JAMAICA: LONG-TERM AGREEMENT ON STATUS OF FORCES

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000593 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR L/PM (TOM HEROLD) WHA/CAR (RANDALL BUDDEN) SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA/IAA (MICHAEL MACMURRAY) OSD/WHA (JAMES ALVERSON) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MARR MOPS PREL KTIA JM XL SUBJECT: JAMAICA: LONG-TERM AGREEMENT ON STATUS OF FORCES REF: A. 06 STATE 172715 (132300Z OCT 06) ¶B. 06 KINGSTON 2100 (251258Z OCT 06) ¶C. 06 KINGSTON 2301 (281727Z NOV 06) ¶D. KINGSTON 588 (241258Z APR 07) (NOTAL) 1.(SBU) In the course of a meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign SIPDIS Trade (MFAFT),Ambassador Douglas Saunders, and other senior MFAFT officials, on April 19, Charge again inquired regarding the Government of Jamaica (GoJ)'s pending response to the USG proposal for a long-term Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). Saunders readily acknowledged that the GoJ had planned to provide its response by the end of January, and pointed out ((correctly)) that security, counter-terrorism, and logistical challenges surrounding the ongoing Cricket World Cup (CWC) series had absorbed all of the GoJ's attention and energies in recent months. Saunders indicated that MFAFT was still awaiting input from the Ministry of National Security. 2.(SBU) In a meeting with officials of the Ministry of National Security the following day (ref D),Charge mentioned to Permanent Secretary Gil Scott that Ambassador Saunders had said MFAFT was still awaiting input from the Ministry of National Security. Scott said his Ministry had already sent its input to MFAFT, and suggested MFAFT was stalling. 3.(SBU) Comment: From the beginning, the Ministry of National Security has been more enthusiastic about exploring a SOFA than has MFAFT. However, MFAFT is in charge of agreements with other nations, so they will have to agree. End Comment. Johnson