Jamaica, no problem
Published:Thursday | December 23, 2010 | 12:00 AM
US embassy downplays significance of leaked cables
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
The United States Embassy in Kingston has downplayed the significance of two diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks which show Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie and Lorna Golding, wife of Prime Minister Bruce Golding, trying to kill the extradition request for west Kingston strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
While not commenting on the details of the two embarrassing cables, first published by the United Kingdom media entity The Guardian, a spokesperson for the embassy yesterday argued that the information should not be overstated.
The spokesperson also claimed that the US-Jamaica relationship remained as tight as ever.
"Cables reflect the internal day-to-day analysis and candid assessments that form foreign relations," Yolanda Kerney, public affairs officer at the US Embassy in Kingston, told The Gleaner Power 106 News Centre.
"These cables are often preliminary, they are often the incomplete expressions of a single officer's assessment of people or foreign policy."
Kerney added: "They (the cables) really should not be seen as having standing on their own or as representing US policy."
Different assessments
She argued that two embassy officials could have different assessments of the same situation, person or policy.
Kerney also rejected suggestions that the leaked cables, including one which claimed Cuban officials were concerned that the Jamaican Government was soft on the illegal drug trade, could affect the relationship between the US and Jamaica.
"The United States government and the Government of Jamaica have enjoyed a long and productive bilateral relationship, including in the administration of extradition treaties between our two governments, and we are certain that those warm and long relations will continue," said Kerney.
Up to late yesterday, there remained a deafening silence from Jamaica House as government officials contacted by The Gleaner refused to comment on the latest cables.
The Jamaican and US governments had a frosty relationship late 2009 into the early months of this year, as they faced off over the extradition request for Coke.
With Kingston adamant that the request contained a fundamental flaw and Washington equally adamant that the alleged leader of the notorious 'Shower Posse' should be extradited, the governments faced many tense moments.
In an attempt to thaw the freeze, Prime Minister Bruce Golding approved the hiring of US law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.
But that opened a can of worms, as a dispute engulfed the Golding administration over whether the firm was engaged by the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) or the Government.
After months of dithering, the Government finally signed the extradition request and approved an incursion into Coke's stronghold of west Kingston in an effort to capture him.
More than 70 people were killed in that firefight, but Coke escaped. He was captured almost one month later and extradited to New York, where he is in custody awaiting his day in court.