Alan Gross was in a Cuban prison Tuesday morning when his attorney, Scott Gilbert, phoned to say Gross would soon be released. There was a long pause. "I'll believe it when I see it," Gross finally said, according to family spokeswoman Jill Zuckman. President Barack Obama's administration had secured Gross's release as part of a sweeping deal to thaw the decades-old diplomatic freeze with Cuba. Wednesday's announcement came after a year of secretive talks the two countries held in Canada, while Pope Francis was personally pressing the leaders of both countries to reach an agreement. The details of the behind-the-scenes maneuvering were so closely guarded that U.S. diplomats in Cuba threw a party at the official residence of Chief of Mission Jeff Delaurentis on Tuesday night to keep about 100 journalists, diplomats and other bigwigs -- including Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), sporting a white suit -- there distracted and drinking late.
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The pre-dawn flight to Havana to retrieve Alan Gross was so secretive that much of the Pentagon was kept in the dark
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U.S. diplomats in Cuba threw a party Tuesday night, keeping reporters there drinking late and distracted
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Waiting for Gross on the U.S. government plane Wednesday morning was popcorn and a corned beef sandwich
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The group spent about 30 minutes on the ground in @placeholder before Gross boarded and found waiting for him a bowl of popcorn, which he had said he missed during his five years of captivity.
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The two sat next to each other on a leather couch watching @placeholder announce the new Cuba policy.
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Two planes -- one to pick up Gross in @placeholder and one to deliver Cuban prisoners released by the United States -- ended up on the tarmac at the same time, Van Hollen said.
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Two planes -- one to pick up Gross in Havana and one to deliver Cuban prisoners released by the @placeholder -- ended up on the tarmac at the same time, Van Hollen said.
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He said the delegation met briefly with the @placeholder's foreign minister when they landed in Havana, at a small airport near the city's much larger one.
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They were escorted by Cuban officials through the airport and into a room where Gross was waiting, along with two other @placeholder officials.