Please, extend initiative to fight drugs, illegal guns

Still struggling to deal with the flow of guns from the United States to Jamaica, Prime Minister Bruce Golding reportedly wrote to US President Barack Obama in 2008, encouraging him to extend an initiative launched to crack down on illegal guns and drugs.

The full text of the letter was captured in a diplomatic cable from the United States Embassy in Kingston and dated April 2009.

The cable has been edited for length and libel.

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000278

SUBJECT: LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FROM PRIME MINISTER BRUCE GOLDING

1. (SBU) Under cover of the following Government of Jamaica Diplomatic Note No. 5/504/1 of April 6, post has received the below letter from Prime Minister Bruce Golding addressed to the president:

Dear Mr President:

I commend you on the decisive action you have taken in collaboration with the Mexican government to confront the drug cartels and to eliminate the threat they pose to the security of both the United States and Mexico.

The government of Jamaica supports the efforts being made by the United States, through the Merida Initiative, to combat drug trafficking through Mexico and Central America.

I further welcome your recent statement that the United States will intensify its efforts to control the flow of illegal guns and cash from the United States to drug cartels.

Jamaica remains extremely vulnerable to the predatory activities of these criminal networks. As an island state located along a major route between the source and destination of illicit drugs and faced with severe resource constraints, our surveillance, investigation and apprehension capabilities are not commensurate with the threats to which we are exposed.

We appreciate the assistance and cooperation which the US authorities have provided us. However, our counter-narcotics activities need to be strengthened and intensified.

I urge you, notwithstanding the emphasis justifiably placed on the Mexican border, to consider expanding the initiative to incorporate the Western Caribbean and, in particular, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Jamaica remains fully committed to cooperating with the United States in repelling this grave threat to both our countries.

Bruce Golding, MP

Prime Minister

(End text of letter to the President).