VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKG #0589/01 1141258
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 241258Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4648
INFO RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINGSTON 000589 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE/INL FOR KBROWN, NBOZZOLO, STATE/WHA FOR RBUDDEN, DOJ 
FOR OPDAT LIPPMAN, TREASURY FOR CCORREA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2017 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL KFIN JM
SUBJECT: JAMAICA: MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNED 
ABOUT POLITICAL VIOLENCE. BELIEVES FUTURE STABILITY OF 
COUNTRY THREATENED IF CORRUPTION NOT TACKLED. 
 
REF: A. 2006 KINGSTON 2151 
     ¶B. KINSTON 69 SECSTATE 49116 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Brenda L. Johnson for reasons 1.5 (B&D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  On Friday, April 20, Charge and NAS 
Director, along with the British and Canadian COMs, met with 
Peter Phillips, Minister of National Security at his request. 
 In this session, one of an ongoing series of conversations 
with his international partners, (Reftels A and B) Phillips 
outlined a four-part plan for the Ministry's next few months 
and expressed his concerns over political violence and the 
need to act against the dons of organized crime gangs and to 
fight high-level corruption that plagues the Jamaica 
Constabulary Force.  Phillips seemed pensive and was clearly 
worried that Jamaica continues to slide into a morass of 
guns, violence and criminality which has the potential to 
topple its fragile institutions.  Phillips promised to again 
try to move the U.S./CARICOM Light-Arms Declaration through 
the CARICOM Secretariat.  Phillips asked the COMs present to 
lobby the country's political leadership to quell 
election-related violence.  End Summary 
 
¶2. (C) Minister Phillips appeared quite somber in the meeting 
as he outlined his goals for the immediate future and some 
more long-term strategies.  It is his intention to use his 
limited time before the next election focusing on the 
following:  1) The implementation of the Proceeds of Crime 
Act before the end of May (the law was passed in February by 
Parliament; 2) Passage of the legislation to create a new 
National Investigative and Intelligence Agency, and 3) the 
hiring of the new internationally-recruited head of the 
Jamaica Constabulary Force's Anti-Corruption Division.  Given 
the acerbic nature of political discourse, and the fact that 
Jamaica is awash in weapons, Phillips was clearly worried 
about the likelihood of increased political violence leading 
up to the next election, which seems likely in late June 
early July. 
 
¶3. (C) Despite the multi-lateral forum, the Charge took the 
opportunity to raise the need for Jamaica to show leadership 
in CARICOM and move the Light-Arms Declaration through the 
CARICOM Secretariat.  Phillips seemed surprised that this 
hadn't yet been done by CARICOM and promised to do what he 
could. (Note: Charge also raised this the previous day with 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanant Secretary Saunders, 
see, Septel.) 
 
¶4. (C) Assuming the next election returns the ruling PNP to 
power, and assuming further that Peter Phillips remains at 
the helm of the Ministry, it is Phillips' intention to focus 
the Ministry's efforts on the following four key initiatives: 
1) a re-energizing of Operation Kingfish to attack certain 
"untouchable" organized crime figures; 2) the undertaking of 
a strategic reform of the Jamaica Constabulary Force in an 
effort to stamp out pervasive and high level corruption; 3) 
the launching of a broader Anti-Corruption Initiative and 4) 
The institution of social intervention programs as part of 
the Government of Jamaica's broader crime-prevention efforts. 
 
¶5. (C) The U.S., UK and Canadian COMs expressed support for 
Phillips, and urged him to accomplish his short-term goals. 
The UK and Canadian COMs cautioned Phillips that the GOJ has 
to do more to show its political will to stamp out organized 
crime and corruption if it expects continued support from 
their governments.  For example, if the NIIA is created, it 
must be adequately staffed.  (Note: Jamaica has the tendencey 
to create new governmental bodies, often in response to 
international pressure, but then fails to adequatly provide 
for them financially, examples include the Anti-Corruption 
Commission, the Police Civilian Oversight Commission.)  The 
COMs commented that in addition, if the Anti-Corruption 
Officer position is filled, he must have support to do what 
Phillips admitted is the "dirtiest job on the force."  The 
Charge expressed concern that Jamaica's ability to carry 
forward on Phillips' plans, particularly the reform of the 
JCF and creation of anti-crime social programs, will be 
heavily constrained by its poor fiscal state.  Phillips did 
not have an answer for how Jamaica will come up with the 
funding it needs for example, to pay its police force a 
living wage.  Note:  $.70 cents of every dollar of revenue 
received by the GOJ is used to service the interest on 
government debt and pay current expenditures such as civil 
service payroll. 
 
¶6. (C) The Charge also stressed the need for the political 
 
 
parties to coalesce around certain overarching principals 
such as the need to support the rule of law, the fight 
against official corruption and the need to combat crime and 
violence so that whomever is the victor in the next election 
can work across party lines to effectively govern the 
country.  Phillips acknowledged that Jamaica's history of 
political violence, the near universal distrust of the 
Jamaica Constabulary Force by the general public, an ever 
increasing tendency to vigilantism and the fact that the 
island is awash in guns has created an environment where the 
legitimacy of the state is in question.  As an example, 
Phillips discussed the April 17 violence in two West 
Kingston's neighborhoods, Denham Town and Tivoli Gardens. 
 
¶7. (SBU) On April 17, in Denham Town, the police confronted a 
small number of men armed with AK47s and the ensuing 
gunfight, which was joined by other heavily armed members of 
the gang quickly detioriated into a wild west style shoot 
out.  The police out-gunned called for and recieved back up 
from the Jamaica Defense Force, which dispatched soldiers to 
coorden of the volitile neighborhoods to prevent the violence 
from spreading.  On the same day, because of the draw down of 
police from neighboring communities to provide assistance in 
Denham Town, in Tivoli, a festering gang war re-errupted, 
which lead to more violent clashes with police as they moved 
back in to quell the gangs. 
 
¶8. (C) In Phillips view, the April 17 violence was related to 
an ongoing series of clashes between heavily armed criminal 
gangs in these neighborhoods and was not politically 
motivated.  He noted however that in these "garrison" 
neighborhoods, where the criminal gangs have links to the 
opposition JLP party, and where there have been political 
killings and politically motivated police intimidation in the 
past, any police action, no matter how legitimate is 
automatically suspect.  Indeed the population often complains 
and questions the police motivation for "bothering" the local 
gang members.  Phillips stated that the tension due to these 
violent incidences is so thick and there is so much suspicion 
between the ruling PNP and JLP that he delayed speaking about 
the implemetation of the Proceeds of Crime Act and the NIIA 
legislation in Parliment on April 17 because he thought it 
would lead the opposition JLP to launch into complaints 
regarding the police actions in Tivoli Gardens. 
 
¶9. (C) Citing the effectiveness of similar messaging in the 
past, Phillips asked the COMs to deliver a strong message 
that the ability of the U.S., UK, Canada to work with the 
next government would greatly depend on the current political 
leaders willingness to tamp down violent tendencies among 
their supporters. 
 
¶10. (C) Comment:  Throughout the meeting Phillips seemed 
quite preoccupied and somber when addressing Jamaica's 
future.  He is clearly worried about violence prior to the 
election and the ability of Jamaica to continue as a nation 
if tackling crime and violence at every level of society is 
not the focus of the next government.  Phillips has been one 
of our most effective partners and there are no obivous 
alternative candidates within the PNP who share both Phillips 
dedication and orientation to the U.S. and its close allies. 
If the ruling PNP party does retain power in the next 
election, it will be important to work with our international 
partners to urge that Phillips is retained.  End Comment 
Johnson