Cuba 'Discussing Plans' to Attack US: Axios Report

"Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones and recently began discussing plans to use them to attack the US base at Guantanamo Bay, US military vessels, and possibly Key West, Florida," reported Axios (Lean Left bias), citing "classified intelligence" on Sunday.

The Details: The US Justice Department (DOJ) is expected to indict former Cuban leader Raúl Castro on Wednesday for allegedly ordering his military to shoot down two US aid planes in 1996. "The Castro regime is closer than ever to falling," Axios reported, "thanks largely to US sanctions and the Marxist regime's financial mismanagement." The country is also in the midst of a severe and longstanding energy crisis. CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly warned Cuban officials against any US attacks during a visit on Thursday. Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Monday that "Cuba does not represent a threat" and US strikes against the nation would cause a "bloodbath." 

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For Context: The US State Department classified Cuba as a "State Sponsor of Terrorism" shortly after former President Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021. Axios reported that US officials said Cuba began discreetly acquiring attack drones from Russia and Iran in 2023. 

How The Media Covered It: Axios also noted, "US officials don't believe Cuba is an imminent threat, or actively planning to attack American interests." However, it exhibited slant by not doing so until the end of its article. Reuters (Center) and RT (Lean Right) both reported on Cuba's assertion that the Axios article contained propaganda to justify war. RT, for example, gave voice to Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, who reportedly criticized, "Certain media outlets are playing along, spreading slanderous claims and publishing insinuations leaked by the US government." 

Reuters took a humanistic approach in quoting a Havana resident who said, "It would not be right for the United States to invade Cuba, nor for Cuba to invade the United States." Other outlets, such as ZeroHedge (Lean Right), took a more sensational approach. The outlet highlighted a "rapid phase of domestic airspace fortification" supported by private equity firms and predicted "the parabolic rise of 'war unicorns' in the quarters and years ahead."

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