This morning the White House announced: “We have coordinated with the Cuban government for authorization to fly medical evacuation flights from the U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to Miami, through Cuban airspace, cutting 90 minutes off one-way flight time.”

“I personally did not have the slightest doubt about the honesty of Obama, the 11th president since Jan. 1, 1959, when he expresses his ideas,” Castro said he told Fernandez.

As to the health of the Bearded One:

Raul Castro said “Do you think if he were really gravely ill that I’d be smiling here?”. “Soon I’m going to take a trip to Europe. You guys think I could leave here if Fidel were really in grave condition?”

Guantanamo
As expected, Barack Obama signed three executive orders dealing with Guantanamo, detention policy options and ensuring lawful detentions.

While most people including Defense Secretary Bob Gates agree that detainees need to be removed from Guantanamo, nobody has a clear answer what should be done with those very dangerous people.

President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to issue an executive order his first week in office — and perhaps his first day — to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, according to two presidential transition team advisers.