JAMAICA, MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY EAGER TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000593 SIPDIS INL/LP FOR BOZZOLO BROWN WHA/CAR FOR TILGHMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/01/2018 TAGS: PTER PREL MASS MOPS ASEC SNAR PBTS DHS JM XL SUBJECT: JAMAICA, MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY EAGER TO WORK ON REGIONAL SECURITY REF: SECSTATE 69093 Classified By: DCM James T. Heg for reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: June 27, using the ongoing CARICOM Heads of State meeting as a catalyst, the CDA met with Jamaica's Minister of National Security (MNS),Trevor MacMillan to urge Jamaica to engage more fully with CARICOM on regional security, particularly with a focus on the troublesome ganja for guns trade between Haiti and Jamaica. The Minister informed us that Jamaica was aware of the actions of its Caribbean counterparts, e.g. the recent visit to Washington by T&T Prime Minister Manning. (REFTEL) The Minister agreed that Jamaica needs to more deeply engage the region on these matters to forestall a narrow Eastern Caribbean focus to CARICOM's efforts. End Summary ¶2. (C) During the meeting, the CDA highlighted Trinidad's direct engagement with Washington, and briefly outlined our desire for Jamaica to engage within CARICOM as an equal partner to Trinidad and Tobago. The Minister insisted that Jamaica was fully engaged in the region, the exception being its refusal to participate in regional maritime patrols due to resource constraints. He also explained that Prime Minister Golding had been fully briefed on Jamaica's CARICOM Security Agenda prior to the Heads of State meeting during the week of June 30. The Minister agreed that it was important for Jamaica to play a leadership role in CARICOM's discussions on regional security, lest the focus become entirely centered on the Eastern Caribbean. ¶3. (C) The CDA explained briefly how the governments of Central American nations proactively worked to present a strategy for their security, meriting inclusion in the Merida initiative, which was signed into law on June 27. He then outlined that Washington was not looking for a laundry list of request items. He stressed that it was our hope that Jamaica could help lead its Caribbean partners in the development of a holistic security strategy that would include a realistic assessment of what local resources the region could bring to the table. ¶4. (C) Some examples briefly discussed were: -- the need for Jamaica and other CARICOM partners to provide full-time staff to the Joint Regional Communications Center in Barbados; -- the need for Jamaica to upgrade its passport issuance integrity; in the context of roll-out of a CARICOM travel card; -- the need to upgrade the Jamaican Immigration Service's entry/exit system, ENTRIX, and link it to other systems in the region; -- the need to develop a regional data sharing capacity for fingerprints, with linkage to the U.S. to permit regional governments to send inquiries through for verification by U.S. databases; and, -- the desire for Jamaica to explore the possibility of staffing an officer at JIATF South to enhance regional cooperation. ¶5. (C) Later the same day, at a reception hosted by the UK High Commissioner, the CDA spoke with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) Kenneth Baugh. Unlike MacMillan, Baugh said he was unaware that Manning had visited Washington earlier in the week. After listening to an account of the earlier discussion with MNS, with CDA making the same points, Baugh acknowledged the importance of a CARICOM regional security strategy that incorporates Jamaica's regional perspective, and said he would speak to MacMillan about the matter before the CARICOM Heads Of Government meeting in Antigua. Baugh told CDA that MFAFT "could be helpful" in steering internal CARICOM deliberations in the desired direction. JOHNSON