M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO Rubio bashes Obama's Cuba reset as Kerry goes to Havana

Sen. Marco Rubio on Friday used the re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Cuba as an opportunity to bash the Obama administration for its “flawed strategic, moral and economic notion” in foreign policy, including the thawing of relations with Cuba, while making pledges about stopping the Iran nuclear deal.

“These deals demonstrate with jarring clarity how this administration has failed to anticipate impending crises, ignored the realities of the globalized economy, and sought to make America liked rather than respected; the way it has placed politics before policy, adversaries before allies, and legacy before leadership; the way it has confused weakness for restraint, concession for compromise, and – most simply of all – wrong for right,” the Republican presidential candidate said in prepared remarks for an appearance before the right-leaning Foreign Policy Initiative in Manhattan.


Rubio slammed the decision to exclude Cuban dissidents from the opening ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Havana on Friday, promising to invite dissidents from Iran, Cuba and other “freedom fighters from around the world to be honored guests” at his inauguration, if he’s elected, as a symbol of solidarity.

Rubio’s speech on Friday will be followed by about two weeks of campaigning in several key early states, including a stop at the Iowa State Fair on Tuesday. In the speech in New York, Rubio lays out a three-point plan for dealing with Cuba and Iran, calling the nuclear agreement with Iran and normalizing of relations with Cuba concessions and rewards handed to oppressive and hostile governments.

Rubio has sought to stake himself out as a hawk on foreign policy, especially on Cuba, where his parents were born. On Iran, Rubio has declared he would roll back the nuclear agreement on his first day as president and recently praised Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer for coming out against the deal.

“President Obama has made no such effort to stand on the side of freedom. He has been quick to deal with the oppressors, but slow to deal with the oppressed. And his excuses are paper-thin,” Rubio said. “In the eyes of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the Cuban people are suffering because not enough American tourists visit the country, when the truth is, the Cuban people are suffering because they live in a tyrannical dictatorship.”

Rubio said as president he would tell the Castros they will lose diplomatic relations if they don’t carry out meaningful political and human rights reforms. Rubio said he will restore Cuba to the state sponsors of terrorism list until it stops supporting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations. He also said he will do what he can to provide support to Cuba’s pro-democratic movement.

On Iran, Rubio said that, as president, he would reimpose “crippling sanctions” on the country and “link any talks to Iran’s broader conduct, from human rights abuses to support for terrorism and threats against Israel.”

“Centuries of global affairs tell us the best way to affect an outcome with volatile leaders is through strength and example, while the worst is through weakness and concession. Yet weakness and concession are the preferred tools of statecraft for this administration,” Rubio said.

“Iran will never be allowed to build a nuclear weapon if I become president — not now, not decades from now. That would be my policy with Iran — there would be no room for equivocation, no room for manipulation and no room for cheating,” Rubio said. “Some will say there will also be no room for negotiations. But history proves otherwise. Iran may not return to the table immediately, but it will return when its national interests require it to do so.”

And, as part of an effort to help reinforce American forces in the Middle East, Rubio also called on ending cuts to defense spending.