US regrets Cuba failure to free Jewish US citizen

The US State Department said on Saturday it deplored Cuba's failure to free Alan Gross - a US citizen serving a 15-year prison term in a case that has stalled progress in US-Cuba relations - as part of an announced humanitarian release of some 2,900 prisoners.

"If this is correct, we are deeply disappointed and deplore the fact that the Cuban government has decided not to take this opportunity to extend this humanitarian release to Mr. Gross this holiday season, especially in light of his deteriorating health, and to put an end to the Gross family's long plight," Mark Toner, a State Department spokesman, said Saturday. (Reuters)