The core message of both speeches was, of course, the same: Trust the people, free their energy, and they will work wonders, not just economically but also politically and morally. Both presidents used their biographies to good effect—Mr. Reagan to plug worker rights (“I led my union out on strike, and I’m proud to say we won”), Mr. Obama to make some pointed suggestions about race relations in Cuba. Mr. Reagan used his description of worldwide progress to puncture the founding myths of Soviet communism. Why, I wondered, did Mr. Obama not use some version of this sentence from his predecessor’s speech: “In Latin America in the 1970s, only a third of the population lived under democratic government; today over 90% does.”

For all their similarities, the big difference between what Ronald Reagan said in Moscow and what Barack Obama said in Havana was how they said it. Mr. Reagan clearly thought he could use humor to make his case. What better way to take on the absurdities of the Soviet system than with a joke about bureaucrats sitting on their butts? The light-hearted approach did produce one of the speech’s wrong notes. (One wonders what the president could have been thinking when he summed up Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika with Butch Cassidy’s famous line about jumping over the waterfall: “You crazy fool, the fall will probably kill you.”) All the same, humor allowed Mr. Reagan to be scornful without being angry. Mr. Obama kept referring to “differences” with the Cuban leadership, as though there were two sides to the argument. Mr. Reagan—whether out of naivete or wisdom—assumed everyone listening knew that was a joke.

(By Stephen Sestanovich, from The Wall Street Journal)

The areas in question pertain to pockets of Northern Syria in which various US-NATO supported jihadist groups including the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al Nusrah are fighting Syrian government forces (SAA) and their allies. These terrorist pockets are protected by the US-led coalition and Turkey:

The Pentagon has asked Russia to stay away from parts of northern Syria where US special operations troops are training local fighters [i.e. terrorists including the Islamic State ] to combat the Islamic State group [the opposition rebels are allies of ISIS, ISIS is supported by the US and has special forces within its ranks], military officials said Thursday. The acknowledgement is significant because the Pentagon has repeatedly stressed it is not cooperating with Moscow as the two powers lead separate air campaigns in war-ravaged Syria…

The advisory acknowledges US military presence inside Syria. Washington confirms that US Special Forces and CIA are operating within the ranks of the “Moderate Opposition”.

Washington’s objective is twofold. First, “officially” it wants to avoid direct military confrontation with Russia as well prevent US casualties. That’s the substance of the official advisory. It is not the main objective.

Second: it is using the pretext of avoiding military confrontation with Russia (and US casualties) as a means to restraining Russia’s bombing campaign: Washington’s main objective is to protect remaining US sponsored terrorist positions in Northern Syria including those of the ISIS from Russian airstrikes.

The advisory is tantamount to asking Russia not to bomb the “moderate terrorists” who are supported by US forces. In fact this was the initial position adopted by Washington at the outset of the Russian bombing campaign against the Islamic State in late September 2015. The Obama administration blamed Vladimir Putin of “deliberately targeting US backed forces” in Syria (i.e. moderate terrorists) rather than US Special Forces.

Washington’s concern (from a strategic standpoint) is to protect the terrorists’ positions rather than their own forces.

In fact, what was at stake in mid October 2015 was that Russia was killing the “good guys” namely “CIA trained rebels” whom Moscow had “mistakenly” categorized as terrorists.

According to a US official in an interview with Fox News:

“Putin is deliberately targeting our forces. Our guys are fighting for their lives.”

Source: October 14, 2015, FoxNews.com

Officially, America now has “boots on the ground” operating within the ranks of various Al Qaeda affiliated “opposition” groups as well as within the ISIS in violation of Syrian sovereignty.

The special forces are in permanent liaison with US-NATO.

The Pentagon advisory requests Russia not to target US Special Forces in “broad areas” of Northern Syria, which is tantamount to restraining Russia airstrikes against the terrorists supported by the US-led coalition:

Lieutenant General Charles Brown, who commands the US air forces in the Middle East, said US officials had asked Moscow to avoid “broad areas” in northern Syria [still under control of the terrorists] “to maintain a level of safety for our forces that are on the ground.”

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said Russia had honored the request, and stressed the Pentagon only provided broad geographic descriptions of where the US troops are, not their precise location.

[The Russian military knows where US forces are operating, i.e. in the ranks of various "opposition" groups fighting government forces]

The Pentagon last year said it was sending about 50 special operations forces to work with anti-IS fighters in Syria though officials have said next to nothing about their whereabouts and progress since.

[The number of US forces on the ground is larger, these Pentagon figures do not include mercenary forces hired by private contractors operating within terrorist ranks]

The United States has since August 2014 led an international coalition against the IS group in Iraq and Syria. [This is a lie; amply documented the US and its allies including Turkey and Saudi Arabia are protecting the Islamic State]

Russia entered the Syria conflict in September, when it began bombing rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad. Russia says it is attacking the IS group and other “terrorists.”

… The Pentagon has held a series of “deconfliction” talks with Russian counterparts to outline procedures in case of a mishap (Al Monitor, AFP Report, emphasis added)

It is worth noting that in mid-January in response to Russia’s airstrikes and the defeat of the US-NATO sponsored terrorist opposition forces, the Pentagon announced a new plan to train up to 7,000 new rebels inside Syria “as part of an effort to secure Turkey’s southern border”. This plan coordinated with Turkey would consist in creating a so-called safe-zone in Northern Syria. (WSJ, January 15, 2016 ).

According to a Secret Pentagon document, the ultimate objective “was” to create an Islamic State Caliphate (Salafist Principality) in Northern Syria.

(www.globalresearch.ca)

In the afternoon, the Cuban representative met with presidents of the Uralvagonzavod Company and Sinara Group, Oleg Sienko and SergeyPapin, respectively.

The current state and potential development of Russia-Cuba collaboration in the sphere of rail transportation – specifically in regards to repairs, modernization and production of cars and locomotives – were addressed during both encounters.

Cabrisas arrived in Moscow on the afternoon of Sunday, October 18 and is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Rogozin, co-president of the Russian delegation to the Cuba-Russia Intergovernmental Commission, and partake in the signing of important governmental agreements.

(Cuban Embassy in Russia)

Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz arrived in the Russian capital this afternoon, May 5, to participate in activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of fascism’s defeat during WWII, on the invitation of President Vladimir Putin.

Coming from Algeria where he completed a three-day official visit, Raúl was received at Vnukovo II Airport by deputy foreign minister Serguei Ryabkov and Tatiana Anódina, president of the State Aviation Committee.

The Cuban delegation additionally includes Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz, a vice president of the Council of Ministers; Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, minister of Foreign Relations; Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Army Corps General Leopoldo Cintra Frias; and Emilio Lozada García, Cuba’s ambassador in Russia.

The Cuban President will meet with Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev tomorrow, May 6, and is scheduled to see President Putin the following day. According to plans, Raúl will also visit Patriarch Kiril, the Russian Orthodox Church’s highest authority.

This is Raúl’s third trip to Russia as President of Cuba, while his first trip to the former Soviet Union took place in July of 1960.

(Leticia Martínez, Granma)