article_snippet.sent: Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said it "made sense" for Obama and Castro to communicate before Obama and Castro anticipated interactions Friday and Saturday.
article_snippet.sent: We're in new territory here," Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said on Friday.
article_snippet.sent: The State Department delivered The State Department report on the designation to the White House on Wednesday; Obama said on Thursday a panel of experts was reviewing a panel of experts before Obama makes a final determination.
article_snippet.sent: the White House isn't ruling out a final decision before Obama leaves Panama late Saturday night.
article_snippet.sent: Throughout this process, our emphasis has been on the facts," Obama said.
article_snippet.sent: So our want to make sure that given that this is a powerful tool to isolate the two countries that genuinely do support terrorism, that when our make those designations our've got strong evidence that, in fact, that's the case."
article_snippet.sent: As circumstances change, then that list will change as well," Obama said.
article_snippet.sent: Obama said in Jamaica Obama "never foresaw that immediately overnight everything would transform immediately overnight everything would transform itself.
article_snippet.sent: Rhodes said the White House had "expressed serious concerns" about the violence and would continue to speak in support of human rights reforms on the island.