Jamaica

Jamaica is an island state in the Caribbean whose ruling parties, the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party, alternated in office through the 1970s and 1980s.¹

Prime ministers, 1972 to 1989

Michael Manley of the People's National Party held office from 1972 to 1980. Edward Seaga of the Jamaica Labour Party defeated him in 1980 in an election accompanied by street violence that left hundreds dead, and was re-elected in 1983 when the People's National Party boycotted a snap election. In February 1989 Manley's party won a landslide victory over Seaga's government, and Manley was sworn in again on February 13, 1989. The Christian Science Monitor described Manley as a socialist intellectual whose close ties to Cuba had worried American policymakers in the 1970s, and quoted him at a press conference saying that he planned a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet George H.W. Bush, congressional leaders and officials of the Drug Enforcement Administration.¹

Embassy cables and the destabilization allegations, 1976 to 1980

On September 28, 1976 the United States Embassy in Kingston sent the State Department a Country Team message titled "Jamaica: Policy Options in a Confrontation Atmosphere." It stated that the visit of Philip Agee to Jamaica "has been only one of series of actions taken by the Manley government in recent months designed to utilize the 'destabilization' theme as a political tool," listed options open to Manley including expelling Embassy personnel named on the "Agee list," and recommended recalling the American ambassador for consultations.²

On November 21, 1977 the Embassy reported a meeting with Manley on a Penthouse article. According to the cable, Manley "still believes 'some CIA people' were trying to destabilize his government and perhaps 'even' assassinate him last year," while accepting that the Central Intelligence Agency director had given no such orders. The cable records Manley as saying that his intelligence service and military service had proof that Seaga had met Cuban exiles in Miami and lower-echelon CIA officials on several occasions in 1976, and that the proof was "not the type he could just lay out."³

An undated memorandum in the Department of State's 1977 to 1980 Jamaica files, from the deputy director of coordination of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research Theodore Heavner to the bureau's director William Bowdler, states: "I judge from the Embassy's recent reporting and the CIA proposal that they have given up on working with Manley and want to concentrate on replacing him with Seaga." It records that Ambassador Viron Vaky "said he is opposed to any covert action in Jamaica," and lists questions for discussion including "What opportunities, overt and covert, are there in the labor field, in the Gleaner, in the private sector?"⁴

In July 1980, according to the opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States in Haig v. Agee, two days after a press conference in Jamaica at which Agee's principal collaborator identified Richard Kinsman as CIA chief of station, Kinsman's house was strafed with automatic gunfire, and four days after the same press conference three men approached the Jamaica home of another man identified as an Agency officer and gunfire was exchanged with police. The Court cited an affidavit of the United States ambassador to Jamaica.⁵

Posses, 1988 and 1989

On October 14, 1988 the Deseret News reported that Attorney General Dick Thornburgh announced arrests of Jamaican posse members across twenty states, and that a 62-count indictment unsealed in Miami charged Vivian Blake and 33 other alleged members of the Shower Posse with cocaine and marijuana smuggling, arms purchases and racketeering including nine killings. Thornburgh was quoted as saying posse members were "known to be involved with over 1,400 drug-related murders since January 1985." U.S. Attorney Dexter Lehtinen was quoted as saying it was the first time a Jamaican drug gang had been indicted in the United States as an enterprise. The article also reported that Blake had been identified by various law enforcement officials as the son of a key adviser to former Jamaican Prime Minister Norman Manley.⁶

The journalist Laurie Gunst wrote in The Nation on November 13, 1989 that the Shower Posse had worked for the Jamaica Labour Party and Seaga, that its marijuana profits in Miami and New York bought guns for the party, and that the Renkers posse began as a Jamaica Labour Party posse in the 1980 campaign.⁷

Airport security and narcotics measures, 1988 to 1989

In August 1988 the Jamaican minister for national security, Errol Anderson, announced new actions "to strangle drug smuggling" at the Norman Manley and Sangster airports, including withdrawal of security passes from non-essential holders, random lie detector tests for employees in key positions, and cameras and patrols on the roads to the airports. On April 8, 1989 The Gleaner ran a story headed "Airport security angers travellers," reporting that outgoing passengers, particularly those on Air Jamaica, felt humiliated by body searches, sniffer dogs and baggage sifting and were intimidated by a large military presence.⁸

The Manley government and narcotics diplomacy, 1989

At a TransAfrica dinner in Washington in June 1989, Manley proposed a multinational antidrug strike force patterned on United Nations peacekeeping forces. The Monitor reported that he had discussed the idea, and others on greater sharing of intelligence and training in intelligence-gathering techniques, with members of the British Commonwealth, and that officials of the State Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United Nations described the force as exceedingly difficult to carry out.⁹

The Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control held joint hearings on "Jamaica's proposed comprehensive international anti-narcotics plan" and the Andean nations on November 6, 1989, January 18 and March 27, 1990. Senator Arlen Specter stated, "Prime Minister Manley, I join in welcoming you here." Senator Strom Thurmond stated that Manley's proposal called for "a central intelligence-gathering operation which could coordinate intelligence information worldwide, an international training facility for interdiction, investigative and intelligence training for narcotics agents," and a public education division. Manley testified that the proposal had seven points, the first being "some coordinating mechanism for intelligence gathering," including the capacity to "track financial flows," and the second training: "A country like Jamaica, for example, had developed considerable experience in dealing with ganja."¹⁰

The State Department's country report on human rights practices for 1989 stated that the security forces were directed by the Ministry of National Security and consisted of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the Jamaica Special Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force; that the Jamaica Constabulary Force "is receiving training in police investigative techniques from the U.S. Justice Department's International Criminal Investigative Training Program"; and that there were "more than 200 private security firms in Jamaica," with licensing the subject of draft legislation.¹¹

Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, 1989 to 1995

The United States and Jamaica signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in criminal matters at Kingston on July 7, 1989. The signature page of the printed treaty carries the signatures, as legible, of Michael Sotirhos for the United States and A. Carl Rattray for Jamaica. The Department of State's published text records its transmittal to the United States Senate on October 25, 1991, the favorable report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on May 7, 1992, the Senate's advice and consent on July 2, 1992, ratification by the President on October 9, 1992, ratification by Jamaica on July 17, 1995, and entry into force on July 25, 1995.¹² The Department of State's Office of the Historian lists Sotirhos as ambassador to Jamaica from November 12, 1985 to July 7, 1989, and his successor Glen A. Holden from November 21, 1989.¹³

Foreign agent registrations before 1989

The Government of Jamaica appears as a foreign principal in the Department of Justice bulk files under the Foreign Agents Registration Act from 1955. The files list Pehle, Riemer, Luxford and Naiden as registrant for the Government of Jamaica from October 7, 1955 and Davis, Polk and Wardell from September 22, 1958 to August 31, 1960. They also list a registrant for the Permanent Mission of the Government of Jamaica to the United Nations from October 18, 1962 to April 18, 1963, the Ministry of Trade and Industry from October 8, 1962 to April 8, 1964, and the Ministry of Development from July 2, 1957 to July 2, 1972. The Jamaica Reservation Service registered for the Government of Jamaica on August 9, 1978 and terminated January 31, 1991.¹⁴

The 1980s registrations include A.F. Sabo Associates of New York (registration 3115, registered February 12, 1982, terminated November 7, 1989), which prepared news releases and radio and video tape broadcasts and arranged familiarization trips to Jamaica by American journalists, with $770,000.00 reported for the twelve months ending December 27, 1988. The GCI Group of New York registered on July 11, 1986 for the Government of Jamaica, Office of the Prime Minister, reporting $843,500.00 for the twelve months ending July 11, 1988, $727,500.00 for the twelve months ending July 11, 1989 and $360,000.00 for the eight months ending March 31, 1990. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom of Washington reported $37,427.00 for the seven months ending October 15, 1988 and $24,822.00 for the six months ending April 15, 1989 for legal services.¹⁵

The 1989 registrations

The bulk files record six registrations with the Government of Jamaica, one of its offices or its investment agency as principal between March and September 1989. They are listed here in date order.

Neill and Company, Inc. of Washington, recorded in the bulk file under its earlier name Washington International Group, Inc., registered for the Government of Jamaica on March 6, 1989 (registration 3320). The Attorney General's report to Congress states that it contacted United States officials, including members and staff of Congress, in support of the Fiscal Year 1990 foreign assistance, State Department authorization and foreign aid appropriations bills, supported legislation to amend the Caribbean Basin Initiative, and encouraged expanded trade; it reports $150,000.00 for the six months ending July 5, 1989.¹⁶

Fenton Communications, Inc. of 1755 S Street NW, Washington, registered for the Office of the Prime Minister on March 10, 1989 (registration 3857); it had registered for the People's National Party of Jamaica on February 3, 1989. The report states that it organized press coverage of visits of officials, issued press releases, assisted the Jamaican Embassy with its newsletter, traveled to Jamaica to meet officials, advised them on public relations activities and assisted American journalists in Jamaica, and "prepared and disseminated news releases and newsletters to promote a multilateral anti-drug program and to publicize Jamaica's desire for continued relations with the U.S." It reports $178,773.38 for the five months ending July 14, 1989, $457,755.95 for the twelve months ending July 14, 1990 and $708,121.87 for the twelve months ending July 14, 1991.¹⁷

Holland & Knight of Washington (registration 3718) registered the Government of Jamaica (JAMPRO) as a principal on March 17, 1989 and the Government of Jamaica, Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 7, 1989. The report states that it monitored and reported on federal agency and congressional matters pertaining to the Caribbean Basin Initiative, and for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also immigration, labor and trade matters; it lists $5,000.00 for the twelve months ending August 7, 1989 and $166,763.33 for the twelve months ending August 7, 1990 for JAMPRO and $83.10 for the twelve months ending August 7, 1990 for the Ministry.¹⁸

JAMPRO of 35 Trafalgar Road, Kingston registered on March 29, 1989 (registration 4232) with the Government of Jamaica as principal. The report states that it provided economic and statistical data to prospective investors and took part in trade shows and seminars, and lists $1,975,620.30 for the nine months ending September 30, 1989 and $3,114,167.00 for the twelve months ending September 30, 1990.¹⁹

CounterTerrorism Consultants, L.P. of 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 230, Alexandria, Virginia, registered on September 18, 1989 (registration 4294) with the Government of Jamaica as its only principal, seventy-three days after the treaty was signed at Kingston. The Attorney General's report lists "Activities: None Reported," "$25,000.00 prior to registration on September 18, 1989," and no receipts for the six months ending April 15, 1990. The principal row terminated April 15, 1990 and the registration October 25, 1990. The registration's short forms name Carter Cornick, Gerald S. Walker and Eugene Propper, each from September 18, 1989 to October 25, 1990.²⁰

Galland, Kharasch, Morse and Garfinkle of Washington, registered since June 23, 1987 (registration 4006) for Air Jamaica, Ltd., advised United States Government officials of the principal's efforts "to insure that their aircraft facilities would not be used by third persons in the illicit traffic of narcotics," and reported $285,131.24 for the twelve months ending December 23, 1989.²¹

Later registrations, 1990 to 1998

Peter Martin Associates of New York (registration 4236, registered April 5, 1989) reported $749,854.00 for the six months ending October 31, 1989 and $1,653,749.00 for the twelve months ending October 31, 1990 for the Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, for which it wrote press releases and speeches.²² Curtis A. Ward of Washington, who had registered for the People's National Party from February 13, 1987 to March 1, 1989 (registration 3938), registered for the Government of Jamaica on November 7, 1991 (registration 4590) and terminated May 31, 1993, with no activities or finances reported.²³