CRI听力:Obama to Remove Cuba from State Sponsor of Terror List

U.S. President Barack Obama has told Congress he will remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

This is one of the steps Cuba has been demanding in the normalization of their ties.

In his message to Congress, Obama says the Cuban government "has not provided any support for international terrorism" over the past 6 months.

He also says he's been provided assurance that it will not support terrorist acts in the future.

This is meeting with wide-spread support among people living in Havana.

"We are not terrorists, just the opposite. We are supporters of peace and tranquility, and good things for all."

"It's a start. From there many things will be eliminated, the blockade, which is what we really need."

The move to de-list Cuba from the State Terror Sponsor list follows an historic sit-down session this week between Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro in Panama.

US lawmakers could vote to try to block the Obama administration's move.

However, this is likely to depend on what reaction the move is drawing among the Cuban-American community in the potential swing-state of Florida.

Cuba was first placed on the US State Department's list terror list in 1982.

The US side contends Cuba has long-provided a safe haven for members of Basque separatist group ETA, as well as Colombia's FARC rebels.