Robinson: I had no meeting with State Dept officials

[Karl]

Robinson: I had no meeting with State Dept officials
JUNIOR Foreign Minister Dr Ronald Robinson yesterday denied that he met with US State Department
...more

[Karl]

Is it party first, Prime Minister?
Mark Wignall


Thursday, April 29, 2010


In the initial stages of a government administration the political party which forms it has basically three types of animals in its ranks.
First there are the wolves constantly on the hunt, then the sheep, constantly on the run. Third, there are the doves, flying overhead desperately seeking a safe place on the ground if they want to seek sustenance and do more than just soil the pavement.

GOLDING... the real test of his leadership came in March when he was questioned by Dr Peter Phillips


GOLDING... the real test of his leadership came in March when he was questioned by Dr Peter Phillips

1/1

In the two and a half years that the JLP government has been in power, if we are to go by recent events since August 2009 when the US request was made for the extradition of West Kingston "president" Dudus until Dr Peter Phillips' revelations/questionings in March on the Manatt, Phelps and Phillips affair, it is quite obvious that the wolves in the JLP have all but completed the brief evolutionary process.


To me the real test of the prime minister's leadership came in March when he was questioned by Dr Peter Phillips, the de facto leader of the Opposition PNP. After stridently dismissing Phillips' question, Golding said: "Let me make it quite clear. The Government of Jamaica has not engaged any legal firm, any consultant, any entity whatsoever, in relation to any extradition matter other than to deploy the resources that are available within the Attorney General's Department who has a duty and responsibility to guide the Government on these matters."


Any 10th grade high school student who heard the prime minister's response on that day would have concluded that he did not have an earthly clue what was taking place under his very nose as either JLP leader or prime minister in charge of the administration.


One can only imagine what took place that afternoon behind closed doors. Did Golding say, "Gentlemen, what is happening? Put some words in mi mout to tell di people." Or did he say, "What the @!#t is going on. I am the PM! I am demanding answers now!"


On Tuesday it was quite painful listening to Dorothy Lightbourne, attorney general/justice minister, one of the supposedly high-flying doves, while being questioned by Cliff Hughes. Of paramount importance was the fact that she said that she was unaware of the press release issued by Karl Samuda!


It has been my position that the prime minister is deliberately stalling on the extradition request, not because of his need to protect the rights of Jamaican citizens, not because he believes the request is flawed, not because he subscribes to the view that the treaty must be re-visited. It is my belief that the PM is stalling to make it appear to the boys in Tivoli and their "president" that the "Jamaica House boss" did all in his power to stop or slow down what is obvious and inevitable - that the US will eventually have its way.


About a month ago I was speaking on one of my regular chats to an Atlanta radio station, Supreme Carib Radio. On that particular day, Attorney Frank Phipps was also on and the subject being discussed was extradition. The eminent Jamaican lawyer suggested that if Jamaica was displeased with the treaty it could pull out and prosecute its locals instead, provided there is sufficient evidence to support the allegations in the charge.


I said that Jamaica as a state had not reached that level of development to take "special people" to a successful prosecution, but the Jamaican host, probably living too long in the "land of the free and the home of the brave" cited "sovereignty" as supreme even without taking into consideration the local conditions of our judicial system and the witness protection programme.


Two days ago a reader who says he is an attorney-at-law wrote me the following:
"No one has disputed the existence of the JCF's legally obtained wiretap evidence that implicated Dudus and was the main evidence used by the USA's Grand Jury for their indictment and consequent extradition order.


"The current dispute lies in the allegation that the USA got this evidence from the JCF illegally (Constable John Doe) and consequently it cannot be used as a basis for extradition. This being so, why hasn't the JCF, in the meantime, while the extradition request is being sorted out, arrested Dudus and put him through our local court system, on the strength of this seemingly undisputed evidence?


"Instead some of those in the JLP are using underhand methods and agents of the state to seek mitigation for this man, with the risk of being themselves cited for conspiracy by the said Grand Jury and at a minimum, misrepresentation to the US State Department. What is it that makes this citizen so valuable?"


One assumes, of course, that the US DEA would have acted on the wiretaps and that it was not all a listening show, so it is safe to assume that the US authorities have other aces in the hole.


When the stridency of Golding's response to Peter Phillips in March is placed alongside the Samuda press release, the prime minister is painted as an innocent bystander, or a Machiavellian leader who has told his troops to do what is necessary for the immediate survival of the party without cluttering him up with details or, at best, as an incompetent and harried leader who desperately wants out.


In all of this, one thing is certain. The Jamaican people have been lied to and taken around the mulberry bush by those who came to office with much hope for our polity. Another reader who is also a lawyer and who resides abroad emailed me the following, "I just finished reading the Gleaner and Observer online. So, the esteemed Mr Samuda tells us that the JLP hired the US law firm and not the government of Jamaica to inquire/lobby/discuss treaty matters. Has he given any thought to what he said and what doors he has just opened? A political party, not the government, is paying a US law firm to lobby/inquire/discuss treaty matters (we know it is only the extradition treaty)? I can think of many reasons why the JLP and not the government are doing the lobbying and none of them is good. The hole is being dug deeper and deeper.


"Did you read the article in The New York Times last Sunday about the Dudus affair? I have been told by a good friend, who is connected to the Obama administration, that the article was run, not by chance, but by political design."


Well, Prime Minister, unwillingly you re-entered the JLP, were dragged to the JLP leadership, sought power, and now you are in the hot seat. But more than two years later, with your country in a state of seemingly uncontrollable social and economic turmoil and rampant criminality, you have decided to take on the mighty USA in a party political matter.
Why not just engage them in a debate? We know you are good at that, but more, much more is demanded.


observemark@gmail.com


http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/colum...affair_7562452

[Hortical]

It is time unuh stop hug up, support & facilitate that gunman....500 souls already gaan this year. Jamaica might need a Jerry Rawlings solution.

[Muadib]

Gunman ?

If that is all you think Dudus is.. well.. it might explain a lot of the naive chatter on this topic..

I suppose one coulda call Saddam Hussein a 'gun man' tuh...

[Rudi]

Still with the Mussilini defense I see (he made the trains run on time)be careful that didnt end pretty. I see your dilemma though pimpin aint easy. You no shame? Things so bad that you're left with your no betta no de argument. Dudus now the saviour of the JLP and by your logic the country. Question, in the interest of full disclosure shouldnt you guys have put this in your manfesto?

[Muadib]

Manifesto ?

lol !

Dat is a piece of Papah... Dudus is a reality of Yard.. unnuh stay deh focus on Dudus..

26 civilians were murdered in Tivaarli and the evidence lay in the streets to rot.. who went to jail ?

Remind me of your comments regarding this...

Nuh draw mi tongue...

[Don1]

Still with the Mussilini defense I see (he made the trains run on time)be careful that didnt end pretty. I see your dilemma though pimpin aint easy. You no shame? Things so bad that you're left with your no betta no de argument. Dudus now the saviour of the JLP and by your logic the country. Question, in the interest of full disclosure shouldnt you guys have put this in your manfesto?

LOL!!

[Rudi]

Manifesto ?

lol !

Dat is a piece of Papah... Dudus is a reality of Yard.. unnuh stay deh focus on Dudus..

26 civilians were murdered in Tivaarli and the evidence lay in the streets to rot.. who went to jail ?

Remind me of your comments regarding this...

Nuh draw mi tongue...

Pimpin aint easy. You keep shifting. Is this now payback for Adams' raid on the Mother of All Garrissons? How low did you have to search for that one? All I am saying shouldn't the grandchessmaster have included this "reality" as you call it in his prescription offered to the Jamaican people as to the way forward. If he had your job now would be so much easier.

[Muadib]

But he did.. he follow through with the Manifesto and a lot of associated problems go away...

You have to be able to connect the dots.. unnuh want tuh much spoon feeding..

[Rudi]

Glad to know that you're sticking to the assertion that what has taken place to date is part of the master plan. When all else fails keep wagging the dog.ASk Dorothy, Darryl and the rest of the clueless crew if they have connected the dots of the chessmaster's master plan. Me know say you embarrassed but you too far out pon the limb. Soon send a rescue party for you but you have to turn and twist a little more. Pimpin aint easy.

[Muadib]

Yuh ah mek up assertion now.

Comrades try a ting before election.. a last lick.. somewhat reckless but dem was obviously desperate..

Yuh cyan get caught up in di politrics.. I will focus on di Latte plan..

So far so good...