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Tillerson’s Jamaica visit will divide CARICOM, Unless…

7 years ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward
Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Tillerson’s Jamaica visit will divide CARICOM, Unless…

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

While Secretary Rex Tillerson’s scheduled visit to Jamaica has been received with some level of scepticism, any visit by a U.S. Secretary of State to Jamaica should be welcome news. Ordinarily, such visits are expressions of good working relationships, and often used to strengthen ties even further.  On the other hand, there are also visits by U.S. Secretaries of State which are triggered by disagreements on bilateral, regional, and global issues, and such visits are used to heal wounds or to issue threats.  While we support the positive reasons given ahead of this visit, we cannot be oblivious to the possible negative implications inherent in a Tillerson visit to the region at this stage of Trump administration’s hemispheric relations and policies.

Those of us who have been around long enough and have keenly followed geopolitical issues will remember the December 1975 visit by then U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to Jamaica. His primary mission was not bearing gifts, but to coerce then Prime Minister Michael Manley to reject Cuban President Fidel Castro and Cuba’s response to South Africa’s Apartheid regime’s invasion of Angola. Failure of Manley to succumb to U.S. pressure meant the U.S. would not support any trade concessions, and would oppose any loan or lines of credit from the international financial institutions, as well as American financial institutions which Jamaica desperately needed at that time. Manley’s rejection of Kissinger’s vulgar blackmail resulted in what many believed to be a destabilization of Jamaica by the U.S. Government. However, Jamaicans, some quietly, were proud of their country.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson

Tillerson’s visit to Jamaica cannot be divorced from Trump administration’s regional immigration policies, and policies and actions advancing U.S. geopolitical interests having regional and global implications. Importantly, Prime Minister Holness’ responses, or lack thereof, to issues significant to U.S. geopolitical agenda have not been explained clearly by the Jamaican government in order to engender broad support from Jamaicans at home and in the Diaspora. Jamaica’s positions, oftentimes at variance with other CARICOM members, constrain Jamaica from assuming a leadership role in the region. Divisions in CARICOM’s responses to the United States have laid bare the lack of leadership and cohesion in the region which Jamaica offered and facilitated in the past. Tillerson’s visit will divide CARICOM further, unless Prime Minister Holness proactively pushes for a regional agenda which focuses on issues of concerns to the region as a whole, while simultaneously addressing bilateral U.S.-Jamaica issues.

There are several issues of bilateral and regional concerns.  These include: U.S. budget cuts which will curtail or end valuable USAID programs in the region; current and future threats to security and law enforcement assistance programs and security cooperation under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative; cuts in programs to build resilience to climate change; energy security, including alternative energy development in the region, as well as guaranteed natural gas supplies; ending Temporary Protected Status to some 60,000 Haitians which will put pressure not only on Haiti but on the entire region; proposed changes in U.S. immigration laws to end family-sponsored immigration disguised by reference as “chain migration” and replacing it with a merit-based system that would not only prevent family unification, but would contribute significantly to the regions’ brain drain.

In addition to the issues I just identified, there are extremely troubling hemispheric issues. In particular, the Trump administration’s approaches to Cuba and Venezuela have created jitters throughout the hemisphere generally, and in the Caribbean region in particular. President Barack Obama made significant strides in reducing tensions in the region through policies pursued to regularize relations between the U.S. and Cuba. Actions taken against Cuba so far by the Trump administration have sought to reverse President Obama’s initiatives. The entire region welcomed U.S.-Cuba rapprochement and applauded President Obama for reducing a significant irritant to U.S. relations in the hemisphere.

CARICOM member states and the countries of the hemisphere are divided on U.S. policies towards Venezuela.  This became quite evident when the Trump administration failed to persuade OAS members in June 2017 to support U.S. policy towards Venezuela.  While most governments in the hemisphere are deeply troubled by ongoing events in Venezuela, most rejected the heavy-handed approach of the Trump administration.  Jamaica’s vote in support of the U.S.-backed resolution at the time was interpreted by many as support for the U.S.  Since the OAS debacle, the Trump administration has ratcheted up its sanctions regime against Venezuela and the governments of the region have been muted. A number of CARICOM countries remain dependent on Venezuela for concessionary oil supplies under Petro-Caribe and are treading softly. Will  Tillerson seek to further isolate Venezuela by enlisting Jamaica’s support to sever Caribbean ties to Venezuela?

Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Honess

Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness

Prime Minister Holness must impress upon Secretary Tillerson the negative implications for Jamaica and the region should the Trump administration continue to pursue these stated policies.  Should Prime Minister Holness fail to address these issues in bilateral discussions with Secretary Tillerson, it will be taken by the U.S. as acquiescence by the Jamaican government with Trump administration’s policies and actions, and will be interpreted by other CARICOM states as Jamaica’s ambivalence on matters of significant regional concerns. Should Mr. Holness fail to put these items on the agenda, his non-proactive approach will be interpreted by some as weakness.

We know that to ingratiate oneself to President Trump is the way to show support. A series of actions by the Holness-led government has signaled to the Trump administration that it is in Trump’s corner. In January 2017, Prime Minister Holness visited Israel and made common cause it seems with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the Palestinians. In October 2016, Jamaica was conveniently absent when UNESCO voted on a resolution vehemently opposed by Israel and the United States. On December 21, 2017 Jamaica abstained on a UN General Assembly vote overwhelmingly rejecting Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moving U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. At the time of that vote the Trump administration warned that those who did not support the U.S. decision would be marked for some form of retaliation. The Trump administration has left no doubt as to its intention to punish non-supporters.

At the recent Davos conference President Trump again raised the spectre of punishing those countries that voted against his Jerusalem decision. He was clear in the future use of U.S. aid and other assistance to countries that are not lock-step with his policies. Tillerson’s scheduled visit to Jamaica and other countries in the hemisphere emerges from these set of preconditions. Tillerson will use this visit to Jamaica and other countries to enforce its position, in particular on measures to further isolate Venezuela.  Tillerson will offer guarantees of energy supplies – natural gas and oil to Jamaica. Tillerson will offer increased security and law enforcement support – Jamaica is desperate for the latter. There is room for optimism that Jamaica’s response to Tillerson’s offers will not be driven by coercion, and it is hoped that Holness will uphold the country’s integrity while acting in the best interest of the people of Jamaica.

© 2018 Curtis A. Ward/The Ward Post

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Licensed to Kill

3 weeks ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Licensed to Kill

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Amb. Curtis A. Ward

(25 August 2024) — There are two contending forces in the context of crime and security in Jamaica, though not unique to any country. On one side, there are purveyors of violent crimes who prey on society to enrich themselves, violently engage in revenge against opponents, and terrorize to control segments of the population. On the other is the state and the agents of the state whose responsibilities are to protect and guarantee society’s safety and security – guaranteeing freedom from harm and protecting lives. Criminals abide by no rules or are constrained by moral conscience. The state and agents of the state take an oath to abide by society’s set rules and to operate within the constraints of the rule of law.

In the distant past, agents of semi-civilized societies issued posters of criminal offenders – “Wanted Dead or Alive”. Most were brought in dead. We are a long way from a period where summary “justice” was the norm. Yet there are still a few societies which engage in inhumane punishment of offenders. Acts such as chopping off the arms of thieves are rejected by modern civilized societies.

The people of Jamaica, at home and in the diaspora, are frustrated by the intractable level of violent crimes in the society. There is a constant search for solutions. Several proven crime fighting recommendations made have not been implemented. Those that have been attempted have not received the full commitment of the government. They are often grossly under-resourced, mismanaged, and short-lived. And thus, frustration rises in society and in the ranks and leadership of law enforcement and security forces. There is a failure of leadership, of leaders who know how to get positive outcomes. Failure of leadership builds frustration among the people. Failure holds the country back.

The US 2023 Human Rights (HR) Report, for Jamaica, found “Significant human rights issues included credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killing”. I have not kept track of the extrajudicial killings in Jamaica this year, but reports suggest a similar finding for the 2024 HR Report is likely. Some may ask, “Who cares about the U.S. HR Report?”

Take Report seriously

The annual HR Report should be taken seriously. It has implications for the application of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974. Both impact U.S.-Jamaica relations.

We all should care, unless we no longer need U.S. assistance. In which case we should ask the U.S. Government to shutter the USAID office in Kingston and end USAID programs in Jamaica. Consider this: since independence, in 1962, the United States has provided US$1.4 billion in assistance to Jamaica.

We all should care, unless our exporters and job creators wish to compete, at a disadvantage, with other suppliers to the U.S. market at higher tariff rates rather than the concessionary and duty-free rates under which they currently export to the U.S. market. Consider this: Jamaican companies can export 5,800 products duty free to the U.S. under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). In 2021, Jamaica’s export to the U.S. valued US$730 million. That’s 50.7% of Jamaica’s total exports; more than 11 times Jamaica’s exports to the UK.

The human rights NGO, Jamaica for Justice (JFJ), warned against extrajudicial killings which are gross violations of human rights. This warning came following law enforcement responses in the wake of a heinous mass shooting by criminal elements which resulted in the deaths of eight people, including women and young children, and injuring eight more. This pattern of criminality seems to be getting progressively worse, as each violent incident seems to be more heinous than the preceding one. The JFJ condemned the killings but was concerned about the words spoken by the prime minister in response to the killings.

Rather than being critical of the JFJ the media and members of the public should thank the human rights organization for ensuring that Jamaica is complying with the provisions of the International Declaration on Human Rights, an instrument on which Jamaica’s fingerprints are engraved. The JFJ warned against Jamaica’s descent into a society where the rule of law is no longer the norm. And lest we forget, the late Jamaican leader Hugh Shearer was a catalyst for international support for the Declaration and for human rights enforcement globally. The JFJ was reminding us of our commitment to international human rights norms.

Risks to law enforcement officers

I recognize and appreciate the risks, and the sacrifices law enforcement and security officers make to protect the people and the country every day they put the uniform on. They deserve our full support and gratitude. I expect them to use whatever force necessary to protect lives, including their own. But they are not imbued with the right to be judge, jury, and executioner in a society based on the rule of law. That aspect of the people’s protection is the remit, indeed the responsibility of the prosecutor and the judiciary. Law enforcement officers are not licensed to kill.

The tragedy of heinous crimes and wanton killings have become a Jamaican brand. Many are concerned about the inability of law enforcement and security forces to contain it. It makes me worry, and we all should worry that their frustration could, or would lead otherwise good people in the forces to break the law and resort to extrajudicial killings as a viable solution. I am even more concerned, and we should all be, when the prime minister, as some would suggest in a state of uncontrolled emotions, warned criminals must either “meet a judge or meet their maker.”

There is one, and only one way to interpret the prime minister’s intemperance, intended or not, that is, sanctioning extrajudicial killings by law enforcement and security forces as an option. That is unacceptable. I would offer him the benefit of the doubt that his words in plain English meant something else. But our political leaders, though humans, are held to higher standards than the man in the street. We should expect no less. Our leaders are expected to provide responsible and trusted leadership when the country faces difficult circumstances and not succumb to emotional impulses, thus resorting to street talk. If they lack or have lost the ability to lead, in a position where calm demeanor and rationality are critical, leaders should step aside and allow others of greater fortitude and capacity to lead and take charge of protecting the people.

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Criminality in Jamaica is out of control. Of that there is no doubt. The cruelty of the criminals has exceeded all forms of civility. But if civil society and government respond in kind then we are no better than the criminals. I carry no brief for criminals and the result of their craft. They must be dealt with. How we respond to the criminals will define us to the rest of the world, whether we are a civilized nation and a nation of laws. We must respond without descending to the level of the criminals while neutralizing them and removing them from the streets.

© Curtis A. Ward

[An earlier edition of  this article was published in the In Focus section of Jamaica’s Sunday Gleaner on July 25, 2024.]

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Carnage in the streets and the government’s response

2 months ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Carnage in the streets and the government’s response

Ambassador Curtis A Ward

Amb. Curtis A. Ward

(05 July 2024) — It’s hard for me or any well-thinking Jamaican to believe the Minister of National Security or the Commissioner of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) that crime is under control, or that there is a reduction in crime. The often-repeated positive statements which border on self-praise about progress in dealing with crime belie the facts about the intractable crime problem facing the country. One merely has to watch and listen to the local evening news — television or radio — or read any of the two daily newspapers and you can’t help but question the veracity of our government on the issue of crime, safety and security.

The often-repeated phrase, “We know who they are!”, speaking of those who are committing the crimes is not reassuring. I believe the JCF, or individual law enforcement officers, do in fact know, or at least have strong indicators of who the perpetrators are. But knowing who the perpetrators of crime and violence are cannot be equated with having crime under control or making progress controlling crime. It is discouraging when arrests, prosecutions and convictions are not taking these bad actors off the streets.

For those who suffer daily from egregious crimes and mayhem plaguing their neighborhoods, the words of the Minister and other politicians, and the Commissioner of Police are of very little solace or significance. These words are of no consequence. Many who see family members, friends and neighbors die or injured, who have had to listen to the non-stop echo of exploding firearms around them live in trauma and fear. Ask them!

The hopelessness of the residents of these troubled communities is compounded when they witness firsthand some first responders arriving at a crime scene and see members of the JCF palling around and joking with the criminals who they know are responsible for the carnage. The untouchables. I am not making this up! I am not speculating! This is reality!

Lack of accountability

Communities trapped in this revolving criminal and unsafe environment are witnesses to impunity being granted to criminals in real time. No one takes the plight of the victims seriously. The residents of affected communities are victims of neglect by both law enforcement, the government and social services providers. For there to be crime prevention and reduction, action not words are needed. This is an unmet priority.

The recent fire-bombing of two houses in Dunkirk in the East Kingston area is but one example of the intensity of the criminal activities plaguing these societies. The bad actors not only firebomb homes, but they also discharge several rounds of gunfire in the vicinity to deliberately keep the hapless residents from escaping the fire. These gross criminal acts are treated by members of law enforcement as just another incident. And, as I have stated above, no arrests are made. Yet the law enforcement members who respond know who the perpetrators are.

Are members of the media scared of reporting fully on these crimes and the noncommittal responses and behaviors of law enforcement officers? Why isn’t the minister of national security not being called out on the frequent public obfuscations and misinformation on the state of crime? Why is the commissioner of the JCF not being called on to account for the countless reports on the lack of professionalism of some officers under his command?

This brings me to also question the lack of response to this carnage by the political representatives of the affected areas. I have heard members of the communities lament over the absence of their political representatives in their communities when they are facing these criminal activities. Why aren’t the political representatives coming into the area to at least offer assistance and comfort to the people, and show real and not contrived concerns in real time as members of law enforcement secure the area? The people’s representatives often speak from safe havens away from the affected areas. Who questions their integrity? Whose responsibility is it to offer hope of relief directly to the people and follow through on promises made? In other words, who is prepared to accept responsibility for improvement in the people’s welfare? These politicians, so-called representatives, must be accountable to the people they represent and not slavishly follow the government or political party’s talking points.

What of ZOSOs?

Zones of special operations (ZOSOs) intended to provide safety, reduce crime, and effect social and economic relief in beleaguered communities may be a good idea. But just as the micro-dam initiative to increase water supplies to water-deprived farmers was a great idea in the seventies, a lack of continuing adequate investment, over a long period of time, at the required magnitude to make a difference stymied the dams’ effectiveness, thus leaving the entire country starved of reliable water supplies, nearly 40 years hence. The entire country requires adequate investment in a nationwide ‘ZOSO’ with heavy concentration in improving the well-being of the people. Not for political grandstanding.

We reference the new highways built under both People’s National Party and Jamaica Labour Party administrations as progress and recognize the value of these infrastructure improvements in facilitating island wide transportation and travel, and we appreciate the potential of infrastructure development for the country’s development. At the same time, far too many communities have been neglected and subjected to under-investment. There is a huge gap between the ZOSOs investment and that which is required to make significant improvements in people’s lives. Yet, we know that investment in people is the only sure way of securing our country’s future.

Both political parties tout how many kilometres of roadway each respective government built or initiated. People who are feeling the pressures of the environment in which they live and unable to escape couldn’t care less. They want to hear more from the government and opposition party about what is being done or should be done now, and what will be done in the future to improve their lives. Which of the two political parties is prepared to make the level of investments needed across all sectors, not merely incremental measures, such as ZOSO, but to effect transformational changes?

Affected communities cry out for urgent attention. They want an end to neglect. The people need immediate relief. Our people, our fellow citizens, want meaningful relief now, and they need hope for the future.

© Curtis A. Ward

[This article was published in the Jamaica Gleaner on June 30, 2024.]

 

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We are not at war, but we are not safe

3 years ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

We are not at war, but we are not safe

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Ambassador Curtis Ward

(10 March 2022) –– Speaking as a Jamaican, we are not at war with any country, and we don’t expect to be. We are at war with ourselves. This reality is lived my many Jamaicans in their daily experiences. The high levels of crime, particularly homicide, and the wanton use of guns, put every Jamaican at risk. Some, because of the neighborhoods they live in are most vulnerable and are at greatest risk. They do not have the protection of the state as they are entitled. The state, represented by the government is failing in its responsibility. Society at large shares responsibility to hold governments accountable by using the freedoms we enjoy as means to redress our grievances and seek appropriate responses to the problems plaguing the society.

The celebration by law enforcement and self-praising of political leaders over finding caches of weapons are not reassuring of their effectiveness in dealing with crime. It tells me that deadly weapons are entering the country because of failure to plug the holes through which they enter. It points to the glaring failures in customs administration and border security and control. It is evidence of the vulnerable and unprotected maritime boundaries.

I was most disturbed by a young Jamaican medical student relating her trauma escaping from war-ravaged Ukraine, on returning home to what we often characterize as “tranquility” in Jamaica. She said,

“Everything was all a shock. I am a Jamaican; I am used to gunfire to know that I must lay down on the ground or don’t go outside. I am not used to bombs; I wasn’t prepared for that experience.” (Jamaican Observer, March 6, 2022)

The people of Ukraine are under siege from Russia’s military invasion. They are being killed and their country ravaged by a war being perpetrated against them by a tyrannical Russian leader and his enablers. Before peace returns to Ukraine, tens of thousands will die and millions displaced from their homes and country. Families separated may never be reunited. Europe is being destabilized on a scale not seen since World War II, and the entire global community is reaping the fallout from this illegal act of war.

I read where one Jamaican returning student said she felt safer in Ukraine before the Russian invasion than she was in Jamaica. That is a testament to the tragedy of crime and insecurity in Jamaica. This experience is not unique to Jamaica. Similar crime situations persist to varying degrees in other Caribbean islands and in American cities. But that is not an excuse for the situation in Jamaica.

As discussed in one of my recent podcasts (Real Talk with Ambassador Curtis Ward) on “Crime and Security in Jamaica and the Caribbean”, political and law enforcement leaders are failing in their responsibilities. We discussed issues surrounding the lack of leadership and lack of political will to deal with the intractable problems of crime and security in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

Unless all Jamaicans hold our leaders accountable, they will repeat, ad nausea, the same failed approaches they have offered over the years, while expecting different results. They never seem to learn, but most distressing is they don’t listen to those who offer to help. I do not wish to reopen old wounds, but it’s hard to have a discussion of crime and security in Jamaica without reference to past utterances of the incumbent minister of national security. His outright rejection of diaspora expertise to help Jamaica tackle the crime scourge remains a sore point for many in the diaspora, a diaspora rich in crime prevention and crime fighting expertise. It was even more disappointing that the prime minister by his silence left everyone to believe he endorsed the idea that the diaspora lacks the capabilities to make meaningful contributions to alleviating Jamaica’s crime and security problems.

I do not believe there is any silver bullet to preventing crime in Jamaica or elsewhere. The diaspora certainly does not possess any miracle cure for what ails Jamaican society. There are many drivers of crime of which we are very familiar.

Reversing the societal ills most responsible for the intractable crime problems cannot be cured overnight with short-term responses. We know this. The drivers of crime were not downloaded at the click of a button on marginal societies. The problems have developed and grown progressively worse over decades of political and economic failures, and lack of appropriate social interventions to address them. Conditions conducive to crime like some diseases left untreated metastasize and become deadly. The problems are most stark when there is a lack of leadership and political will to commit fully to ameliorating those conditions.

The government’s response with zones of special operations (ZOSO) are at best band aid approaches. Even where there are a few marginal successes, ZOSOs are not adequately resourced to have long-term results. There is not sufficient buy-in by all sectors of government and state agencies to have the desired outcome. Civil society and the private sector must be fully engaged over the long-term as part of a holistic approach to alleviating the crime problem, not just in ZOSOs but nationwide. The diaspora must be welcomed as a part of the solution, not by their remittances alone, but by engaging with their expertise.

It is not just Jamaicans who travel abroad who should feel safer elsewhere than they do in Jamaica. Jamaicans at home and members of the diaspora when they visit should feel safe, if not safer in Jamaica.

Being safe in Jamaica should not be reserved for those visitors for leisure ensconced in gated hotels in the so-called resilient corridor. If the minister of tourism can facilitate hoteliers to create a “relatively safe” resilient corridor then perhaps he should be the minister with responsibility for dealing with crime and security in Jamaica. While that is not meant as a serious recommendation, it reflects the folly, disinterest, and lack of political will and leadership to commit the resources necessary to prevent crime in the society at large and to protect the citizens, at the scale committed to protect the tourist sector.

I am not suggesting tourists should not be protected. Quite the contrary. I am saying if a fraction of the attention, commitment, and leadership concentrated on tourism protection is accorded to protecting the citizenry, Jamaica would be a safe place to live and for all visitors, not only those staying for a few days in the luxury of the resort hotel environment.

The Jamaican medical student’s remarks of her Jamaican experience are an indictment of our political leaders and our society. Safety and security in Jamaica should not be juxtaposed against a war-torn Ukraine. It should be seen exclusively as the sad reality of Jamaican society. It is a problem which requires leadership at the top of the political ladder, but we must all be on board to fix it. As it is often said: “if you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem!”

© Curtis A. Ward/The Ward Post

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Trump’s security assistance cuts and Pompeo’s Jamaica promises diverge

5 years ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Trump’s security assistance cuts and Pompeo’s Jamaica promises diverge

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Amb. Curtis A. Ward

(25 February 2020) — On the 10th anniversary of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), former president Barack Obama’s signature security assistance partnership with the Caribbean, president Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget cut proposal undermines the bold promises made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his recent visit to Jamaica. Even as Pompeo was in Jamaica speaking of the increasing security threats to the region and promoting the effectiveness of the CBSI program, his State Department was complicit in proposing significant cuts to the CBSI budget. The budget proposals sent to Congress on February 10th cut US $28 million from the US$60 million approved by the Congress for FY 2020. The proposed $32 million for FY21 is in keeping with similar cuts in CBSI funding and the USAID budget cuts sought in FY 2020 but was rejected by the US Congress. Trump’s proposed funding for the CBSI is half the level of annual funding during the Obama administration.

Cutting CBSI funding runs contrary to the increasing security threats to the region. Just before visiting Jamaica, Secretary Pompeo had attended the hemisphere’s third counterterrorism summit where terrorism threats to Latin America and the Caribbean were discussed. In a speech in Kingston, Jamaica, Pompeo highlighted one of the major threats to the Caribbean. He said, “Nations all across the region are waking up to the same shared threats, and there’s no shortage of them. ISIS fighters … have come from Trinidad and Tobago.” And, to the region they return.

The US has in the past warned about the threat posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) following the defeat of the ISIS caliphate. I have written about this threat to the region on a number of occasions, and there is little doubt the threat is real. CBSI beneficiary countries rely heavily on the CBSI funding to increase their security and law enforcement capacities to guard against this and other transnational threats. In other words, Caribbean countries have put a great deal of trust in the security partnership commitments made by the US government to grow their security and crime enforcement capacities. The US has a vested national security interest in Caribbean security. It is in the mutual national security interests of the US and the region to maintain the CBSI and to fund the program at the appropriate level.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

As if the terrorist threat was not a sufficient reason for the CBSI, Pompeo also recognized other transnational threats to the region which justify the CBSI security partnerships. He said, “… there are the drug cartels that we deal with, and the human trafficking, and arms trafficking, and the cybercrime that come alongside of them.” He went on to say, “The bad guys are more sophisticated, and more ruthless. And our nations have an obligation, therefore, for our very people, to work in the interest of our shared security much more closely.” Even as Pompeo identified the threats to the region, the Trump administration was about to submit its budget to Congress. At the time of speaking, Pompeo would or should have been aware that the CBSI budget was about to be cut in half.

Yet, Pompeo seemed to view the CBSI as the program through which the US is partnering with the Caribbean to deal with these threats. “That’s what we’re already doing in the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, now its 10th year, a decade on.” He said. According to Pompeo, the US and Caribbean governments are “… having incredible success seizing drug shipments. We’re helping kids stay away from crime. And we stand ready, America stands ready to keep doing those good things in partnership with countries in the region.” Left to the Trump administration these programs, ‘these good things,’ will lose a significant amount of funding and which we know, rather than being reduced, should be increased to meet the threats.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness

As I have written before, the Trump administration’s intent is to shift the burden of US national security and related regional security to the countries of the region. These include interdiction of drugs from South American producers to North American consumers. It includes shifting the burden of security of American assets in the region that are likely targets of terrorists, including the threat from FTFs.

Prime Minister  Holness and  Secretary Pompeo

A ‘fact sheet’ issued by the State Department a day before Pompeo’s arrival in Jamaica, noted that “Jamaica is a strong partner in advancing shared values and strategic interests in security.” Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness believes that. Not knowing about the impending CBSI budget cut, the prime minister told the Jamaican public following his meeting with Pompeo that he was pleased to say he and Pompeo “found common understanding on the urgent need to scale up our security cooperation.” He said, “The main focus will be on bolstering Jamaica’s capacity to counter transnational organized crime, secure our borders and ports, and interrupt the flow of illicit weapons into our country.” Holness said he could not “overstate the urgency with which we need to address these security matters.” I agree.

So what will be the respective roles of the US and Jamaica, as well as the roles of other CBSI beneficiary countries. Knowing that CBSI funding was on the chopping block, Pompeo noted the importance of CBSI funding since its inception to support Caribbean countries “in much-needed funding for this fight over this past decade. Our expectation is those funds will augment homegrown efforts to protect all Caribbean peoples.” Interpretation of ‘augment homegrown efforts’ – the countries of the region will have to assume the greater share of the burden.

Early indications are that, for now, the CBSI funding level will be saved by the US Congress despite the Trump administration’s disregard for the program’s importance to US national security. However, the budget process has just began and resolution is a long way off. Caribbean governments must assume some responsibility to ensure the importance of CBSI to the region and to US national security are communicated to Democratic and Republican legislators in the US Congress. There are friends in Congress that are being ignored, as most Caribbean governments have been putting their fate in the hands of the Trump administration.

Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Chairman Foreign Affairs Committee

On February 10th when Trump’s budget arrived on Capitol Hill, Representative Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, rejected it as “a waste of the paper it is written on.” Rep. Engel said, “Proposing such reckless cuts to our critical foreign policy tools isn’t a serious proposal.” His statement described Trump’s budget as ‘draconian’ and, that if it was enacted, it would weaken US security and leadership around the world. Rep. Engel, through whose committee the foreign affairs budget must pass, said there would be bipartisan rejection of Trump’s budget, as the Congress had done of Trump’s FY2020 budget.

In a veiled reference, perhaps to China’s global ascendancy, Rep. Engel said “… foreign governments look at (Trump) administration’s priorities and see an America shrinking away from the world stage, willing to cede ground to rivals who are happy to fill the void.” The promises made by Secretary Pompeo in Jamaica are unsustainable. Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts diverge from those promises. Cutting CBSI funding and USAID budget further opens the economic and geopolitical space to the Chinese. The warnings against China’s so-called ‘predatory economic practices’ and China’s engagement in the hemisphere ring hollow. Governments of the region ought to take note.

© 2020 Curtis A. Ward/The Ward Post

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Trinidad and Tobago’s Economic Shocks

8 years ago
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by Adam Raffoul
adam-raffoul

Adam Raffoul

Trinidad and Tobago’s Economic Shocks

by

Adam Raffoul

(Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago)

Word from Guyana, is that the Bank of Guyana has instructed local cambios to stop buying Trinidad and Tobago Dollars (TTD) and Barbadian Dollars (BBD). The claim from authorities in Guyana is that Trinis and Bajans were flying into Georgetown with their respective local currencies, offloading it there, and purchasing US Dollars. This caused a situation where Guyanese business people were complaining about a shortage of US currency to pay for imports.

This may sound peculiar to those not familiar with the economic situation here in Port of Spain. Trinidad and Tobago has had a rough economic year. Our economy has contracted 4.5% in 2016. (Trinidad & Tobago Guardian on Line, 12/18/2016). The murder rate is trending upward and store owners and vendors alike, are complaining that Christmas sales are not what they used to be.

As most will know, Trinidad and Tobago is highly dependent on our energy sector. The reason for our economic misfortune is due to a major decline in energy prices on the world market and supply constraints at our petrochemical plants locally. This is caused by natural gas curtailments of up to 30% at some of our industrial plants, such as Atlantic LNG. (Guardian, 12/20/16). Our industrial plants have not been running at full capacity for the last couple years. It is not necessarily that Trinidad and Tobago is running out of natural gas and oil, but due to a pause of investment until recently.

Trinidad and Tobago is an old energy producer with many mature fields. New fields are in deep water, which tends to be costly and riskier to produce. With lower energy prices, energy companies were not willing to make large investments in new, costlier and riskier fields. The previous Kamla Persad Bissessar Administration seeing this, increased tax incentives to energy companies, to encourage more investment in these offshore fields. BPTT has taken advantage of these incentives, and finally it will bear fruit, with BP’s Juniper platform coming on stream in 2017. This will help alleviate our gas shortfall.

Now how does energy production relate back to a shortage of foreign exchange in Trinidad and Tobago? Besides providing tax revenue, our petrochemical plants, natural gas and oil exports generate precious foreign exchange for our non-energy sector. Despite having a vibrant manufacturing sector, our energy sector contributes to over 80% of our exports. (CIA, World Factbook) With reduced prices for our major exports, as well as supplymoney-tree curtailments of natural gas to our petrochemical plants, we have found ourselves in a situation with reduced receipts of foreign exchange. This has put pressure on our non-energy services sector, which is dependent on imports for the majority of the products that they sell. Businesses around the country have been complaining about foreign exchange shortages, and many have resorted to buying US currency on the black market to supplement their needs.

The Trinidad and Tobago government has responded in multiple ways, devaluing the currency, borrowing US currency on the international market and running down our foreign reserves. In the last year, the Central Bank has devalued our currency from TT$6.36=US$1 to TT$6.75=US$1. The IMF in their May 2016 Article IV consultation suggested that this is not enough.  They stated that from their calculations, the currency is overvalued between 23%-50%, depending on the model used. (IMF Country Report, 6/2016) A devaluation of this scale will have devastating effects on the standard of living of Trinbagonians.

The Rowley administration mindful of this, has sought to ease this burden. The country went to the international market in July and listed a US$1 billion bond, which was oversubscribed. (Guardian 12/20/16).  The government has tapped into our US$ denominated Heritage and Stabilization Fund and have run down our foreign reserves. At the end of November, our foreign reserves still remain a healthy US$9.55 billion, a decline of US$527 million from the end of August.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has promised the nation that we will not go to the IMF like our Caribbean neighbours. Instead we will self-medicate. The Rowley Administration has cut the national budget from a high of TT$64.6 Billion in Fiscal 2015 to TT$53.4 Billion in Fiscal 2017. (Budget Statement 2017, T&T Ministry of Finance) This remains TT$16 billion above core revenue due to a drastic fall in tax revenues from energy companies. Projected revenue in this sub-sector has fallen from TT$21.223 Billion in Fiscal 2015 to TT$2.575 billion in Fiscal 2017. This is caused by lower energy prices and new tax incentives to energy companies enacted by the Persad Bissessar Administration.

While the government has sought to ease budgetary cuts through selling assets and running up our debt, which still remains manageable at 62% of GDP up from 50.9% in 2015, Trinis are feeling the pinch with austerity policies being implemented. (Budget Statement 2017; CTV TT News Online) The population is paying more for fuel as the fuel subsidy is being phased out. University education once free will soon be subject to a means test, with students from high and middle income families being asked to pay a percentage of their tuition from September 2017. Social programmes are being trimmed. Property Taxes discontinued under the last Persad Bissessar Administration will be reintroduced in 2017. High income individuals and companies will be asked from January to pay a higher tax rate of 30%. Even online shoppers are now subject to a 7% tax on online purchases they ship through courier service.

As Trinis flood churches across the country for Christmas, chief on our minds will be the economic situation here. The Rowley administration recently signed an Agreement in Caracas which will allow us to purchase gas from Venezuela to meet the shortfall of gas to our petrochemical plants. (Oil & Gas Journal, 12/01/16; Guardian, 12/07/16). This should come on stream by 2020. Representatives of the Trinidad and Tobago International Financial Centre will be flying to Guyana in early 2017 to see how we can get involved in Guyana’s new oil find. On the tourism front, negotiations continue with Jamaica’s Sandals Resorts on opening a resort in Tobago. Oil and natural gas prices are finally trending upwards due to a recently agreed supply cut by energy producers.

Rumour here is that God is a Trini. Perhaps He will help us dodge the bullet after all!

Adam Raffoul holds a B.A. in International Relations from American University, Washington D.C. He is a young businessman and volunteers for a local (T&T) think tank. (He was last seen looking for the latest Christmas fete!)

The Ward Post welcomes Adam Raffoul, a young business leader in Trinidad & Tobago, who will be sharing his perspectives as a Guest Blogger on TWP.

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Caribbean Regional - Political/Social/Economic • CARICOM • Immigration • Jamaican/Caribbean Diaspora • Latin America & Caribbean • Trump Administration • U.S.-Caribbean Relations • US-Cuba • US-Venezuela

Tillerson’s Jamaica visit will divide CARICOM, Unless…

7 years ago
by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward
7 min read

Tillerson’s Jamaica visit will divide CARICOM, Unless… Ambassador Curtis A. Ward While Secretary Rex Tillerson’s scheduled visit to Jamaica has been received with some...

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Eric Leopold Edwards (Leo) – Tribute to the Life and Legacy of a Caribbean American (1922-2020)

4 years ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Eric Leopold Edwards (Leo) – Tribute to the Life and Legacy of a Caribbean American (1922-2020)

This production of video Tributes, hosted by Ambassador Curtis Ward and Special Guest former Maryland State Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam, to a Jamaican who dedicated his life to the advancement of the Jamaican-Caribbean diaspora and to the interests of Caribbean countries, speaks volumes to Leo’s works and successes over a span of more than 70 years. Leo’s legacy lives on in the works and memories of the thousands whose lives he has touched and the hundreds he has mentored. As these video tributes attest, Leo was the quintessential Caribbean man whose example is emulated by many in the Caribbean community in the United States. His willingness to advise and provide wise counsel to Caribbean ambassadors in Washington DC is legendary. He exemplified service of the highest order, often at great sacrifice to himself. This tribute also recognizes Carmen Edwards, his spouse, who accompanied and provided invaluable support to Leo’s work for several decades during this journey.

Tributes included in this collection are from former Jamaican Prime Minister P. J. Patterson, present and former Caribbean ambassadors to the USA, leaders of diaspora organizations, and others whose lives were touched by Leo’s work, grace and caring. These videos were collected by Ambassador Curtis Ward and compiled and produced in this video presentation by Loriston ‘Larry’ Sindass, Executive Producer of CaribNation TV. 

© 2020 Curtis A. Ward/The Ward Post  & CaribNation TV

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Furor over AML/CFT Evaluations of Caribbean States – Who Makes the Next Move?

7 years ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward
Ambassador Curtis Ward

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Furor over AML/CFT Evaluations of Caribbean States – Who Makes the Next Move?

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

(16 May 2017) — A number of Caribbean governments have responded bitterly to the recent negative “evaluation” of their anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AFL/CFT) legal and administrative capacities. More specifically, the U.S. State Department 2016 INSCR named nine Caribbean countries, four of which are CARICOM Member States (Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, and Haiti) specifically as “major money laundering states”, or as “Jurisdictions of major concern.”  These are among a group of 67 countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the U.K., and the United States named as “major money laundering states.” All other CARICOM Member States, except for Dominica, are listed in the next category, “Jurisdictions of concern.” Dominica falls in the “Monitored” category.

To put this in perspective, all countries in the world have issues with money laundering. The amount of money laundered in CARICOM states and other small economies pales in comparison to money laundered in large economies. However, the impact or potential impact on small economies, such as CARICOM states, is far greater than on large economies.  That’s why Caribbean countries should pay attention, and why they should seek remedial action rather than merely crying foul. The latter has become a common practice, which does not serve the region well.  After all the noise, the problem remains, or becomes worse.

There are considerable weaknesses in the AML/CFT regimes of most Caribbean countries. While there are efforts to fix these problems, there can be no hiatus in building new anti-AML/CFT capacities.  Money launderers and transnational criminal networks do not take a break.  They are always devising new money laundering techniques in order to be ahead of anti- AML/CFT capabilities because, for them, the stakes are high. The stakes are also high for Caribbean governments.

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “the estimated amount of money laundered globally in one year is 2% – 5% of global GDP, or $800 billion – $2 trillion in current US dollars.”  The bulk of money laundering takes place in the financial systems of developed countries where they are more easily absorbed without the possibility of detection. On the other hand, money laundering, even on a minor scale, can have far greater impacts on small economies.

The potential to do considerable harm, in particular on small vulnerable economies, is well documented. We know money-laundering fuels corruption and organized crime. We know money laundering facilitates corrupt public officials in hiding bribes and pilfering of public funds. All forms of transnational crimes, including drug trafficking, illicit arms trade, and human trafficking generate large amounts of cash which are laundered.  Effective anti-money laundering laws and regulations and the capacities to fully implement them are the bane of transnational criminals and corrupt officials.

Caribbean Central Banks and financial institutions in the region know that off-shore banking and shell corporations where the beneficiaries remain anonymous are known vehicles used for money laundering. They know the importance of effective Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) and setting realistic cash transactions reporting requirements; they know the importance of vigorous enforcement of Customer Due Diligence/Know Your Customer (CDD/KYC) rules; they know the importance of adequately regulated and monitoring of Offshore Financial Centers; they know they must enact laws requiring identification of shell company beneficial ownerships; they are understanding of the value of Suspicious Transaction Reports/Suspicious Activity Reports (STRs/SARs) in investigating and prosecuting money laundering; and they understand the possible money laundering facilitation role of unregulated International Business Companies (IBCs):

The countries of the Caribbean also know what they are supposed to do and they know where to go for help. The 40 Recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) explains what needs to be done.  The U.S. FATCA requirements places emphasis on some required standards. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) has a program in place to help those countries who seek help. As noted on the Treasury Department’s website in October 2016, the OTA “was initiating new projects and proactively assessing requests for assistance from countries that have expressed concerns about a decline in access to correspondent banking relationships in their countries, coupled with a commitment to enhance their AML/CFT regime.”

Treasury cited an example of OTA preparing to help Belize “to develop the capacity of the financial intelligence unit as the central focus of that country’s AML/CFT regime.”  Treasury also cited “a recently completed OTA assessment of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, which supervises banks in eight Caribbean countries, concluded that there is potential for an effective AML/CFT technical assistance engagement there.” As the Treasury Department said, its AML/CFT technical assistance program is intended to help those countries who seek help. Rather than attack the messenger, Caribbean governments must proactively act upon the message.

Unfortunately, the answer being pushed by some CARICOM states is to hire Washington lobbyists to seek a political solution to what is a technical capacity deficiency fueled by lack of political will. This doesn’t play very well in Washington; not now, not ever. Instead of hiring lobbyists, Caribbean governments should hire technical expertise that can guide and help build AML/CFT capacity building. When will Caribbean governments understand that political solutions rather than technical solutions are ephemeral?

This brings me to a problem I have discussed very briefly in a prior TWP article, President Donald Trump’s prosed budget cuts which, if approved by the Congress, will take $800 million from the Treasury Department’s international programs. This will, undoubtedly, affect OTA’s future AML/CFT technical assistance programs. That’s another reason Caribbean governments need to get to the head of the line and get on OTA’s short list for AML/CFT capacity building programs.

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

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Western Union Takes on Jamaican Lottery Scammers!

8 years ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Western Union Takes on Jamaican Lottery Scammers!

Curtis A. Ward

Ambassador Curtis Ward

Ambassador Curtis Ward

(11 Jan. 2017) — I went to Western Union (WU) yesterday (January 10, 2017) and sent some money to Jamaica. Upon handing me my receipt the agent gave me a number to call WU to answer a few questions before the money transfer would be completed. You can well imagine my consternation and immediate reaction.

However, on calling WU the first question to me was whether my money transfer was in response to a lottery and the purpose of the transfer.  I was then asked about my relationship with the recipient.  My purpose certainly was not lottery scam-related.  As to my relationship with the recipient, I felt that it bordered on privacy rights encroachment.

Nevertheless, I understood the objective of the restrictive process implemented by WU and the questions asked. I was fully cooperative. My funds were sent without a hitch.

I couldn’t resist asking some questions of my own. I learnt that this newly introduced process by WU in 2017 was part of the company’s cooperation with law enforcement to prevent Americans from being scammed by Jamaicans. I fully support any effort to end this lottery scam scourge on our country.

money-tree

Lottery Scam is not a Money-tree

Jamaicans in the Diaspora send over US$2 billion annually for the past ten years to Jamaica. In 2015 Diaspora remittances were US$2.3 billion. Any constraint on Diaspora remittances could have a significant adverse effect on Jamaica’s economy. Remittances contribute approximately 16% to Jamaica’s GDP. It is extremely important that Remittances move smoothly in the international financial money transfer system

My recommendation to all Diaspora members is to cooperate fully with WU and other money transfer agents. Apart from not having many alternative choices to engage in money transfer without similar scrutiny, all of us should be contributing to help stamp out lottery scammers by Jamaicans and their collaborators.  Let’s support our law enforcement community.  That’s the least we can do.

 

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward, B.A., J.D., LL.M., is an attorney and international consultant, and Adjunct Professor in the Homeland Security Graduate Program at the University of the District of Columbia. As former Ambassador of Jamaica to the United Nations he served two years on the U.N. Security Council. He was Expert Adviser to the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee for three years. He specializes in terrorism/counterterrorism legal and policy frameworks; anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); sanctions implementation; crime and security; human rights, rule of law and governance.

 

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Russia Warns U.S., Sanctions Will Affect Cooperation on Syria

8 years ago
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by Ambassador Curtis A. Ward
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Ambassador Curtis A. Ward

Russia Warns U.S., Sanctions Will Affect Cooperation on Syria

Curtis A. Ward

(26 Dec 2016) —The Russian Government, in response to new U.S. sanctions on members of Russia’s financial sector, imposed on December 23, 2016, warns the Obama Administration of the sanctions’ adverse effect on Russian cooperation on Syria.  A statement by the official representative of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Lukashevik warned specifically that, “If the Administration continues to follow such vicious way, it will affect adversely our cooperation on Syrian question, and on overall climate of Russian-American relations which are going through challenging times.” Lukashevik’s statement did not provide any details.

However, in making this statement so explicit in terms of future Russian-United States relations, Russian president Vladimir Putin is no doubt sending a message to U.S. president-elect Donald Trump to reverse the course taken by President Barack Obama.  It also raises further questions as to whether Trump will be able to deliver, even as Republican hawks in the Senate call for more robust action against the Syrian regime. In order to act against the Syrian government, short of military action, sanctions are the most viable tools available.  And, there are few options available to stop Syria’s Bashar al-Assad without imposing sanctions against his Russian supporters and enablers.

The headline of today’s article could well have been “Obama Administration Relentlessly Pursues Russian Financial Sector.”  The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced designation of 18 individuals and five entities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O) 13582 making them subject to U.S. sanctions.  Although these new sanctions designations are in response “to the continued acts of violence committed by the Government of Syria,” and the individuals and entities are designated for providing support or services to Bashar al-Assad’s regime, nine of the designated individuals comprise the top management of Tempbank, a Russian bank with operations in a number of countries around the world and a major financial transactions facilitator of the Syrian government.

These new designations expand the net of sanctions imposed on Russia’s financial sector. This group includes Tempbank’s three Executive Board Deputy Chairmen and its six Supervisory Board members.  They join Tempbank and its Executive Board Chairman Michail Gagloev designated by OFAC in May 2014 “for providing material support and services to the Government of Syria, including the Central Bank of Syria and SYTROL, Syria’s state oil marketing firm.” These most recent designees also included six Syrian top government officials and a number of Syrian government entities.

The effects of the sanctions on those designated are immediate. Any property or interests in property owned by these Individuals and entities in the possession or control of U.S. persons (individuals or entities) within the United States are blocked.  Transactions by U.S. individuals and entities and the designated persons are prohibited. Blocking of property includes freezing of all assets owned by designated persons that are within U.S. jurisdiction.

The Russian Foreign Ministry’s statement described the new sanctions as, “the line of Washington’s extraterritorial application of its national law violating all commonly accepted norms of international law.”  When considering the gross violations of international law and norms by the Russian-supported al-Assad’s regime, such a line of criticism by the Russian Government rings hallow.  However, the warning about the adverse effect of the sanctions on future Russian cooperation with the United States must be taken seriously.  With president-elect Trump stating that he wants to work with Putin to solve the crisis in Syria, the response by the future Trump administration will be worth watching.

For further discussions of the issues regarding U.S. sanctions against Russian individuals and economic sectors, see “Obama Sticks it to Trump’s Russian Partner”,  “Trump v. Congress on New Russian Sanctions” and “Will Trump Fall on the Sanctions Sword” published in The Ward Post.

Ambassador Curtis A. Ward, B.A., J.D., LL.M., is an attorney and international consultant, and Adjunct Professor in the Homeland Security Graduate Program at the University of the District of Columbia. As former Ambassador of Jamaica to the United Nations he served two years on the U.N. Security Council. He was Expert Adviser to the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee for three years. He specializes in terrorism/counterterrorism legal and policy frameworks; anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT); sanctions implementation; crime and security; human rights, rule of law and governance.

 

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