Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PORTOFSPAIN1125
2006-09-22 21:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Port Of Spain
Cable title:  

PM MANNING SAYS T&T IS A RELIABLE ALLY, SO U.S.

Tags:  PREL PGOV ETRD EPET MARR SNAR EAID TD 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSP #1125/01 2652110
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 222110Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7393
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3608
RHEBAAA/DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 001125 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, EB/TPP/BTA, EB/ESC/IEC/EPC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD EPET MARR SNAR EAID TD
SUBJECT: PM MANNING SAYS T&T IS A RELIABLE ALLY, SO U.S.
SHOULD CONSIDER REQUESTS ON TRADE, DRUG INTERDICTION,
ARTICLE 98

REF: PORT OF SPAIN 1040

Classified By: DCM Eugene P. Sweeney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L PORT OF SPAIN 001125

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR, WHA/EPSC, EB/TPP/BTA, EB/ESC/IEC/EPC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETRD EPET MARR SNAR EAID TD
SUBJECT: PM MANNING SAYS T&T IS A RELIABLE ALLY, SO U.S.
SHOULD CONSIDER REQUESTS ON TRADE, DRUG INTERDICTION,
ARTICLE 98

REF: PORT OF SPAIN 1040

Classified By: DCM Eugene P. Sweeney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Reprising public remarks from several days
earlier (reftel),PM Manning characterized T&T as a reliable
ally and energy supplier that was not receiving sufficient
attention from the U.S. during a September 8 meeting with DOE
A/S Harbert and State/WHA DAS Duddy. He praised bilateral
law enforcement cooperation but complained about the U.S.
requirement that T&T sign an Article 98 agreement. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) Assistant Secretary of Energy Karen Harbert and Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State Patrick Duddy met with Prime
Minister Manning on September 8 in Port of Spain. Also
attending were Embassy DCM and Econ Chief (notetaker) and
from DOE Gary Ward and Sam Browne. This message reports PM
Manning's comments issues in the U.S.-Trinidad and Tobago
relationship. Additional comments on CARICOM, Venezuela's
Petrocaribe initiative and the upcoming UN Security Council
vote are reported septel.

--------------
Asking for duty-free access
--------------


3. (C) Manning raised two proposals on trade, first made
about one year ago, that he felt had not received due
attention from the U.S. The first was his request for
duty-free access to the U.S. market for manufactured goods
packaged in Trinidad and Tobago. Citing Taiwan as an
example, he suggested that this would permit T&T to
accelerate growth and development, adding that he could not
see how this would be disruptive to U.S. markets, given the
minimal amount of trade involved.


4. (C) Manning also repeated his proposal that the U.S.
eliminate customs duties on energy-based products from the
Caribbean. While acknowledging the merits of a comprehensive

free trade agreement between the U.S. and CARICOM, he
signaled low expectations of CARICOM's ability to negotiate
as a single entity. By the time CARICOM is ready to start,
"everyone else will have signed with you," he commented. DAS
Duddy responded that a meeting of the U.S.-CARICOM Trade and
Investment Council planned for October would afford an
opportunity to discuss these ideas.

-------------- --------------
Regional drug interdiction: You pay for it, we'll do it
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Manning said that he understands the U.S. is
preoccupied with terrorism, but the apparent decision to
shift resources away from drug interdiction in the Caribbean
was leaving some of the small island nations vulnerable. He
specifically mentioned Grenada, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and
Antigua and Barbuda. He claimed not to be so worried about
T&T, now that they have installed a new Israeli radar system
to assist in guarding their coasts. He repeated his previous
offer to use T&T assets (soon to include three new large
OPV,s and four new helicopters) to patrol the eastern
Caribbean if the U.S. would pay for the cost.

--------------
Pleased with cooperation on law enforcement
--------------


6. (C) Manning praised bilateral cooperation on law
enforcement in recent years, commenting that "the doors of
the U.S. Attorney General's office opened to us" after he
raised the issue during his 2003 meeting with President Bush.
As a result, many offenders were now facing trials in both
countries. When DAS Duddy thanked Manning for cooperating
with U.S. authorities in the apprehension of Roger Khan,
Manning said he had acted without hesitation, but he had then
been obliged to duck some difficult questions about it.

--------------
Pushing for an exemption from Article 98
--------------


7. (C) Manning pushed strongly for an exemption for Trinidad
and Tobago from Article 98. He characterized as "downright


discourteous" the U.S. insistence that T&T sign an Article 98
agreement or go without U.S. military aid, as a former T&T
prime minister (A. N. R. Robinson) had helped found the
International Criminal Court. Signing such an agreement
would have serious domestic political repercussions, he said,
so he could not do it. Other U.S. allies were exempted from
the requirement, but none of them contribute to U.S. energy
security to the same degree as T&T, he asserted, reciting
statistics on the share of U.S. imports of liquefied natural
gas (LNG),methane, ammonia, and urea that come from T&T.
DAS Duddy offered to take Manning's concerns back to
Washington.

--------------
What if we take our LNG elsewhere?
--------------


8. (C) Manning asked how the U.S. would react if T&T were to
decide to sell its LNG to other countries offering higher
prices than T&T currently gets from some U.S. markets.
Brushing aside A/S Harbert's response that free markets
adjust to price differentials, he said the real issue is
security of supply. T&T is a reliable supplier and a
staunch, stable, and democratic ally where the rule of law is
respected, so why doesn't the U.S. do more to respond to
T&T's concerns? Now in his fifth year in office, how was he
not to take this negatively, he lamented.


9. (C) Both A/S Harbert and DAS Duddy recognized T&T,s
potential to play a regional role and said they would take
his concerns back with them to Washington.


10. (C) COMMENT: While Manning's tone was friendly, his
message was sharp. He clearly realized that by delivering
public remarks complaining of U.S. indifference to the
Caribbean two days before a regional energy conference that
DOE co-sponsored, he had put the U.S. delegation on the spot.
His desire for a greater level of engagement with the U.S.
was apparent, as was his concern for the impact of
Venezuela,s Petrocaribe program (reported separately) on
T&T,s energy markets. END COMMENT.


11. (U) DOE A/S Harbert did not clear this message.
AUSTIN