The tortured story of the relationship between the US and Cuba takes another twist.
For the record, the US spent some several million dollars setting up a local Cuban version of twitter. Called 'Zunzuneo', Cuban slang for the noise of a humming bird. US govt loyalists are at pains to point out this was not 'covert'. Meaning it does not meet the official definition of a covert operation. But the action was clearly a long way from overt. It was hidden.
For some strange reason, the US just can't help but interfere in Cuba. And for a similarly obscure reason, it always seems to go wrong.
There is a shrill defensive tone to many that work in USAid as they seek to justify this operation.
They point out it was not, strictly speaking, covert. That USAid DOES have a mandate for promotion of democracy, and this is in that line.
They admit there may have been problems in implementation, that the contractor needs looking at.
But there is a failure to acknowledge any problem with the action itself.
This sort of attitude betrays a real problem at the heart of recent US relationships with much of the world.
When the US tried to assassinate Castro with an exploding cigar, that was probably illegal. But it was done by the CIA. We expect that sort of thing from them.
We expect USAid to be feeding the hungry, educating the poor.
When USAid is used as a means to promote America's image abroad, that is inevitable. When it is used as a weapon, that is something which discredits an otherwise exceedingly creditable mission.
There are many in the US diplomatic community who fail to acknowledge this. I am not sure if they are being deliberately obtuse, showing loyalty beyond their own reason, or they really are so myopic that they cannot see the damage done by using aid for something which should really be a CIA operation.
In short, this operation was bloodless. Compared to drones and assassinations it was really pretty cool. Enabling people to communicate, what's the harm.
Had this been a CIA operation, it would have been a plus for America.
As a USAid op, it is a massive minus.
If the US govt cannot see that, their loss of global influence will continue.
