(CNN) -- Right-wing U.S. Republicans are up in arms over Cuba again. Their ostensible cause for concern is last week's visit to the island by Beyonce and Jay-Z, who were photographed in Havana, apparently celebrating their wedding anniversary.

Read more: Lawmakers ask why Beyonce and Jay-Z went to Cuba

These blinkered conservatives need to get over themselves. The 60-year stand-off between the U.S. and Cuba is absurd. It is counterproductive and harmful to both countries. It is time to end this Cold War anachronism, kiss and make up.

Anger over Beyonce's supposed breach of the U.S. embargo rules restricting American citizens' travel to Cuba is symbolic of a deeper fear among right-wingers. Two key factors have changed since the days -- not so long ago -- when Washington seemed to be regularly threatening the Castro government with Iraq-style overthrow.

One is that George W. Bush has been replaced by a Democrat. As Barack Obama enters his second and final term, immune to electoral imperatives, conservatives worry he may use his freedom of action to effect an historic rapprochement with Cuba. American liberals certainly believe he should do so.

The second change is in Cuba itself, where the government, now led by Fidel Castro's brother, Raoul, has embarked on a cautious program of reform. The government -- dubbed the world's longest-running dictatorship by the American right -- has even set a date for its own dissolution.

Doing what "dictators" rarely do, Raoul Castro announced in February that in 2018, he would hand over power and that any successor would be subject to term limits. The Castro brothers have reportedly chosen a career communist, first vice president Miguel Diaz-Canel, to succeed them. But in reality, once their grip on power is relaxed, anything may happen. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What term is this for Barack Obama?
2. What do Republicans fret over he might do?
3. To what?
4. Who thinks he should?
5. Who was seen in Cuba?
6. Is there evidence they were there?
7. What were they doing?
8. How long has there been conflict between the US and Cuba?
9. Who is in control of Cuba?
10. Who is his brother?
11. What kind of program are they launching?
12. Are they diving in head first?
13. What is their government known for?
Answer: 1. final
2. use his freedom of action
3. to effect an historic rapprochement with Cuba
4. American liberals
5. Beyonce and Jay-Z
6. Yes
7. celebrating their wedding anniversary.
8. 60 years
9. Raoul Castro
10. Fidel Castro
11. program of reform.
12. No
13. world's longest-running dictatorship

(CNN) -- Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, facing an international arrest warrant, is paying the price for pandering to the West, al Qaeda's second-in-command said in an audio statement released Tuesday.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, seen here in 2007, said Tuesday the Sudanese president pandered to the West.

"I am not defending Omar al-Bashir or his regime, nor am I defending what it has done in Darfur and elsewhere," Ayman al-Zawahiri said in the statement released by al Qaeda's production company, as-Sahab Media.

But, he said, "the issue isn't one of Darfur and solving its problems; the issue is one of making excuses for more foreign interference in the Muslims' countries in the framework of the contemporary Zionist Crusade."

The warrant issued by the International Criminal Court earlier this month accuses al-Bashir of war crimes and crimes against humanity, charges he denies. In response, Sudan ordered 13 international aid groups to leave the country, groups that the United Nations says provide roughly half the assistance delivered in Darfur.

"The Bashir regime is reaping what it sowed," al-Zawahiri said. "For many long years, it continued to back down and backtrack in front of American Crusader pressure."

He further accused Sudan of expelling members of the mujahedeen who had sought refuge there, particularly Osama bin Laden, and declaring "in an audacious lie that they had left voluntarily, then attempting to beg payment for that from the Saudi regime and the Americans."

Al-Zawahiri asked, "Why hasn't the United Nations moved to protect the Palestinians in Gaza from Israeli barbarity and criminality, while it pretends to cry over the suffering of the people of Darfur? Why hasn't the United Nations and the international community intervened to lift the siege from Gaza, while it pretends to cry over the people of Darfur being deprived of relief and aid?" What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who issued a warrant?
2. When?
3. Who is named in the warrant?
4. What is he accused of?
5. Anything else officially in the document?
6. Does he agree with the charges?
7. What did Sudan do in response?
8. How much aid do these groups provide in Darfur?
9. What is al-Qaeda's production company called?
10. Who is second in command at al-Qaeda?
11. What does he accuse Sudan of?
12. Anything else?
13. anyone in particular?
14. Who does he want the UN to protect?
15. From what?
16. Is the arrest warrant just a local warrant?
17. What kind is it?
Answer: 1. the International Criminal Court
2. earlier in the month
3. Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir
4. pandering to the West
5. war crimes and crimes against humanity
6. no
7. he ordered 13 international aid groups to leave the country
8. roughly half
9. as-Sahab Media
10. Ayman al-Zawahiri
11. pandering to the West.
12. expelling members of the mujahedeen who had sought refuge there
13. Osama bin Laden
14. the Palestinians in Gaza
15. Israeli barbarity and criminality
16. no
17. an international arrest warrant

Dick often goes traveling when the summer holiday begins. But he was out of luck this summer. He went to an old temple on a high mountain by himself. On his way there it suddenly began to rain heavily and he hurried to go down the mountain. When he got to the foot of the mountain, he found the wooden bridge was under the water, so he had to spend the rainy night in a broken farmhouse. He was so hungry that he hardly fell asleep. The next morning the rain stopped and he found the bridge was damaged. He saw the river was not too deep and tried to swim across it. In the middle of the river the water nearly washed him away. Luckily , two farmers saved him, but he lost his bag. They gave him some food and dry clothes. He thanked them and went to the nearest town to call up his parents. At the end of the street, Dick found a small hotel and went in. He asked the price for a room. "A room on the first floor is twenty dollars, on the second floor, fifteen dollars and on the third, ten dollars," answered the owner. The young man had only eight dollars in all his pockets. He said thanks and was leaving. The owner asked, "Don't you like our hotel?" "Yes, it's good," said Dick, "but it's not tall enough!" What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What does Dick do in the summer?
2. Where is he visiting this summer?
3. Where was this?
4. What was the weather like?
5. Was it a light rain?
6. Who was he with?
7. What did he do when it started raining?
8. Was he able to get away?
9. What was wrong with the bridge?
10. What did he do then?
11. What did he eat?
12. When did the rain stop?
13. Was he able to leave them?
14. Why not?
15. Did he try to leave anyway?
16. How?
17. Was he successful?
18. Did he die?
19. Why not?
20. Who?
Answer:
1. travel
2. an old temple
3. a high mountain
4. raining
5. no
6. noone
7. hurried down the mountain
8. yes
9. under water
10. spent the night in a farmhouse
11. nothing
12. The next morning
13. no
14. the bridge was damaged
15. yes
16. swim across
17. no
18. no
19. someone saved him
20. two farmers