Dunno about your research, but a "friend" traveled to Cuba last year and wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The policy is an anachronism, lingering only because neither political party wants to cross the kooky fanatic Elián Gonzales-kidnapping Cuban expats in South Florida.
Just be careful about passport stamping, and purchase a bankcard/bank account in Canada (or Mexico?) to fund your trip. A google search will give you all the information you need.
The security clearance worries seem hard to believe. Also, I have a (real) friend who traveled to Cuba the old-fashioned way--legally through a religious group--and he wisks through Customs regularly without a problem.
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by avek00:
A trip to Cuba is simply not worth the "permanent" trouble that it could cause.
I have also researched the legalities (and consequences) involved with US citizen travel to Cuba. Using the hypothetical scenario of a LEGAL, "fully-hosted" trip to Cuba, here are two of the conclusions reached:
1. The traveler would be subject to indefinite close scrutiny by Customs and the INS, receiving at least a full interrogation and baggage check EVERY time he or she tried to enter the United States.
2. If the traveler is or sought to be employed by the Federal Government, he or she could pretty much kiss any hope of a job in a sensitive (e.g., requiring security clearance) position goodbye, even if the job application is many years after the trip.</font>