IT would be a pity if the rest of our Caribbean Community governments do not see it necessary to acquaint themselves with the circumstances of the current sharp dispute between Jamaica and the United States over Washington’s demand for the extradition of Jamaican Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding should consider briefing his Caricom counterparts, if he has not already done so, as well as have a candid discussion with the parliamentary Opposition.

For what is at stake seems to be much more than the individual human rights of Coke, regardless of the fact that he is the strongman in the Tivoli Gardens community — a known political stronghold of the prime minister’s governing Jamaica Labour Party.

The very sovereignty of Jamaica seems to be at stake in its Government’s defence of its constitutional right, within the framework of an existing bilateral extradition treaty it has with the USA, which would require extending that right for a ruling by the courts in Jamaica BEFORE Coke could be handed over to US authorities, or that such a process be denied.

Given the commitment to the rule of law in our Caribbean civilisation, it is good to have an independent judicial system as final arbiter in the current dispute over the extradition of a Jamaican wanted by American authorities for alleged narco-trafficking and related crimes.

In a sense, the explosion of the bitter extradition row resulting from Jamaica’s refusal to extradite Coke is a classic case of déjà vu in terms of relations between Washington and Kingston under different administrations.

As it was under previous governments of the now Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), and the administrations of both presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush, Jamaica remains a favourite “punching bag” in America’s diversion to cover up its own woeful failures to effectively deal with its immense problem as the world’s biggest consumer of illegal drugs as well as its involvement in gun-running linked to narco-trafficking.

This observation should not be misconstrued as support for Coke, or any other Jamaican or Caricom national whose alleged criminal activities can threaten national security as well as undermine good bilateral relations with the USA and other traditional external allies.

The ‘Coke extradition case’ reminds us of other instances of the USA wielding the ‘big stick’ to force small and poor states in this and other regions to genuflect to the assumed legal demands of Washington.

‘Silver Dollar’ and ‘Shiprider’

A typical example of the USA’s ‘big stick’ approach would be the threatened financial sanctions against Jamaica by the then Bill Clinton administration over a then PNP government, led by PJ Patterson, amid a raging bitter dispute involving alleged violations under of a then prevailing Maritime Counter-Narcotics Co-operation Agreement (the 1996 case of the fishing boat Silver Dollar).

A shining example of Caricom solidarity was demonstrated at an extraordinary summit in Barbados hosted by then Prime Minister Owen Arthur.

It was to frustrate Washington, which had threatened sanctions with the emergence of major changes to controversial provisions in the “Maritime Counter-Narcotics (Shiprider) Agreement” which, for its part, Trinidad and Tobago had earlier hastily signed in its original format.

Jamaica’s signing with the USA of the revised protocol to the 1997 ‘Shiprider’ pact had ended a chilling episode of political tension, and new cordial relations were flowering in Kingston (then under PNP rule) and other Caricom capitals with the USA when President Clinton showed up in Barbados in May 1997 for the historic summit that resulted in a far-reaching “Partnership for Sovereignty and Security”.

Subsequently, however, under the administration of President George W Bush, there was to be another example of bullying tactics by a Washington administration against small and vulnerable economies.

In this case it was related to Caribbean countries that signed and ratified the Rome Treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), to concur with a demand from Washington to exonerate from extradition US citizens wanted by the ICC for specific crimes.

Failure to agree, they were made to understand, would mean losing whatever military assistance they normally received from dear “Uncle Sam”.

Such is Washington’s concept of “democracy” and “sovereignty’ when dealing with small and poor states like ours in the Caribbean — something for which it is occasionally applauded by sections of the region’s media.

Among the countries that had both signed and ratified the Rome Treaty were Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Antigua and Barbuda genuflected; Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines refused.

Jamaica, Guyana and St Lucia had signed but not ratified the treaty and, consequently, there was no need to pressure them into concurring with Washington’s demand. These are just two examples of Uncle Sam’s arrogance to push small and poor states into a corner.

Golding’s Stand

In the current political episode involving Coke, Prime Minister Golding has made it clear that it is NOT a case of his Government’s refusal to co-operate with Washington.

Jamaica’s objection relates to the manner in which the USA was muscling its way to secure Coke’s extradition, even to the extent of obtaining information illegally by violating key provisions of the Extradition Treaty between the two countries.

According to an irate Golding, who has vowed to pay, if necessary, “the political price” for his handling of the extradition request of August 25 last year, the evidence submitted is based on a violation of Jamaica’s Interception of Communications Act.

He went on to state that “constitutional rights do not begin at Liguanea” (location of the United States Embassy in Kingston).

Given the nature of competitive party politics for state power, the Opposition PNP may have its own reason for an earlier press statement that accused the Golding administration of not “expeditiously” responding to the US request for the extradition of Coke.

Yet the PNP can hardly forget its own very unpleasant experiences while in government in dealing with differences with Washington on matters of narco-trafficking.

An example would be the impasse over the so-called Silver Dollar Affair that had led then Foreign Minister Seymour Mullings to accuse Washington of breaching Jamaica’s sovereignty.

Cubana Tragedy

The Caribbean Community would be quite aware of Washington’s unflattering record in honouring requests for the extradition of those in the USA wanted for outrageous criminal acts in other nations.

Foremost in the minds of Caribbean people would be two Cuban émigrés currently being sheltered in the USA from prosecution for their involvement in the 1976 bombing of the Cubana aircraft off Barbados in which all 73 people on board perished.

One of the terrorists in that Cubana tragedy, Orlando Bosch, a medical doctor, was given a presidential pardon by the senior George Bush, following his illegal entry into the USA after fleeing Venezuela, from where his partner in crime, Luis Posada Carriles, was to later escape. Carriles, after a ‘protected’ stay in Panama, also illegally entered the USA.

Washington continues to ignore Caricom’s request for him to face a court trial for the biggest ever act of terrorism in a Caribbean jurisdiction.