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