It is sad to watch Alan Gross whither away in a Cuban gulag. It is even more depressing to watch this innocent American, his wife, and some of his supporters here in the U.S. fall into a trap of subservient desperation, which will only serve to embolden his kidnappers and ensure his continued imprisonment. Over its long history, the Castro dictatorship has never responded well to appeasement. In fact, history has shown that appeasement only makes them bolder and more aggressive. But this flawed approach appears to be the one favored by Gross and his people and they unfortunately will soon learn they are feeding the beast, ultimately making their situation worse.

Well, we tried warning them...

Via NBC News:

American jailed in Cuba wants US to sign 'non-belligerency pact' to speed release

Peter Kornbluh , right, stands with Alan Gross, in a picture taken on Kornbluh's iPhone by a guard during his visit to the Havana prison where Gross is being held.

HAVANA, Cuba — Three years after he was arrested in Havana, jailed American contractor Alan Gross is asking the U.S. government to sign a "non-belligerency pact" with Cuba as a first step toward negotiating his release, according to a Cuba policy analyst who just visited him.

Peter Kornbluh, a Cuba specialist at the National Security Archives, a nonprofit research center in Washington, met with Gross for four hours on Wednesday at the military hospital in Havana where the contractor is being held. He said Gross appeared "extremely thin" — he has lost over 100 pounds since his arrest —and dispirited.

"He’s angry, he’s frustrated, he’s dejected — and he wants his own government to step up" and negotiate, said Kornbluh. "His message is that the United States and Cuba have to sit down and have a dialogue without preconditions. … He told me that the first meeting should result in a non-belligerency pact being signed between the United States and Cuba."

Gross' comments appear to represent a new tack in an aggressive public relations campaign to win his freedom. His supporters have planned a candlelight vigil outside the Cuban interests section in Washington D.C., on Sunday and the U.S. Senate is poised to take up a resolution Monday demanding his release, Gross’ wife, Judy, has also become increasingly critical of the U.S. government for not doing more to demand that her 63-year-old husband be allowed to return home.

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