Overtures From Despots Pose Test to Obama Administration

"Cuba's Fidel Castro, Syria's Bashar al-Assad and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may see a friendly face in Obama, but the sticking points between the U.S. and these countries are still many.

"Neil Hicks, international policy adviser for Human Rights First, said repression continues to be a serious problem in these countries and should be a 'primary concern' for the United States.

"'It's short sighted ... to build these relations and try to sweep human rights under the rug,' said Hicks. He urged the administration to use this opportunity to seek human rights reform, something the U.S. has not done with allies like Saudi Arabia."