Cuba: Bush as Daniel

President Bush is acting prudently to keep U.S. dollars out of the hands of Cuba's dictator Fidel Castro. In quick response to recommendations by the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba to improve enforcement of U.S. law, Bush ordered tighter controls over ''educational'' travel and ''family'' visits to Cuba that had become guises for vacation tourism. Equally important, he also directed the purchase of the long-sought ''airborne platform'' that will allow TV Martí broadcasts to be regularly seen and heard in Cuba.

What Bush didn't do is also important: He did not cut remittances, leaving in place approvals for Cuban Americans to send $100 a month directly to relatives on the island.

As foreign-policy initiatives go, Bush's actions were logical, compassionate and consistent with current law to deny Castro the dollars he needs to finance his anti-American mischief around the world and to maintain his oppressive control over the Cuban people. Bush also made clear that the United States disapproves Castro's maneuvering to ensure that his brother, Gen. Raúl Castro, succeeds him as Cuba's next tyrant.

Before the commission's report had been printed or the White House responded, however, Castro apologists and administration critics began piling on. The Economist alleged that remittances from Cuban Americans would be cut ''by half.'' The Lexington Institute denounced the alleged new $50-per-month limit.

Yet the report recommended no such cuts, and Bush made no change. Most of the people discussing the report simply have not read it. Worse, copies in Spanish have yet to be made available.

Predictably Castro is lashing out at the United States and the ''Miami Mafia.'' Recently, he trucked tens of thousands of the people to another anti-American rally. Once again, the president-for-life is raising the specter of a U.S. invasion. Given Castro's total control over Cuba's media and its unrelenting anti-American propaganda, many Cubans -- even some who dislike Castro's regime -- believe that this invasion is nonsense....

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