ONLINE FEEDBACK

Below are edited excerpts from comments posted online at www.jamaica-gleaner.com by readers to yesterday's Page 3 story 'JDF relocation dangerous', reporting on a speech by Opposition leader Portia Simpson Miller.

Portia is right

This is the first time I am agreeing with Mrs Simpson Miller. There is a lack of vision by this present administration. Up Park Camp needs to be upgraded and remodified and to fall in line with present-day technology if needs be.

- Hani

More info please!

Portia Simpson Miller may be right; she may be wrong, who knows? But what is clear is that this process of removing the military headquarters was afoot a long time ago. Plans and land transfers do not happen overnight. All the preliminary work was completed a long time ago and we are not hearing the rest of the deals that were made to come to this.

When are we going to hear the full details of all the deals that have led to the decision of moving the military headquarters. Who gave the land? What is designed for the future facilities both at Caymanas and Up Park Camp? Who are the financiers? Will someone please say something!

- Dranks

Scaremongering

Jamaica has no territorial disputes with neighbouring countries that we could identify any of them has an enemy which could launch a surprise attack on us, so there is no need to have the immediate presence of troops in the capital city. If a country with the capacity to launch a surprise attack on Jamaica, today, such as the USA or Cuba, decided to do so, the JDF at Up Park Camp does not have any radar-tracking stations monitoring our territorial airspace to provide early warning, nor do they possess air defence missile batteries, or fighter jets, to ward-off any air assault on the capital city; nor do they possess any naval capability to provide defence against invasion from the sea.

Simply put, the JDF today cannot fight a conventional war against any invading force, and if truth be told, Jamaica does not have a capable army for national defence! - Nationalist Patriot.

What's the fuss about

Wasn't there a time when horses were racing at 'New Kingston' ( what was then Knutsford Park); when the 'city' was below Cross Roads? What/s the fuss about?

The JUTC, Police Academy, Registrar General's Department (RGD) are based in Spanish Town. The RGD was moved from the heart of the city then to the eastern edge of Spanish Town; no problems there.

JDF will be a lot closer to Kingston than it appears, approximately nine miles from downtown Kingston.

If the Opposition objected on a cost issue, then they would have more support. Tired of this juvenile behaviour from our 'leaders'.

- Sean