulders. but today, we are making these changes because it is the right thing to do. today, america chooses to cut loose the shackles of the past. to reach for a better future. for the cuban people, for the american people. for our entire hemisphere, and for the world. thank you. god bless you. and god bless the united states of america. president obama earlier today president obama earlier today.

we want to say that we are going to show you all the reactions today at it :00 p.m. eastern. presidentter the spoke. otter -- governor -- marcoed mark rubio rubio spoke. >> one of my greatest hope is to see the people of cuba to become free. that is exactly why today's announcements from the white house is so profound a disappointing. it is a victory for the oppressive cuban government. and a serious setback for the repressed cubans. the white house has conceded everything, and gained little.

they gain no commitment on the part of the cuban regime on freedom of press, or freedom of speech, or elections. no binding commitment was made to truly open up the internet. no commitment was made to allow the establishment of political parties, or to even begin the semblance of a transition to democracy. and in exchange for all of these concessions, the only thing the cuban government agreed to do this free fifty-three political prisoners, who could wind up in jail tomorrow morning as they once again take up the cause of freedom, and to allow the united nations and the red cross to monitor conditions on the island. the same united nations that did nothing when cuba, last year, was caught helping north korea evade un sanctions. this entire policy announced today is based on an allusion. -- illusion. on a lie. the lie and the allusion that

n that more access to goods will translate to political freedom for the cuban people. all this is going to do is give the castro regime -- which controls every aspect of human life -- the opportunity to manipulate, to perpetuate itself and power. these changes will only lead to greater wealth and influence for the regime. especially the military, which controls most if not all of the cuban economy. and controls all of its oppressed people. these changes will lead to legitimacy for a government that shamelessly, continuously abuses human rights. but it will not lead to assistance for those whose rights are being abused. it is just another concession to tyranny by the obama

administration, rather than a defense of every universal and an inalienable rights that our country was founded on it stands for. in short, with these changes are going to do as they will tighten this regime's grip on power for decades to come. and it was significantly set back the hope of freedom and democracy for the cuban people. now, i am overjoyed for allen gross and his family. he has been a hostage kept against his will for far too long. our prayers are with him and his family because he was not just a prisoner, he was a hostage. but this president has proven today that his foreign policy is more than just naive. it is willfully ignorant of the way the world truly works. this administration just last week finally agreed after months of congressional pressure to impose sanctions on the venezuelan officials were violating human rights. a government who has spent all of 2014 killing, jailing, and oppressing its own people. and yet, we make historic concessions to the cuban

government that supports and is behind the tyranny in an israeli venezuela. the cuban government is influential at the highest levels of the regime. this policy contradiction is absurd. and it is disgraceful for a president who claims to treasure human rights and human freedom. this president is a single wish negotiator we have had in the white house in my lifetime. he has basically given the cuban government everything it asked for, aand received no assurances of any advancement in democracy. let me close by reminding everyone that god bestowed on the cuban people the same rights that he did on every other man, woman, and child that has ever lived. the inalienable rights spoken about in our founding documents. the cuban people look to america to stand up for these rights.

to live up to our commitment to the god-given right of every person. to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. these rights exist not just for the people born in the continental united states, but for people everywhere. it is unacceptable that people who do not know democracy for more than five decades is the people of cuba. that should be our overriding objective -- to do all we can to bring about political openings in cuba. then a free cuban people can decide about the economic model they want. but these measures will do nothing to bring about that day and, in fact, i fear significantly set it back. by conceding to the oppressors, this president and this administration have let the

people of cuba down. >> senator -- you have some things here about what you think might happen, which is continuing to happen based on this policy. we have seen other critics towards camp david and so on. those things worked out pretty well. why you so confident, in this case? >> because i know the cuban regime better than this president and anyone in this administration does. this is a regime that maniuplates everyone to their advantage. they deliberately chose to allow people to come to this country, but forced them to leave their families behind. that way, they would guarantee that these people were sent back remittances to cuba. they deny people access to others. this is a regime that single-handedly manipulate --

government process. time and again, the cuban government has manipulated every single concession this administration has made to their advantage. the number one goal of the cuban government is to remain in power. and anything we do will be to buy them into a mechanism for remaining in power. the cuban government will never let any changes that will threaten their ability to maintain a grip on power. we have seen that time and time again. and you are going to see that again in the months and years to come. >> you call the president the worst negotiator. he said a short time ago that he was to work with congress to do the things necessary to normalize relations. what, specifically, can congress do and what do you expect congress to do in response? >> well, my sense is that i anticipate i will be the chairman of the western hemisphere's subcommittee of foreign relations. and i anticipate we will have a very interesting couple of years

discussing how you are going to get an ambassador nominated and to get an embassy funded. >> about the exchange with the three remaining cubans. this has been rumored for months, maybe even more, that this was in the works in order to get allen gross back. what is your reaction to that? >> i am glad that allen gross is back. he never should have been there to begin with. let me just take this moment to point out something that the president said that is factually incorrect. the president said that cubans do not have access to advanced, twenty-first century technology because of the u.s. embargo. that is false. the reason why they don't have access to 20% to communications -- like smart phones and access to the internet -- is because it

is illegal in cuba. the reason why allen gross was taken hostage was because he was trying to help a small jewish community in cuba have access to that equipment. so for the president to say that it was because the u.s. embargo is categorically false. the second point out make to the present is the cuban government is going to control the internet, the same way the chinese government control the internet. this notion that cuba is going to allow the cuban people to access any website they want is ridiculous. they are not going to allow that to happen. my last point on it is that i'm glad mister gross is back with his family. i am always concerned anytime that we trade legitimate spies for innocent americans because it actually now creates an incentive. but, i am happy he is with his

family today. and i focus my remarks here today and make criticisms on the unilateral changes the president has made, which i think will have a dramatic impact on freedom on the island. [speaking in spanish] [speaking in spanish] [question in spanish] [responding in spanish]

>> our understanding is that the present is doing this -- his remarks towards the pope. does his remarks have any influence on how quickly you might decide to run for president? >> i think that my understanding is that the influence his gross ishas had on mr. not my place to criticize. i would also ask his holiness to take up the cause of freedom and democracy, which is critical for people to truly be free. i think the people of cuba deserve the same chances that the people of argentina have had, where he comes from. my point is that i hope that people with that sort of prestige on the world stage will take it out for the cause of freedom and democracy. the cuban people are the only people in this hemisphere who have not been able to elect a

leader in more than fifty-five or sixty years. for this government, under barack obama, to give up all the things they gave up is unacceptable in my mind. this is unrelated to anything prior. i'm not going to discuss that today. >> do see this move as yet another unilateral move done by the present wwithout speaking to the congress? >> we are going to study very carefully whether these measures contradict the letter of the law, with regard to the acts, i would say that i would can see that many of the changes have been made today fall within the purview of the presidency. my criticisms are largely based on the fact that these are unwise decisions. the fact that i now know, for a fundamental truth, that this will make the day when democracy comes to cuba even further away.

they are going to utilize these changes to create more wealth, more funding for their oppressive regime. what is going to happen now is that american companies are going to become deeply embedded in the cuban economy. in a few years, you're going to see them here in the halls of congress to lobby. i saw that this week when we tried to pursue and pass a bill that supported democracy protesters in hong kong. my office was getting phone calls from companies that do business in china asking us to back off. off.you are going to see that here now, too. >> alan gross was released from prison and that, of course, goes hand-in-hand with the change in policy. would you have rather seen him remain imprisoned? >> according to the white house, they do not go hand-in-hand. the interchange between the united states and cuba on the three spies with a american held

in prison -- suffices to say, the three prisoners - the three spies that were in u.s. custody were not benign spies going around cutting up newspaper clippings. at least two of them were involved in direct information given to the cuban government that led to the murders of american citizens were patrolling the streets in florida over international waters trying to save the lives of rafters. >> president obama alluded to young cuban-americans, saying that they accept more normal relations. which is quite different from what you are saying. how do you explain that the younger generation -- >> partially, because i'm forty-three -- i feel forty-four -- and partially because, look, this is not a political thing. i don't care for 99% of the people believe we should normalize relations with cuba.

i believe that before we can normalize relations, democracy has to come first. or at least significant steps towards democracy. i would further say to you that -- including the individuals that the present discussed -- freedom for cuba. i would say that if you want the majority of the people out there and said we are going to recognize them, we're going to open up the banking sector, we are going to do -- and in exchange, all cuba is going to do is release fifty-three prisoners they can put back until next year. most people would say, well, that is not the kind of deal that we had in mind. let me be clear, i am in favor of normalizing relations with cuba. but for that to happen, cuba has to be normal. cuba has to be a democracy. the day they take significant steps towards democracy, i will be the first one to stand up

here and say now is the time to change policy. that day is clearly not today. >> you have been told that the administration one be for it. did they consult congress? >> welcome to women of washington. of greatare a number women of washington. we call thisfice, meeting by the acronym w.o.w. and looked of applause to susan. thank you to you and your team for your tremendous poor. heart of as into the lot of women and men from around

washington area the women and men that we will talk about today have dedicated their lives to public service, and we are talking about some of the most dogged issues, ebola, homeland security, counterterrorism. my guests have played vital front-line roles and have high-powered jobs. talk about national security in the white house experience as well as the trajectory of their lives and their work. just a small reminder to please silent your cell phones, and atlow us on twitter atlanticwow. >> hello everybody, happy holidays. come on in.

lisa, thank you. as margaret said, i am steve andons with "the atlantic," i am obsessed with national security issues. usually people say can you give us a big report, but the things that you guys do our very much there ares and challenges, whether it is from isis or talking about cuba, you have it to guantanamo paying a bay ames -- guantanamo few times. you two have known each other and have been in this business for a long time to read you both have the same key job to inviting u.s. residents places. ?ow did you to first meet >> well, i will start.

it is great to be here. i want to thank the museum. >> i hope you feel that way. >> trust me, steve, this will be the best part of my day. [laughter] i was a young lawyer in the justice department working in the council of janet reno. i would consist he see this woman, very intense, clearly had everything together, who had walking rights to the attorney general. i quickly learned it was standing on the front lines and keeping us safe, dealing with national security issues and that was my first impression of her. an, what was your first impression of lisa? >> i was doing a job that lisa had done earlier in the administration. in the office of policy and review, and i was responsible for the wiretapping

of the national security arena, and what often have to go in. bright young lawyer and there was nothing she did not want to learn your there was not any particular area of law. most people do not understand how we're going time of the east had a bombings, that lisa voracious appetite to be able to absorb all of that and show interest and acumen in the area earlier in her career. >> i want to talk to you both about this and we will open this up in a little net. we want to talk about cyber terrorism and isis and a whole variety out there. the was something more monday through when you sit in your job and you have the task of advising the president of united dates on this sort of's off, how do you approach that?

does the president have a good day or that day, isn't like mean, thererds," i could be tv shows based on both of you to down the road. his personality involved, or is not see antelligence machinery so big that human beings in the middle of that really don't matter? >> i think human beings matter tremendously. the relationships that you are able to build in our job, the one i hold and the one that fran previously held is critical. you have to be able to take people around the table, literally and figuratively, and understand rapidly why situation is a what might be, and to be able to relay that to the president and hopefully the the --e clear give

clear,ly be right, be give the best information you integrated into all other aspects of the cabinet and it is vital. >> there is so much more that comes to you then goes to the president. the important point of your job is to filter, and not in a good way, because he only has so many hours in the day, and you have to make judgments about what he has to know so that he is prepared, so for me, the day started at 3:30 in the morning, and i can't speak for you, but i to showerthat time and go to the gym and address, and i was in the car by fire lot. the president would get information, there was interaction within the intelligence community.

there were questions that i thought should be added to things, so it was the process to get the right information to him in a timely way that is holy integrated and comprehensive. so he is not getting a single review, but the lease and integrated one. would not be inaccurate to describe this time as a time after 9/11. was a way that we changed how we did security quite a bit. we change the way we think about intelligence and in my particular view, you see the massive growth of executive power over a lot of issues. we just had the release of the interrogation board, often called the torture report. fran, youen to know, were not involved on it many of these releases. there is a question of whether or not we had a healthy balance

between creating institutions oversight, orith whether we need to go into another phase where the balance is different than we have today. i want to get your take on accurate you have served under two presidents. have you ever had them say i am not getting the oversight that i need, i need to make decisions only? so is there are not a lot of difference between president bush and president obama. my question is, what is healthy? >> frankly, there has been a tremendous amount of back and or your it specifically, between the intelligence community and congress. and i will tell you to the extent that the picture has been painted both recently and historically, that they don't have sufficient access. i think that is unfair. , theytelligence community need to have information, but

there was the gang of eight, there was a good deal of information act and forth. postess faces the same 9/11 struggles that everybody else does. it is difficult to have the resources to devote to the time. i think we have to have a better balance of that. i think we have to have a better balance of how wiest began when we speak to the american people about the program. there has been an ungodly number ,mount of leaks of information and there are ways we can talk about programs and national security issues that we don't do enough of. to doagree, and i think do more. president obama talked about this change across the board. i think that opened up the debate that we had not had and that the resident called for. i think they are healthy and

good and productive ways -- there are healthy and good and productive ways. spoke to the spirit and you have seen it involves and it should involve the congress, it should involve them more. and if there is a question about precedent, and what can you do or what should you do, the president has spoken on a number of programs about whether it might not be wise whether to put some constraints that legal floor at a policy level, and to discuss those with congress and make sure those are transparent to congress. think a lot about terrorist and extremism in the world and how to pull the plug on it? ran, you are the president of a new group of the extremism in the world. conceit of the women of washington is that many

others would like to know what your track was, what were the dollars that helped you achieve success as you went along the way? part of this field is so important is that we see isis, we were just talking about james foley when it happened, with a number of journalists and people who have been kidnapped. thinking about how you pull the plug on. fran, why don't we start with you? >> sure, the part of my project nonpartisan curate joe lieberman and i announced at the u.n. general assembly. lisa andat, i called center all the information on the organization. this organization was not meant to compete with government. quite the opposite. it was meant to supplement with what the government does, so what is it? so the idea is that it is really two or three full. it is to challenge bad guys like isis, like al qaeda and their

earliest, and do that in the social media world. to actually challenge to shut them down. while we were he in this country, we rightly cherish our first amendment and our right to be, there is no one who would believe, even in this country, that beheading videos and pictures ought to be permitted on social media. by the way, i think that social media companies would be, but they do not have the resources to take it down. we were going to go and hunt them on the internet. we were going to announce them publicly and to the companies, and ask that they be taken down. and we are pursuing that. i will tell you that i know it is been successful because as a result of that, i have gotten gotten death threats and continue to do. >> so when you get those, do you think, well i am being successful? >> i consider it a badge of

honor. so we have the technology and the analytic know how to use public source material to go out and actually find the people who are the traitors who are allowing isis to move their oil onto the black market and to out him. or, if we can't out them, and not she's behavior, you can provide the information to governments and service intelligence communities around the world. >> are you surprised about these people you are tracking down. i heard from david cohen who has a lot of was wants ability for targeting sanctions, and i wanted to talk about isis and black market and antiquities. you have to know something about antiquities and sotheby's and christie's and rich people who want to buy antiquities. that requires some degree of education in the world. does that shock you? does shock me. i will tell you the thing that is really incredible to me, when

you look at their propaganda, remember that there was the magazine that al qaeda had, it was a magazine that you could talk into your pocket. you can find in caves and in deserts. now we see hollywood style productions. incredibly professional. they have their own drone footage. raid on ailming of a syrian or iraqi military base. it was even set to music. there was a voiceover. it is absolutely professionally done, and it is hard for the u.s. government to compete with that. >> i want to pause with fran fran-- i want to applause and with what the counter extremists organization has done. sometimes the government is not the best messenger on countering the brutal message that isis is sending.

we need muslim voices, we need voices from the arab communities, we need arab communities to join the coalition, and we need the private sector, nonprofits, other voices out there countering, sending out messages, and using social media for as effectively as the extremists are doing. would probably agree with me, but the evolution of the threat -- the framework has stayed largely the same. al qaeda, which we continue to be worried about, is still an a northwest territories in pakistan. they have been greatly diminished, and we have distracted your planning. you tell me about the site group -- side group

corisan. i would love the leisure why, this was slipped in under the rug from something we have been watching or thinking about. most of us had never heard of the group. what was your role? say is i think it is a good thing that you say that because we were doing our job. trying to disrupt threats before they became public knowledge, and then bad actors cannot take other means and continue. group --urse on corisan group is al qaeda veterans who have saw the safe haven of syria. they have gone there to fight aside -- they did not go there to fight aside, but because it is an i and governed it these

are al qaeda veterans plotting against the west and the homeland. >> either other pockets of corsican out there that you are worried about? >> al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. they are the most determined and persistent and frankly skilled actors, particularly when it comes to aviation. that is something that we have not taken our eye off that ball for one minute, even as we are extremely robust on active corsican groups and i sold -- and isil and the unprecedented flow of groups into western iraq. >> when we talk about foreign fighters, it's only people far away. we have foreign fighters in the united states and france has

1500 people there. peopleia has a lot of there. australia was the first to line up in the coalition against isis to devote fighters and personnel. it has about 60 personnel, 60 people, and about 100 who have been actively financing to stop isis from australia. so how do you deal with that? because that is a very different thing out there, that is an inside problem, right? >> i would say to you, i think people have got to look at this. there are two prongs, in my judgment of this. one is the foreign fighter, right? who may return. i think the immediate problem, which is on australia, that is the self radicalized individual. he or she is harder to catch. there is a shorter loop for lisa and her colleagues. it is easier to interrupt the

loop for the foreign fighter. >> because they are more actively engaged? when you have a more radicalized individual, you might not have any idea that person is going to go operational. and then it manifests itself. >> the radicalized person is just a criminal and a terrorist. how do you feel about that? >> it does not matter to the people inside the cafe. you have to deal with it as the ealt to you. >> thereunto prompted this threat to this thread and you have to deal with them at the same time. so the self radicalized one is the one that is closer to home at the moment. and i,ink fran throughout our time in the white house, both of our time that we dealt with was the affiliates, that we just discussed, but this other category that we talked

wolves or homegrown extremists. they are sympathetic to radical ideologies and who will turn potentially after a series of messages and an evolution of a radicalization process. been concernedys about those three groups, if you will. but it is this last one, and i quite agree with fran, which has taken two forms. so for instance, it used to be that these individuals would self radicalized by passively doing something on the internet or a magazine as fran described. now the evolution and proliferation and the prowess of using the social media platform has made in the lone wolf or homegrown terrorist threat worse.

we are just beginning to understand this. this is a vital part of our ability to combat that very changed threat. >> which is exactly why we founded this. this is an exponentially greater threat now as a result of that. it was that the private sector needed to play a role there. can add one -- i other thing. we are fighting isis today in iraq and in syria, there are moving on to the next thing. i think it is worth noting. it is clear from the we see from source material that isis, the islamic state, is already sort of working through their playbook in places like saudi arabia, jordan, lebanon. they are fighting in iraq and syria, and that is the oak is now is there expansion of the caliphate -- and that is their emphasis now is there expansion -- their expansion of the

caliphate. that is a real challenge, it is a challenge for the administration and the intelligence community, and it is a challenge for our allies. >> both of you have dealt with this internationally. as women, and i don't want to presupposes, but it is a field dominated by men. i went through analyst and a lot of other women from condoleezza rice to even hillary clinton to michele flournoy on to elizabeth sherwood and randall and others, including ourselves, it is a stive list, but it is not a giant list. it is a nonissue? how do you deal with saudi a.e.?a or qatar or u.

>> to want to start? [laughter] >> give is a good story. [laughter] >> i am going to take you back. of 2003.ust, or july, i don't think i have been in the job three or four months. infamous 28the pages of the 9/11 report that remain ossified related to saudi arabia. we are sitting in the oval office and the foreign minister of saudi arabia and the president. deputy at the time. president bush says he will not declassified. the saudi's get angry. an the first time, there is official break. the saudi's have been very aligned after 9/11. a turn.

i decided i'm going to go and represent the president in saudi arabia. so i have never been. i called everybody. the state department. the cia. everyone would get me ready. they are consistent in one thing. absolutely, you can go. the saudi's will view it as insulting because you are a woman. i don't know, how would i know? so i wait for my right moment to up approach president bush and say to him, looked this is what i have been told. and you are not into her my feelings. maybe this is really important. maybe it is better if you send somebody else. and you know, i am happy to bow out. the president is quite irritated and says to me, it is not your choice. it is mine. what you don't understand about the saudi's is that they won't care if you kind of were a big purple dinosaur.

is, you of the matter -- >> did he just say big purple dinosaur really? very -- heidn't didn't. [laughter] >> we almost made twitter news. anyway, i spent a tremendous amount of time in the kingdom healing with all levels of government, including there secret service, and i was treated incredibly well. a postscript to that, in my private life now, i also have business to travel to the kingdom, and i have continued to be treated very well. it is not because i am a woman, and my voice or opinions are not taken seriously. quite the opposite. someone once said to me, you are

more effective because saudi politely, so you you have the best of both worlds. >> what is your best saudi story? >> the first time i went to the kingdom, it was in my prior job. i asked for advice, and i would just echo what fran said. is, you're going as a representative of the president. now, whether it is saudi arabia, which we have a long and productive and close comparative partnership, or frankly, yemen, which i have been more to than anybody else in the administration, they are very different environments, but the key point is, i have been sent as the president's emissary, and that is important to the

president with whom i am meeting in yemen or going to turkey and going to see that king of jordan. the same doors are opened because i am going at the request of the president with a message from the president with civic things to discuss from the president, -- with specific things to discuss from the president. to be fair, i don't think we can be fair about michele flournoy's book, she did not like the title, but she said she has two daughters, and there are key moments in their life. but i am just interested, there is this sense that part of the reason that national security positions are nominated by guys is that they are not worded by other responsibilities. so my unfair question to both of you, can national security women

still have it all? >> yes. look at something like susan rice, you know? clearly a national security woman if ever there was one. if having a beautiful and well-adjusted family and being at the top of your game in the national security profession is having it all, then absolutely. >> ditto on the power. there are a lot of examples, which i think proves that we can. look, i think in fairness, to be tellkind of, honest, i young women coming up, you can have it all, but mostly you have to have it in sequence. it is not about having it all at the same time. , to get to do that these periods with children and a family, everything has -- everyone has to be signed onto that. my children were very little

when i was at the white house. i could not have done a if i did andhave a phenomenal nanny a phenomenal spouse who was signed on. i could not take the gift of the doctor, that was just not possible. i could not go to parent-teacher conferences, it was not possible. but people were ok with that. longu can have it all as as you have signed on to the program for a creative time, and there are going to be sacrifices. the time that i gave up with my children when i was -- when they were little, i can't get back. one is grown and in college now. but we were all proud of the fact that we had done this for a. and i also would say having it all means making choices. i believe firmly, you do what you want to do. doing things in sequence, prioritizing at one

point in your life or another, having it all is really making those choices, the freedom to make those choices. these are all folks who have had wonderfully supportive houses and the means to do this thing. obviously we have to be realistic about that as well. >> we have to talk about the sony movie. of cyber.oad issue when you look at cyber crime today, a segment on msnbc that was pushed back, talking about the revelation, hacking, and international. despite the humor of it, a lot of big issues related to this. whoever did this nation or group, there is a fragility that seems ready profound in the i.t. and cyber world. the second part is when .overnments

this is an area where the speed is rocketing up in terms of the capacity. i am wondering if we are prepared. how much of the dashboard is still with this kind of subject. taken a lot of steps to harden our own defenses, physical and will, but we have to do a lot more. is the place where securityats and cyber really comes together, whether it is infrastructure protection on the homeland security side or dealing with international or the threat of terrorist actors forg cyber as of that were the attack. i personally think we need to use the lessons that we have

gained from a decade plus of counterterrorism improvements, both structural -- trollope -- structure, policy wise and culture. i am working hard to drive the policy apparatus and the national security community toward we have to learn the lessons that have been so found -- so beneficial to bring all of the tools, the whole approach, diplomatic, criminal justice, prosecutor it -- prosecutorial resources. i think to add on what lisa is saying, this is an area where there has been bipartisan support. the administration talks to many, not just me. national fiber

serif -- national cyber terrorism. national have a single cyber center. like thehe department 9-11 counterterrorism days. what's with the legal authorities be? a national center work permit you to do that. it would be nice if we could learn the lesson we learned post mine-11 from a physical attack. i read a lot of novels and have been reading david intimations novel lately. it is all about your work. there is one novel blood money and another, the director. in it it is about the terrorism world converging. -- sweet spoteat

about what to write about. you can do and also to the point that you realize the notion of liberty we have and a , andin degree of freedom the ability to be naughty is over in the coming world that people can intervene. you seem so relaxed and nice and cool people. the world is so dark and what is coming, how do you have this detached and relaxed person that i think you are? i would be worried i would make a lot of people nervous. i think there would be a lot of people that would question that i am as relaxed and forgiving as you indicate. one of my staff members here may argue with that.

we have to learn lessons. we have just someone that can be productive. there is a lot about stuff in the cyber realm and with what we are confronting. >> do you ever wake up in the morning and things feel good? >> no. >> i said this to someone the other day. i have developed a loathing response to the ring tone on my blackberry. it only goes off in the middle of the night. off tonday night it went tell me about the horrific attack. news at that time of night. frankly, when i meet every morning with the president, along with susan rice and others to talk about overnight intelligence briefing and the

issues we are confronting of the day, it is never good news. but the plus side is, i have the greatest job description in the world, which is i get to help with a hugesafe apparatus and tremendously dedicated professionals and the community across the board. >> the joke was when i would show up unannounced to the door of the oval office, i was a little black cloud. i could kill a conversation, stop by meeting just by walking through the door because everyone knew if i showed up unannounced it is because i needed to speak to the president of the united states at that moment. it was clear the room so i could talk to him. the converse of that is also true.

>> so i feel very confident that john brennan does not get to run in and tell the president we have bin laden. good news travels around me. bad news came to me to deliver. you accepted that in the job. >> 100% true area deciding when to make that phone call. those are key moments. >> how many calls did you have to make? >> the first one was literally my third week in the job. calling the president to tell him one of the boston bombers was dead and another was still at large. it is not a decision i hesitated about, even though i was three weeks on the job and have never woken him up to be sure. >> is he a nice guy at 3:00?

>> i think we are divided that part of the conversation quickly. i knew he would want to know because there was a public safety issue. there was a manhunt underway. we did not know what else could follow. making the decision to go back iswhere we started, your job knowing quickly and with and invariablyle perfect information, when to make the call, when to interrupt and go to the oval office to be the person who clears the room, and that is something you learn every day. lastwant to ask one question. and tried to get back to women in these roles. , i don'tnow her name think any of us do. the woman in the cia that played such of pivotal role in the

intelligence to track the courier. she was the spark who really take things in a different direction in trying to get bin laden. in the limited amount of investigation i have done around i am left with the impression that the cia is a that tookated culture a long time if ever to appreciate the role she played and finally left intact because there was no room for advancement. she had been passed over so many times so that story, when he think about women of washington, she would be a woman i would like to interview on the stage. it is not a good one when it comes to these issues. i would like to get your take, not on that particular issue perhaps but the culture of intelligence. >> interestingly enough, she was

not the spark for this. multiple directors have been worried about this issue. as secretary albright, myself, a group of us if we would please look at this in shut -- this issue inside the cia. i think this started with director panetta. we looked at women in the cia, promotion pass, what we could do to encourage it. this is not just a quality issue. but alsoportant issue in terms of intelligence gathering, women bring different tools, have different access, especially in this part of the world. so it is an important national resource issue in terms of making sure women are

competitive. isuess the outcome of that there are changes made. it was considered a problem in the problem that required attention at the director level. multiple directors had taken it on to address it. even though changes take time to bring about results. it is not just an issue of cross but the cia. the other thing i would say about the woman you're talking about, in fairness to the institution, no single analyst, because i was there when we put the pieces together, this is a team. it is to some degree how she was claimingas a result of credit for herself that was

shared by a team. when you think about how women in the national security area, how do you break the path that is broken? dealt large women i have with in that arena, are that result, not about credit. is this is issue about credit after the fact. it was a team, it really was a team. she deserves a lot of the credit but not all of it. >> i think it is not just an issue in intelligence but law enforcement. promotion pass, success in -- succession planning, making sure as a leader and organization you are thinking about the past.

what i would say, and it will take time to change, i am getting tweets almost daily by in thebly talented women intelligence community. that is what i am seeing. it is tremendously exciting. , that mayrations side be a different pipeline. there is real talent there and the changesake sure fran is alluding to take root. right now,rth saying number two and number three are both women. there is a good future including operation. >> and department of defense on an act and basis. >> let me open up the floor. so much a question that breaking news. sony noted they pulled the

thease and not releasing sony interview. that just came through. >> i am so glad you brought this up. >> just before we walked in, a number of theaters said they were not going to carry the release. i must tell you how wrong i think it is of sony in the theaters. aa, you are confronted with the idea is to not kidnap and them in the noise -- in the nose. the notion that sony and the theaters is ridiculous. there is aappen if david ignatius novel that pokes fun at the regime in russia and all of a sudden they get attacked by the russians, are they going to pull it then you go i think it is a horrible idea and president. >> we will bring a mic to your.

>> i work and study in the city. could you take a survey. remarksinking about the , specifically the associated forces elements. could you take a look at that? also, the team had a note about the president's judicial nomination. 305, which beats this point for any of his predecessors. >> could you explain the acronym is -- acronym some as we go through.

>> he is tremendous. piece, authorization for the use of military force, the president has stated quite clearly he wants to work with congress. he would have strong bipartisan support for military action for the work in theory a indirect. i took my lawyer had off when i went to the white house. congresst was great was able to push through a huge chunk of judges into the system because we need them desperately. >> dedicated denial of service

attack. that is when you try to log on and will not come off, there is some failure. flooding to deny it by traffic. we saw this in the financial services sector leading up. miraculously the attacks stopped once we had those negotiations. you will see more of this. frankly, what you hear on the private sector, financial services in particular, there needs to be a better, stronger relationship with the government. the government understands those sorts of attacks are generally used against the private sector to put pressure on the government. there's a burden in the private sector. there is a tremendous cost to and that companies bear

while there is a dialogue, there needs to be more. >> sarah harvard, the huffington post. speak about that thisrist nation and how affects u.s. policy. two key u.s. partners in critics than have been removed from tier three status and how the concerns may be affecting other potential u.s. partners. the other question i have is about how concerns around gender-related violence with the islamic faith and how that affects you in u.s. foreign-policy. >> whatever designated list and gender related violence. >> on the designation blessed, i am not familiar with what you are referencing, but it is one of the tools we used to great effect. you mentioned david:, who has done wonderful work in this

arena. cohen.d i think we need to do more. if we can stop the flow of money , that is a key ingredient to depriving the actors from the lifeblood that allows them to perpetrate really heinous crimes. >> does cuba automatically, the state-sponsored terror list -- terror list. separate announcement today that he asked secretary kerry to undertake a review, review asset that is guided by a statue. he will move out on that. >> did you want to comment on the gender issue. there are concerns is a number of female hostages, slavery, rapes, forced modern slavery. we all know that is horrible, but to the degree you begin

thinking about how you undermine the legitimacy in the eyes of the region -- what would be your advice? , i think there are several issues to look at when you consider this. just last week isis release of pamphlet for how to treat women. you can rate them. them.e basically women are the spoils of war. as horrible as that is, understand when you're talking about taking the enemies women and raping, murdering, torturing and abusing them, it is part and parcel of a genocide. i am not going to simply conquer i enemy, i will eliminate my enemy. we have to understand it is part of the strategy. somebody said to me it is a cultural issue. racisme say slavery or

is a cultural issue cap of this is a human rights issue. we have to approach it just as we what any of the other issues and take it on directly. i do think in terms of the narrative piece, this is part and parcel of how you counter and have people understand the moral bankruptcy of what they are suggesting. i want to make this the context of an islamic religious argument. this is not. this is a moral argument to me him and we have to be willing to confront them on that. we need all of them to tackle this. well, yale. -- will. can you talk about the factional fighting in libya?

something that france referenced, the intent is almost to branch out, whether it is in libya, taking up the calls for , from the extremist group in egypt, engaging to form these links. i think that is a huge area of concern. and this seems to be happening, right? throughout africa you see groups makingng isis and also efforts to court made and communicates with isis. have you shut that down? >> this goes to the effort fran talked about with counter extremism. goes to the narrative of that they're somehow in

sensible. we saw them making a series of inroads and have freedom that was not checked. amongsting currency others in iraq. we have done a lot to push back on that. to one that we had to do more into it with a range of voices and partners. you saw the first military , late taken this summer summer in september with five goals countries, including a woman pilot. >> the islamic state came out and said they wanted to crucify. >> derek quick. -- very quick. the newer you mentioned political actors you call terrorist. you worktely for you as a bureaucrat --

you have to start thinking like them and be creative. >> thank you. >> i am chris with the virginia quality bar association and will turn it back to sony because i spent 18 years in hollywood. theas really interesting progression and i totally agree was should not given to the people but this morning talking .bout losing $100 million then they canceled the new york premiere, and now they have canceled the entire thing. on the one and we cannot given to them but on the other and they are creating a huge potential problem financially in the financial markets. almost 7% they have lost.

>> let me take your question and piggyback. because when janet napolitano letter job, one of the discussions we had with her was how you balance responding to yet youin a way, and realize the society and the strength is running normally, and not being believed -- being bullied. or it into the broader issue how you look at the whole swaths of your jobs. do you create a healthy balance? there are people that only think about the problems. interesting that tony abbott told everyone what you can do is to continue to go out and live your life normally. it is holiday time, enjoy. how much of that becomes your discussion internally? does that ever affect the

decision you make as to whether you announce or not? >> you have to do that to make sense and be safe. in favore have evolved of giving more information in responsibly. there is to challenges. one is strategic that you just mentioned, and day to day dealing with the crises that come up of invariably. challenge.y tough i face it and assume fran did and making sure you are taking the steps you need to to respond and notdividual crisis losing the strategic focus because you will need that when you need to respond to a particular crisis because you have to be concerned about the second, third, fourth order effects of any action you take. >> when the prime minister made

the statement, i hearkened immediately back to right after 9/11 when president bush signed keep shopping -- that keep shopping, go out and was criticized and made fun of. the point to that is right. you have to have confidence and that your government, people like lisa, and the tens of thousands of public servants like lisa are dedicating themselves 24-72 dealing with the problem and threat so that you can go about living your life. there is going to be an impact on sony. bears the responsibility for that. in terms of measures they took or took inadequately to detect the system. there will be an impact there.

there will be an impact on the financial services sector. there is a balance and cost to i do think this sends a horrible message, because this is not a one-off. the studios will face this problem again so we need a better framework. will >> does there exist an arm within counterterrorism and homeland security for the islamic leaders, organizations or institutions domestically here to work with you on strategies in the narrative in the war against terrorism? >> before you answer, i will grab a couple in the lightning round because i feel guilty. , and i want to say

i dance in the periphery of intelligence and two of the most respected individuals i know. my questions on russia, if you could touch on that because it is going downhill fast. >> reporter with foreign policy magazine. a few weeks ago vice president ofen spoke about the roles some of our allies having important rebel groups in serious and was criticized for having spoken about that, but a was mentioned before. allies thisamerican english between the good terrorist who support certain political objectives that a particular ally has versus bad terrorist who they want to go after. i am particularly talking about the case of pakistan. >> good terrorist versus bad terrorists.

a couple of questions that i will attack on my own. part of therst obama administration you did not see much backstabbing going on between the national security divas and the team. the bush administration was right with backstabbing. backstabbing. i am interested in whether you think in addition to asking about the good terrorist versus bad terrorists question, russia and whether there is a new arm and homeland security about what environment is better for smart national security making? when you have a competition of rivals or better to keep it all fields and bottled up? premise.lenge the

andink more and better robust views in argument are always going to be better. that is what i am trying to get at the situation room. >> interesting. >> with regards to homeland security arm, we are doing a lot in an effort to deal with communities on violent extremism and you'll see more of that in the coming months. i would say to you, welcome to the past two years of any president who serves two terms. i do think some of that is almost inevitable by virtue of time. i do not think that is unique from one president to another. we need more outrage, involvement of the islamic

, and i think we need the same thing right here. i would encourage the administration to do that. russia, i am deeply worried that that signals or misread signals from us as we miss so he sees an opportunity and lack of engagement. watch this space because i think our allies in eastern europe feel full marble. i think putin will continue to be aggressive. good terrorist that terrorists. when i sat in the seats i used to say there is a real thing difference between those who simply hate us and those that want to kill us. i was about those who wanted to kill us. while the people who hate us are offensive, in terms of bandwidth

and hours in the day, you have to pick your battles. you are both extraordinary. thank you for your candor and humor. happy holidays. thank you so much. [applause] of the year, the last women of washington, thank you to -- for being here today. thank you to everybody.

>> here are some of the programs you will find this weekend. saturday night on c-span, seth rogen discussing politics and humor with daily show cocreator liz winstead at the harvard institute of politics. sunday evening, author and town hall editor katie pavlik on what she perceives as the hypocrisy of liberals on the war of women from direct c-span2 saturday night at 10:00, william tophowitz argues the universities are missing the mark in education and students showed learned lesson, the creative and have a goal in life beyond material. sunday morning before 11:00, book tv visits west lafayette, indiana, to interview the city's openers. on american history tv, saturday at 6:00 eastern on the civil

war, damien shields talk about the life of patrick claver and and roll in the confederate army. the history of police brutality in neighboring oakland. a complete television schedule at www.c-span.org and let us know about the programs you are watching. and send at comments us a tweet. conversation,n like us on facebook, follow us on twitter. >> earlier today president obama announced the united states will start to normalize relations with cuba while lifting many travel and economic sanctions in place for over 50 years. the change in policy comes after cuba released alan gross and an

unnamed intelligence agent. the president's remarks are about 15 minutes. >> we won and an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests and instead normalize relationships between our two countries. through these changes we intend to create more opportunities for the american and cuban people and began a new chapter among the nations of the americas. this is a complicated history between the united states and history -- united states and cuba. i was born 1961, 2 years after fidel castro took power and a few months after the day of pigs

invasion -- bay of pigs invasion. over the past several decades they have played out over the cold drop -- the backdrop of the cold war -- cold war. we are separated by just over 90 miles per year after year and ideological and economic area or hardens between our two countries. meanwhile, the cuban exile community in the united states made enormous contributions to our country and politics and sports., culture and like immigrants before, cuba has helped to remake america, even as they felt the painful yearning for the land and families they left behind. all of this found america and cuba and the unique relationship that once family and felt. you -- the united states has supported cuba through these five decades. if done so primarily through

policies and to isolate the island that americans can enjoy anyplace else. and though the policy has been rooted in the best of intentions , no other nation joined us in imposing sanctions and has had little effect the on providing the cumin government with the rationale for restrictions on its people. governed bys still the castro's and communist party that came to power half a century ago. neither the american nor cuban people are well served by a rigid policy that is rigid in events that took place before most of us were born. consider that for more than thirty-five years, we have had relations wwith china -- a far larger country also governed by a communist party. nearly 2 decades ago, we reestablished relations with vietnam, where we fought a war. that is why, when i came into office, i promise to re-examine our cuban policy.

as a start, we lifted restrictions for cuban-americans to travel, and sent remittances to their families and cuba. cubans have been reunited with their families. one of the best ambassadors for our values. and through these exchanges, a younger generation has question of approach that is what a keep cubical stuff. i have been prepared to take major steps for a long time. the wrongful imprisonment, in cuba, of a u.s. citizen and u.s. subcontractor, allen gross, for five years. over many months, my administration has held talks with the cuban government. pope francis gave it particular plea to me and the cuban government for the release of allen gross. today, allen returned home.

reunited with his family at long last. ellen was released by the qa government on humanitarian grounds. separately, in exchange for the three cuban agents, cuba today released one of the most important intelligence agents that the united states have -- agent that the united states has ever had in cuba. this man, who sacrifice has been known to only a few, provided america with the information that allows to arrest the nnetwork of agents and other spies in the united states. having recovered these two men, who sacrifice for our country, are now taking steps to place the interest of people of both countries at the heart of our policy.

first, i have instructed secretary kerry to reestablish diplomatic relations that have been separated since january 7 of 1961. going forth, the united states will establish an embassy in havana where we can advance shared interests. indeed, we have seen the benefits of cooperation between our countries before. it was a cuban who discover that mosquitoes carry yellow fever. his work helped walter reed fight it. cuba has sent hundreds of healthcare workers to advocate to fight ebola. now, where he disagree, we will raise those differences directly. as we will continue to do on issues related to democracy and human rights in cuba. i believe that we can do more to support the cuban people, and promote our values, through engagement.

after all, these fifty years have shown that isolation has networked. it is time for a new approach. second, i have instructed secretary kerry to review cubans designation as state-sponsored terrorism. this review will be sponsored by the facts and the law. terrorism has changed. in a time where we are concerned with threats from isis -- contrition not face the sanction. third, we are taking steps to increase travel, commerce, and the flow of information to and from cuba. this is fundamentally about freedom and openness. and also expresses my belief in the power of people and people engagement. with the changes i am announcing today, it will be easier for americans to travel to cuba.

and americans will be able to use american credit and debit cards on the island. i believe this contact will ultimately do more tto empower the cuban people. i also believe that more resources should be able to reach the cuban people. so we are significantly increasing the amount of money that can be sent to cuba, and removing the limits on remittances that limits human projects and the cuban sector. an increasing commerce is good for americans and for cubans. will facilitate authorized transactions between the united states and cuba. u.s. financial institutions will be allowed to open accounts -- and it will be easier for u.s. exporters to so good in cuba. i believe in the free flow of information.

unfortunately, our sanctions on cuba have denied cubans access to technology that have empowered individuals around the globe. so i have authorized increased telecommunications access between the united states and cuba. businesses will be all the sell goods. these are the steps that i can take, as president, to change this policy. the embargo that has been imposed for a decades is now quantified and legislation. i look forward to engaging congress in an honest and serious debate about lifting the embargo. yesterday i spoke with pro-castro to finalize - raul castro to finalize à la grosses release -- aleen gross's release.

in addition to the return of allen gross, we welcome cuba's decision to release a substantial number of prisoners whose case was raised by my team. we invite cuba to increase engagement with international institutions, like the united nations and the international committee of the red cross, that promote universal values. but i am under no illusion about the continued barriers to freedom that remain for ordinary cubans. the united states believe that no cuban should face harassment or beatings or arrest simply because they are exercising an international right to make their voices heard. while cuba has made reforms to gradually open up its economy, we continue to believe that cuban workers should be free to form unions. just as their citizens should be free to participate in the political process.

moreover, given their history, i suspect that they will continue to pursue foreign policies that will be, at times, sharply conflicting with american interests. i'm not expecting this to bring about a transformation of cuban society, but i believe we can help the cuban people help themselves as we move into the twenty-first century. to those who oppose what i'm announcing today, let me say that i respect your passion and show your commitment to liberty and democracy. the question is how we uphold that commitment. i do not believe we can keep doing the same thing for over five decades, and expect a different result. moreover, it does not serve america's interests, or the cuban people, to try and push cuba towards collapse. even if that works, and it

hasn't for fifty years, we know from hard-earned experience that countries are more likely to enjoy lasting transformation if the people are not subjected to gas. we are calling on cuba to unleash the potential of 11 million cubans by adding unnecessary restrictions. in that spirit, we should not allow u.s. sanctions to add to the burden of u.s. citizens that we seek to help. to the cuban people, america extends a hand of friendship. some of you have look to us as a source of hope, and will continue to shine the light of freedom. others have seen us as a former colonizer, intent on controlling her future. josé juan said, liberty is the right of every man to be honest. today, i'm being honest with you. we can never arrest history between us, but we believe that you should be empowered to live

with dignity and self-determination. cubans have a saying about daily life -- it is not easy. today, the united states wants to be your partner in making the lives of ordinary cubans a little bit easier, more free, more prosperous. to those who have supported these measures, i thank you for being partners in our efforts. in particular, i want to thank his holiness, pope francis, whose moral shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be. the government of canada, which hosted our discussions with the cuban government. and a bipartisan group of congressman who have worked tirelessly for alan gross's release. finally, are shifting policy towards cuba comes at a new moment of leadership in the united states of america. we are prepared to have cuba join us at the summit of america's. but we will insisted that civil societies join us.

i call on all my fellow leaders to give meaning to the commitment to democracy of human rights at the heart of the inter-american charter. let us leave behind a legacy of both colonization and communism. a future of greater peace, let us leave behind a legacy of both colonization and communism. a future of greater peace, security, and democratic development is possible if we work together. not to maintain power, not to secure vested interests, but instead to advance the dreams of our citizens. my fellow americans, the city of miami is only 200 miles or so from cuba. countless thousands of cubans have come to miami -- on planes and makeshift rafts. some with little but the shirt on the back, and hope in their hearts.

today, miami is often referred to as the capital of latin america. but it is also a profoundly american city. a place that reminds us that ideals matter more than the color of our skin. a demonstration of what the cuban people can achieve, aand a demonstration of the openness of the united states. todos somos americanos. change is hard. and changes even harder when we carry the heavy weight of history on her shoulders. but today, we are making these changes because it is the right thing to do. today, america chooses to cut loose the shackles of the past. to reach for a better future. for the cuban people, for the american people. for our entire hemisphere, and for the world. thank you. god bless you. and god bless the united states

of america. >> president obama at the white house, announcing a major u.s. >> if you missed any of the president's remarks on cuba we will showa, them tonight at eight :00 eastern time. allen gross give a statement to reporters in washington after being released from a cuban prison earlier in the day. now those comments. >> this is great. i have to say, happy holiday

season to all of you. today is the first day of hanukkah. so far the best hanukkah i will be celebrating for a long time. what a blessing it is to be a citizen of this country, and thank you, president obama, for every think you have done today and leading up to today. i want to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of my wife, judy. 44.5 years we have been married. my lawyer and personal mosys. to restore my freedom. they have my endless gratitude, love and respect. the relentless and often intense and scott, the

partners and associates and ,taff of gilbert llp law firm where we are right now, they made me take the jacket off. tim racer of capitol hill, have been inconceivable. efforts have been inconceivable. senator patrick leahy of vermont has been instrumental in shepherding the arrival of the day, and i want to thank all of the members of congress from all sides of the aisle such as senator flake, representative -- andan hollen and in numerous others who spoke up or visited me, subject to themselves to my ranting and help me regained some of my weight. even in cuba, m&ms melt in your

mouth, not in your hand. to all those who were trying to -- who visit me but were -- who try to visited me. to the washington jewish community, ron holbert in particular and staff at the relationshipty council, the executive director, staff and volunteer of participating federations come synagogues, schools and other jewish christian and muslim organizations nationwide, god bless you and thank you. it was crucial to my survival knowing that i was not forgotten. your prayers and actions have and comforting, reassuring sustaining. to my extended family, especially my sister bonnie, cousins and friends, howard,

others whoso many exemplify the true meaning of friendship, thank you. i do understand there are many others who actively participated in securing my freedom, who i am only nominally aware at this juncture, i promise i will express a more direct and personal gratitude just as soon as i knew who you are. ultimately the decision to arrange for and secure my release was made in the oval office. theresident obama and staff, thank you. in my last letter to president obama, i wrote that despite my five year tenure in captivity, i would not want to trade places with him and certainly would not want to trade places with him on this glorious day. five years of isolation

notwithstanding, i did not need daily briefings to be cognizant of what are in data plate credit -- challenges facing the community. i also feel compelled to share with you my utmost respect for and fondness of the people of cuba. in no way are they responsible for the ordeal to which my family and i have been subjected. , coupons -- cubans are .ncredibly kind, talented it pains me to see them treated so unjustly as a consequence of two governments mutually belligerent policies. 5.5 decades of history show us such a ledger and inhibits better judgment. two wrongs never make a right. i truly hope we can now get the

honda -- get beyond the policies. i was very happy to see what the president had to say today. to sitparticularly cool next to the secretary of state as he was hearing about the job description for the next couple of months. in all seriousness, this is a game changer. in the meantime i ask that you respect my wishes for complete and total privacy. judicial lesson i have learned from the experience is that freedom is not free. that is personified by scots and the entire team. i am incredibly blessed finally to have the freedom to have a

positive light. for now i will close with a quote. good to be home. thank you all, and i wish you all a happy holiday season. thank you. >> thank you everybody. i support the president. thank you very much. happy hanukkah. >> a lot of social media reaction to allen gross released earlier today and president obama of policy changes. on facebook and twitter we have been asking the question, should the u.s. normalized relations with cuba? includingf comments frank who says congratulations, mr. president emma your actions

will benefit both countries. rafael says the problem in cuba is not the embargo but the regime that oppresses and suffocates the lives out of ordinary citizens. from you as to hear well. log onto facebook and join the conversation. lots of reaction on capitol hill as well, including from the florida senator, marco rubio who vowed the president will not receive any money for his new cuba policy and no ambassador will be confirmed by the senate. he met with reporters at the capitol and show you his remarks now. they run 25 minutes. >> thank you for being here. as a descendent of cuban immigrants as someone raised in the community of cuban exiles and a man who cares deeply about the well-being of the cuban people one of my greatest hopes is too good to see the nation of

cuba and its people to come free , open and democratic. >> that is exactly why today's announcement from the white house is so profound a disappointing. it is a victory for the oppressive governments. and a serious setback for the repressed cubans. the white house has conceded everything, and gained little. they gains no commitment on the part of the cuban regime on freedom of press, or freedom of speech, or elections. no binding commitment was made to truly open up the internet. no commitment was made to allow the establishment of political parties, or to even begin the resemblance of a transition to democracy. and in exchange for all of these concessions, the only thing the cuban government agreed to do this free fifty-three political prisoners, who could wind up in jail tomorrow morning as they once again take up the cause of freedom, and to allow the united nations th