ATTORNEY GENERAL OPENS WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR

UNCLAS NASSAU 000455

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR RBUDDEN, ISN/CPI JPURCELL, ISN/CPI MSTUMPF

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MNUC PARM PGOV PHSA PREL KNMP BF
SUBJECT: ATTORNEY GENERAL OPENS WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR
PROLIFERATION SECURITY INITIATIVE

REF: A. NASSAU 332


B. 06 STATE 161506

C. 06 NASSAU 1512

D. 06 STATE 50811

E. 06 NASSAU 1404


1. (U) This is an action message. Please see paragraph 4.


2. (SBU) During his farewell call on Attorney General
Allyson Maynard Gibson on April 4, Ambassador Rood reiterated
his interest in seeing the U.S. and The Bahamas conclude a
Proliferation Security Initiative agreement (PSI) -- a point
he had been making publicly in his farewell speeches within
the country. He noted to Maynard Gibson that PSI is a U.S.
priority that will strengthen U.S. and Bahamian ability to
combat weapons proliferation on the high seas.


3. (SBU) Having previously discussed the issue with Foreign
Minister Fred Mitchell, who noted that he had recently
received a legal analysis from the Attorney-General's office
about PSI, Ambassador Rood questioned Gibson about her
conclusions and recommendations to the Minister. He noted
that Mitchell had indicated that the memo suggested the
Comprehensive Maritime Agreement between the U.S. and The
Bahamas adequately addressed PSI issues (reftel A.)


4. (SBU) Gibson responded that, at the Ambassador's request,
her office had reconsidered the matter and determined that
PSI "was now a priority," that the Bahamian government "was
eager to expedite agreement" and that "we would like to sit
down and hammer something out." Gibson expressed an interest
and willingness to have her staff and other Bahamian
officials sit down with USG PSI experts for technical
discussions to finalize agreement.


5. (U) Post requests State's assistance in securing Bahamian
agreement on a PSI agreement. Post specifically requests
that a team of PSI legal and policy experts travel to Nassau
for discussions at a mutually convenient time to be
coordinated with the Bahamian government (reftel B.)


6. (SBU) COMMENT: With Bahamian elections scheduled for May
2, and Gibson's attention firmly on her campaign, it may be
difficult to hold Gibson to her word on PSI. Nevertheless,
we are encouraged by her willingness to move forward and
believe that, should she remain in her current post, we would
be able to follow up on this commitment. We note that her
belief that most of what we are seeking in the PSI is already
covered under our Comprehensive Maritime Agreement tracks
closely with our preferred approach to this issue (reftels
B-E) and offers an approach that we should be able to build
on in bringing this to a successful conclusion.
HARDT