Leahy recounts ‘surreal’ trip to bring Gross home

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2014/12/17/leahy-recounts-clandestine-cuba-trip/20564561/


** PS - The health facts about Gross sound exaggerated. Cuba kept him healthy and they know how to do that but they couldn't force feed him. He was understandably depressed, but whose fault was that? Does everyone know he was paid a half million by USAID to make the trips to Cuba? The Jewish community he "helped" wanted nothing to do with him. In the end he was lucky, but he was an opportunist, lucky for us that it worked out so well in the end, but don't buy into the bad health thing - Cuba didn't treat him poorly.----



“I’m used to getting to work early, but I’ve never commuted by way of Havana, Cuba, before.”

Hours after traveling to Cuba to accompany freed prisoner Alan Gross on his return home, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., described the clandestine operation as “surreal” as he recounted how it unfolded in the early morning hours Wednesday.

Leahy had made several trips to visit Gross in prison and had advocated behind the scenes for his release. The senator met privately with presidents Raul Castro in Cuba and Barack Obama at home and with other public figures, including Pope Francis. Leahy said he felt time was running out for the imprisoned aid worker.

“Alan was losing weight; his condition was deteriorating a great deal,” Leahy told the Burlington Free Press on Wednesday. “I was growing increasingly concerned that we may be losing our opportunity.”

There also was a sense of urgency in regard to the political ground Leahy had gained through his meetings with the Cuban leader.

“President Castro is older, well into his 80s, and is not going to run again,” Leahy said. “I felt like our window was closing to finally take a step that was in our best interests, and Cuba’s.”

The green light finally came earlier this week.