DW+Derrick+Zack

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plan
TEXT: The United States federal government should remove its economic restrictions on joint oil cooperation toward Cuba.

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plan
TEXT: The United States federal government should remove its economic restrictions on joint oil cooperation toward Cuba.


 * ==contention 1 is oil spills==**

Cuba is preparing for off shore drilling—foreign governments are investing now
Reuters 13 – World News Agency ("Cuban oil hopes sputter as Russians give up for now on well", May 29, 2013, Reuters.com, [], JL) In a development that is potentially both interesting and controversial, Norway~’s Statoil ASA, AND that state-owned Petrobras abandoned two years ago, citing poor prospects.

That makes gulf spills inevitable – current response capabilities are insufficient
Bolstad 12 (Erika Bolstad Worked from 2007-2011 as the Washington correspondent for the Anchorage Daily News and the Idaho Statesman. Her work on the Larry Craig scandal for the Statesman was a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in the breaking news category, "Cuba embargo could threaten oil-drilling safety, expert says", May 10, 2012, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/05/10/148433/cuba-embargo-could-threaten-oil.html%23storylink=cpy,JL) WASHINGTON — The 50-year-old U.S. embargo of Cuba AND response teams to get emergency permits to do business with the Cuban government.

Location ensures that Cuba and United States are locked in an interdependent relationship with the environment
Whittle 12- Environmental Law Proffessor at Wake Forest University, B.A from Colarodo Unviersity (Daniel J. Whittle, "Bridging the Gulf Finding Common Ground on Environmental and Safety Preparedness for Offshore Oil and Gas in Cuba", 2012, [], JL) The United States has a vested interest in the health of Cuba~’s natural environment for AND notion that environmental cooperation between the United States and Cuba is an imperative.

First, Cuban oil drilling threatens the most biodiverse area in the region—ONLY lifting sanctions can prevent and contain a spill
Almeida, 12 http://gcaptain.com/drilling-cuba-embargo-badly/?46322 Drilling Off Cuba, and How the Embargo Could be Very Costly for the US BY ROB ALMEIDA ON MAY 18, 2012//JH Prior to commencing drilling operations, Repsol contracted Helix Energy Solutions Group to provide immediate AND oil spill could inflict unprecedented environmental devastation if not planned for in advance.

Cuba is a bio-diversity hotspot
Whittle 12- Environmental Law Proffessor at Wake Forest University, B.A from Colarodo Unviersity (Daniel J. Whittle, "Bridging the Gulf Finding Common Ground on Environmental and Safety Preparedness for Offshore Oil and Gas in Cuba", 2012, [], JL) Situated at the convergence point of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and AND and represents one of the largest protected areas in the entire Caribbean region.

Loss of Bio-Diversity causes extinction
Nautiyal and Nidamanuri 10 – Centre for Ecological Economics at Institute for Scoial and Economic Change, Nidamanuri: Economic change %26 Department of Earth and Space Sciences at the Indian Institute of space science and Technology (Sunil Nautiyal and Rama Rao Nidamanuri, "Conserving Biodiversity in Protected Area of Biodiversity Hotspot in India: A Case Study," http://www.researchgate.net/publicat ion/229046655_Conserving_Biodiversity_in_Protected_Area_of_Biodiversity_Hotspot_in_India_A_Case_Study, ) The hotspots are the world~’s most biologically rich areas hence recognized as important ecosystems not AND sustainable ecosystem management in such areas is therefore supported by this¶ study.

Second is tourism, an oil spill would devastate Cuban tourism sector
Whittle 12- Environmental Law Proffessor at Wake Forest University, B.A from Colarodo Unviersity (Daniel J. Whittle, "Bridging the Gulf Finding Common Ground on Environmental and Safety Preparedness for Offshore Oil and Gas in Cuba", 2012, [], JL) The intertwined relationship between coastal economies and the local environment illustrates that the economic implications AND have much to lose if a highly-publicized oil spill impacted its shores

Tourism is key to Cuba~’s economy
Fanelli 8 – Department of Sociology, York University (Carlo "~’Cubanalismo~’: The Cuban Alternative to Neoliberalism," New Proposals: Journal of Marxism and Interdisciplinary Inquiry, Vol.2, No. 1 (November 2008) Pp. 7-16 ojs.library.ubc.ca/index.php/newproposals/article/download/144/238 ‎ )//A-Berg Aside from increasing investments in biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries, one of Cuba~’s most affluent AND stable at roughly 76% of the working population (Uriarte, 2002).

Cuban economic collapse causes nuclear war
Gorrell ~’5 (Tim, Lieutenant Colonel, "CUBA: THE NEXT UNANTICIPATED ANTICIPATED STRATEGIC CRISIS?" 3/18/5, []) Regardless of the succession, under the current U.S. policy, Cuba~’s AND in an effort to facilitate a manageable transition to post-Castro Cuba?


 * ==contention 2 is cooperation==**

Chavez~’ death means now is the key time to restore relations— Cuba is more open to US involvement than ever
Gomez 13 – assistant professor in the Department of Public Policy %26 Administration at Rutgers University (Eduardo J. Gomez, "Ahmadinejad~’s hug and the future of Chavez~’s alliance" CNN, March 13 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/13/opinion/gmez-chavez-ahmadinejad-america) MR Chávez~’s death is certainly changing the political calculus in Venezuela, but will it also AND explore ways of strengthening its ties with Venezuela and other Latin American nations.

Offshore drilling investment restores relations—it~’s the vital starting point
Grogg 12 – Senior Research and Professor at University of Havana specializing in international economics, citing Luiz Rene Fernandez (Patricia, "CUBA: Oil Drilling Opens Up New Possibilities," IPS 2/16/12, []) The search for oil in Cuba~’s Gulf of Mexico waters, launched by the Spanish AND a doubt. But the benefits of cooperation definitely outweigh them," Fernández concluded

Poor relations with Cuba destroy US leadership in Latin America
Clement, 13 http://www.ciponline.org/images/uploads/publications/0413_RapprochementCuba_TampaConference.pdf RappRochement with cuba Tampa, Florida March 23, 2013 A Report by Joshua Clement April 2013//JH As the last panelist to address the audience, Colonel Larry Wilkerson closed the conference AND the state level, a strong message will be sent to the President.

Normalizing relations with Cuba reverses negative perceptions throughout Latin America and solves stability
Sweig and Bustamante, 13 Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow for Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know; a Ph.D. candidate in Latin American history at Yale University (Julia E. Sweig and Michael J. Bustamante, July/August 2013, Foreign Affairs, "Cuba After Communism", []) KD The geopolitical context in Latin America provides another reason the U.S. government AND the United States remains a vital natural market for Cuban products and services.

Two impacts: First, Latin America instability empowers Brazilian hardliners Millett 02 PhD, Senior Fellow at the North-South Center, Oppenheimer Chair of Modern Warfighting Strategy at the U.S. Marine Corps University, Professor Emeritus of History at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (Richard L. Millet Oct. 2002 Strategic Studies Institute, Colombia~’s Conflicts: The Spillover Effects of a Wider War) //KY//

While the spillover of Colombia~’s conflicts has exacerbated the problems of the region significantly and AND Panamanian security apparatus, are also obstacles which will be difficult to overcome. Brazil hardliner takeover causes nuclear war Schulz, 2k Ph.D., Chair of Political Science at Cleveland State U., fmr. Research Professor of National Security at the Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army College, (Donald E. Schulz, March 2k. Strategic Studies Institute, The United States and Latin America: Shaping an Elusive Future) KY

Until recently, the primary U.S. concern about Brazil has been that AND border provoked an angry response from many high-ranking Brazilian officers. 57

Second, Lack of US presence invites Russia to use Cuba as a means to project power and expand influence
Lee 08 – President of Foreign Policy Research Insititute; authority on international crime and narcotics and nuclear security issues; a Stanford Ph.D.; president of Global Advisory Services, a McLean, Virginia-based consulting firm (Rens, "Rethinking the Embargo," Foreign Affairs, November/December 2008, [] Current U.S. policy makes Cuba a target of opportunity for a resurgent AND Havana, even though the visit was officially touted as investment-related. Also, it is hardly coincidental that the warming of Cuban-Russian ties and AND Russia may feel more comfortable deploying strategic or intelligence assets on the island.

Specifically, Russian companies will return to drill in 2014 – it was a temporary leave
Goodhue 13 – Staff writer for keys.net (David Goodhue, "Last Cuban offshore oil project ending for now", June 6, 2013, Keys.net, [], JL) A Russian oil company using a Norwegian-owned drilling rig is temporarily pulling out AND a drill ship, a traditional seagoing vessel with oil-drilling capabilities.

Russian expansion is hostile – reignites Cold War hostilities
Walle 12 – Research Associate at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs (Walter, "Russia Turns to the South for Military and Economic Alliances," Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 5/8/12, http://www.coha.org/russia-turns-to-the-south-for-military-and-economic-alliances/)//Bwang Quite clearly, Russia~’s interest in Latin America is escalating. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey AND alone among Latin American countries in recognizing the independence of the new republics.

Normalizing relations solves—it crowds out Russia from the region.
Blank 09 – Research Professor of National Security Affairs at the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College (Stephen, "Russia in Latin America: Geopolitical Games in the US~’s Neighborhood," IFRI, April 2009, pdf)//Bwang The only way in which Russian policy truly threatens the US and Latin America is AND reverse those outcomes and demonstrate what liberal democracy in action can truly accomplish.

US-Russia War is the greatest risk for nuclear extinction
Frumkin and Helfand 12 – *MD, DrPH, School of Public Health, University of Washington; **MD, Physicians for Social Responsibility (Howard and Ira "A Prescription for Survival: Prevention of Nuclear War," American Journal of Preventive Medicine, March 2012, http://www.psr.org/nuclear-weapons/rxforsurvival.pdf)//Bwang Still it is not the arsenals of these new nuclear powers that pose the greatest AND starve to death and it is possible that homo sapiens could become extinct.

Independently, the plan is key to energy cooperation—that solves narcotrafficking
Benjamin 10 – (Jonathan Benjamin-Alvadaro, Report for the Cuban Research Institute, Florida International University, PhD, Professor of Political Science at University of Nebraska at Omaha, Director of the Intelligence Community Centers of Academic Excellence Program at UNO, Treasurer of the American Political Science Association, 2010, Brookings Institution book, "Cuba~’s Energy Future: Strategic Approaches to Cooperation" Conclusion and Recommendations)//KY Oil exploration is an inherently risky enterprise; there are always trade-offs between AND tangible benefits for the people of Cuba, it neighbors, and beyond.

The impact is bioweapons and LNG attacks
Flynn and Bryan 01 (Stephen, Senior Fellow @ CFR and Commander in US Coast Guard, and Anthony, Dir. North-South Center~’s Caribbean Program, "Terrorism, Porous Borders, and Homeland Security: The Case for U.S.-Caribbean Cooperation" October 21, 2001, pg online @ CFR) Terrorist acts can take place anywhere. The Caribbean is no exception. Already the AND else to the clandestine manufacture and deployment of biological weapons within national borders.

LNG attacks guarantee extinction
Lovins and Lovins, 01 ("Brittle Power," 2001 []) LNG is less than half as dense as water, so a cubic meter of AND of a megaton of TNT, or about fifty-five Hiroshima bombs.

So do bioweapons
Ochs, 2 – MA in Natural Resource Management from Rutgers University and Naturalist at Grand Teton National Park (Richard, "Biological Weapons Must be Abolished Immediately," Jun 9, []) Of all the weapons of mass destruction, the genetically engineered biological weapons, many AND patriotism would extinguish humanity, then patriotism is the highest of all crimes.


 * ==contention 3 is solvency==**

President has the authority to license American companies to develop offshore oil
Licensing U.S. companies to provide services for the development of Cuban offshore AND companies have the technology and expertise to develop Cuba~’s offshore oil and gas.
 * Pascual and Huddleston 9 – Carlos, VP and Director of Foreign Policy, Brookings Institute, and Vicki, Visiting Fellow ("CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement", April, http://www.brookings.edu//media/research/files/reports/2009/4/cuba/0413_cuba.pdf)**

US drilling companies have the capital, technology and know-how
Perales 10 (José Raúl, Senior Program Associate for the WOODROW WILSON CENTER LATIN AMERICAN PROGRAM and Americas director at the chamber of commerce *citing Pinon a visiting research fellow at the Latin American and Caribbean Center~’s Cuban Research Institute at FIU, "The United States and Cuba: Implications of an Economic Relationship" August 2010 [] With the help on international oil companies such as Spain~’s Repsol, Norway~’s Statoil Hydro AND refine in a safe and responsible manner Cuba~’s potential oil and natural gas reserves

US oil investment solves—ensures effective drilling and increased influence
Huddleston* and Pascual**, 9 *visiting fellow at Brookings and co-director of the Brookings Project on U.S. Policy Toward a Cuba in Transition deputy assistant secretary of defense for Africa at the Department of Defense **US ambassador to Mexico former president and director of Foreign Policy at Brookings (Vicki Huddleston and Carlos Pascual, April 2009 "CUBA: A New policy of Critical and Constructive Engagement" [] licensing U.S. companies to provide services for the development of Cuban offshore AND companies have the technology and expertise to develop Cuba~’s offshore oil and gas.

Cuba is willing to cooperate on spill response
Snow, 12 http://www.ogj.com/articles/2012/05/cuba-drilling-continues-as-us-groups-press-spill-response-need.html Cuba drilling continues as US groups press spill response need WASHINGTON, DC, May 11 05/11/2012 By Nick Snow OGJ Washington Editor//JH This matters because a Cuban offshore oil spill potentially could do more damage than the AND Energy and Environmental Policy] and others have done to lay the foundation."

Cuba would say yes to US Investment – empirics prove
CDA 11 – Center for Democracy in the Americas, think tank specialized in latin American issues (Center for democracy in the Americas, "As Cuba plans to drill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. policy poses needless risks to our national interest",2011, [], JL) 6. Cuba would welcome U.S. investment. At MINCEX, the AND interest, due to the embargo, and Cuba looked for partners elsewhere.