Tweet
In what the cable writer calls an "often surreal and disjointed conversation", the wife of the Jamaican prime minister tells the US embassy she believes Hillary Clinton is under the "pernicious influence" of US Congressman Charles Rangel over the extradition of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
See full cable release on the Guardian's Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/239791
Summary and Analysis:
------------------------------
1. (C) Lorna Golding, the wife of Prime Minister (PM) Bruce Golding, told Post's Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Patricia Attkisson that she believes Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is under the "pernicious influence" of U.S. Representative Charles Rangel regarding the contentious U.S. extradition request for Christopher "Dudus" Coke. In an often surreal and disjointed conversation, Mrs. Golding alleged that Congressman Rangel is a "sympathizer" of the opposition People's National Party (PNP) who is "manipulated" by PNP elements in the Jamaican diaspora in the U.S. and is "whispering in Secretary Clinton's ear" in order to "downgrade" the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Government of Jamaica (GOJ). Mrs. Golding also blamed this cabal for the White House's delay in naming a new ambassador and the GOJ's difficulties in finalizing a Standby Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Although it appears unlikely that Mrs. Golding was delivering a message on behalf of the PM, Mrs. Golding's rambling comments and penchant for sharing conspiracy theories with a key member of the U.S. Embassy community is consistent with a growing sense among many of indecisiveness and a lack of direction on the part of the PM and the JLP. End Summary and Analysis.
"Pernicious Influence"
----------------------------
2. (C) The invitation to the PAO to meet for afternoon tea on December 11 at the PM's residence had been unexpected; there were no other guests in attendance and no tea was actually served, although the PAO was offered some salad that Mrs. Golding said the Prime Minister had prepared the previous evening. Mrs. Golding didn't seem to be using any talking points, although the PM was aware of the PAO's presence and in fact dropped in for some small talk later in the meeting. (NOTE: This suggests that Mrs. Golding's opinions were not necessarily intended as an effort on the part of the PM's office to establish some sort of backchannel communication or to present any informal messages or official GOJ policy. End Note).
3.(C) The PAO's conversation with Mrs. Golding covered a wide array of topics, from salads and manicures to the Coke extradition request (Ref A) and Jamaica's pending negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (Ref B). Mrs. Golding expressed her belief that Secretary Clinton's failure to mention the GOJ in the Department's traditional Independence Day congratulatory message to the Jamaican people in August 2009 had been an intentional slight, instigated by the PNP through its "nefarious influence" on Secretary Clinton. Similarly, Mrs. Golding attributed the Coke extradition request to Congressman Rangel's "whispering in Secretary Clinton's ear" and the PNP's "pernicious influence" within the Jamaican diaspora, and insisted that the extradition request had been orchestrated as a means of embarrassing her husband politically.
See full cable release on the Guardian's Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/239791
Summary and Analysis:
------------------------------
1. (C) Lorna Golding, the wife of Prime Minister (PM) Bruce Golding, told Post's Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Patricia Attkisson that she believes Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is under the "pernicious influence" of U.S. Representative Charles Rangel regarding the contentious U.S. extradition request for Christopher "Dudus" Coke. In an often surreal and disjointed conversation, Mrs. Golding alleged that Congressman Rangel is a "sympathizer" of the opposition People's National Party (PNP) who is "manipulated" by PNP elements in the Jamaican diaspora in the U.S. and is "whispering in Secretary Clinton's ear" in order to "downgrade" the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Government of Jamaica (GOJ). Mrs. Golding also blamed this cabal for the White House's delay in naming a new ambassador and the GOJ's difficulties in finalizing a Standby Agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Although it appears unlikely that Mrs. Golding was delivering a message on behalf of the PM, Mrs. Golding's rambling comments and penchant for sharing conspiracy theories with a key member of the U.S. Embassy community is consistent with a growing sense among many of indecisiveness and a lack of direction on the part of the PM and the JLP. End Summary and Analysis.
"Pernicious Influence"
----------------------------
2. (C) The invitation to the PAO to meet for afternoon tea on December 11 at the PM's residence had been unexpected; there were no other guests in attendance and no tea was actually served, although the PAO was offered some salad that Mrs. Golding said the Prime Minister had prepared the previous evening. Mrs. Golding didn't seem to be using any talking points, although the PM was aware of the PAO's presence and in fact dropped in for some small talk later in the meeting. (NOTE: This suggests that Mrs. Golding's opinions were not necessarily intended as an effort on the part of the PM's office to establish some sort of backchannel communication or to present any informal messages or official GOJ policy. End Note).
3.(C) The PAO's conversation with Mrs. Golding covered a wide array of topics, from salads and manicures to the Coke extradition request (Ref A) and Jamaica's pending negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (Ref B). Mrs. Golding expressed her belief that Secretary Clinton's failure to mention the GOJ in the Department's traditional Independence Day congratulatory message to the Jamaican people in August 2009 had been an intentional slight, instigated by the PNP through its "nefarious influence" on Secretary Clinton. Similarly, Mrs. Golding attributed the Coke extradition request to Congressman Rangel's "whispering in Secretary Clinton's ear" and the PNP's "pernicious influence" within the Jamaican diaspora, and insisted that the extradition request had been orchestrated as a means of embarrassing her husband politically.
Comment