Another pardon, same old opacityThe Cuban government says it will pardon 2,010 prisoners, in what state media called a “solidary humanitarian and sovereign gesture” for Holy Week. That is a lot of polished language for a move that still comes with a familiar shortage, the names are not public, and neither is a clear breakdown of how many people are common prisoners and how many are linked to political cases. The official line says the releases depend on conduct, time served, and health. Fair enough. But in a system where the state controls the story, the word “transparency” often seems to be on a permanent rotation schedule.What the government says it is doingAccording to Granma, the pardon applies to people who have shown good behavior, served a meaningful part of their sentence, or have medical issues. The list includes young people, women, adults over 60, foreigners, and Cuban residents abroad who are close to finishing their terms. Officials also said the measure excludes people convicted of violent crimes, sexual offenses, crimes against authority, or serious offenses. That last category is doing a lot of work, because Cuban authorities have long used broad public-order charges to punish peaceful dissent. The government…

MbS Takes Aim at Tehran According to the report, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivered a blunt public attack on the Iranian regime, saying it is driven more by ideology than by any wish to improve life for ordinary people. He claimed Iran received about $150 billion in sanctions relief and still failed to produce even basic public works such as streets, homes, or factories. That is a brutal way to grade a government, but the region has seen enough polished speeches and empty promises to know the difference. Missiles, Drones, And Proxy Groups The prince was also reported to say that the money went into missiles, drones, and support for proxy networks like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. The source says he went further and pointed to senior Al Qaeda figures living in Iran, including one of Osama bin Laden’s sons. Those are explosive claims, so naturally the usual public relations experts will pretend the problem is the messenger, not the regime with the rockets. This is how foreign policy often works now. Money goes out, violence comes back, and everyone acts surprised on camera. https://twitter.com/1Nicdar/status/2040086535165358578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Why The Remarks Matter What stands out here is not only the…