Only days ago, the United States and Cuba maintained dozens of diplomats in newly re-opened embassies in Havana and Washington, powerful symbols of a warming relationship between longtime foes. Now both countries are poised to cut their embassies by more than half, as uncanny, unexplained attacks threaten delicate ties between the Cold War rivals. The Trump administration will ask Cuba on Tuesday to withdraw 60 percent of its diplomats from Washington, American officials said. The United States will formally ask Cuba to pull the diplomats, but won’t expel them forcibly unless Havana refuses, the officials said. But it wasn’t until last Friday that the United States ordered more than half its embassy staff to return home.

Source: Egypt Independent October 03, 2017 09:00 UTC