Want to see Libya? That's okay, but Cuba? Forget it, Bush says

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration cracked down on travel to Cuba on Thursday as it told Americans that after a 23-year ban, they can travel to Libya.

Bush's order on Cuba says Castro's government had used sometimes deadly force against Americans and Cubans over the past decade and might do so again.

The action expands the government's authority to prevent the unauthorized departure of Cuban-bound ships from U.S. waters. U.S. authorities would be empowered to inspect any vessel in U.S. territorial waters, place guards on ships and take possession under certain circumstances.

The United States has enforced a trade embargo against Cuba for more than more than four decades, and relations have been deteriorating over the past year. The State Department recently canceled talks on migration issues, which normally are held every six months.

Bush directed Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to develop new rules to keep "unauthorized U.S. vessels" out of Cuban territorial waters.

The new rules governing American boats' movement to Cuba expand restrictions that have been in place for years. Those rules covered vessels originating in Miami, while Ridge's new rules will apply to boats leaving from anywhere in the United States, White House and congressional officials said.

The tightening of Cuban restrictions came on the same day that Bush rescinded a travel ban on Libya. The United States moved toward better relations with Tripoli in December after Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi renounced terrorism and development of weapons of mass destruction.

The Bush administration delivered long-sought benefits by rescinding a ban on Americans traveling to Libya and authorizing U.S. firms with holdings in Libya - notably large oil companies - to begin preparations to return.

Five U.S. diplomats are posted to Libya, the first long-term staffing in Tripoli since the U.S. Embassy closed in 1980. The administration intends to create a Liaison Office, with full diplomatic relations contingent on further proof of Gadhafi's good intentions.

The White House also invited Libya to establish an "interests section" - an informal diplomatic delegation - in Washington. It announced exchange programs in the fields of health care and education.

- Information from the Associated Press and Washington Post was used in this report.

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