:)
doron
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>Jerusalem Post, Fri. Dec 11/98
>
><snipped from an article discussing local preparations for
>the Clinton visit>
>
>> - The Ashkelon Holiday Inn's been taken over - by the FBI and
>> CIA. The US security agencies have taken all 215 rooms in the
>> hotel, manager Itzik Evron said yesterday, adding that his staff
>> is working hard to supply them with beer, pizza and Cuban cigars.
>>
>> "It's a lot of fun," Evron said.
>>
>> Evron said the security agents are really enjoying the Cuban
>> cigars, since they aren't available in the US.
>>
>> About 100 US security agents have been at the hotel for the
>> past few days, and another 100 are expected before Clinton
>> gets to Israel tomorrow night, the hotel's public relations
>> director, Natalie Sibony said.
>>
>> The hotel staff is setting up conference rooms and other
>> facilities for Clinton, should he decide to stay at the
>> hotel or hold peace talks there instead of at Erez on
>> Monday. Evron hopes Clinton will at least hold a press
>> conference at the Holiday Inn.
>
>
>The cigars aren't *available* in the US because
>they're *illegal* in the US. So US G-men, sworn to uphold
>their laws, are doing abroad what they can't do legally at
>home. Why am I not surprised? Anyway, you'd think the CIA
>would have a stash of good Cubans from Guantanamo.
>
>Postscript: Canadian cities that get large numbers
>of US tourists (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, etc.)
>have for years had a thriving business in tobacconist
>shops that specialize in selling Cuban smokes to Americans.
>Memories of Canadian rumrunners (Bronfmann..) getting
>rich during Prohibition.
>
>America's silly laws regarding Cuba are their loss,
>and the rest of the world's commercial opportunity,
>which is what Burton-Helms was all about, of course.