Cuba on Thursday criticized as illegal the record U.S. fine against French bank BNP Paribas BNPP.PA, saying President Barack Obama's administration has now imposed more Cuba-related penalties than that of any previous U.S. president. BNP Paribas this week pleaded guilty to two criminal charges that it violated U.S. sanctions against Cuba, Sudan and Iran. The bank agreed to pay almost $9 billion to resolve the accusations. Cuba has repeatedly protested the U.S. trade embargo and other sanctions that penalize companies for doing business with the communist island nation if they also have commerce in the United States. Cuba says the extraterritorial reach of the U.S. legislation violates international law. Washington has maintained an embargo of Cuba for more than half a century, a policy widely criticized across the globe with the United Nations passing a resolution calling for its end in each of the past 22 years. "Once again, the United States government is ignoring the sweeping
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