This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 001837 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NORTHCOM AND SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2014 
TAGS: PREL PGOV BF CARICOM
SUBJECT: CHRISTIE WANTS TO BE THE TONY BLAIR OF CARICOM 
 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert M. Witajewski, Reasons 1.4 b and d 
 
SUMMARY 
 ------- 
 
¶1. (C) PM Perry Christie confidant Franklyn Wilson argued 
during a September 30 luncheon that the U.S. should support 
Christie's hope to become a regional leader since the 
Bahamian Prime Minister was America's "Tony Blair" inside 
Caricom.  Wilson again raised the Prime Minister's belief 
that he was ignored and left exposed by the United States 
during events surrounding the resignation of Haitian 
ex-President Aristide and that he should have been consulted 
by senior USG officials.  Wilson claimed, however, that 
Christie bore "no grudges" at being left out of the loop by 
the U.S. and Canada. 
End Summary 
 
 
I CAN BE YOUR BLAIR IN THE CARIBBEAN 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (C)  During a small lunch hosted by Ambassador on 
September 30, prominent Bahamian businessman and Perry 
Christie financier and confidant Franklyn Wilson argued 
passionately that Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie 
wanted to become America's "Tony Blair" within Caricom.  The 
luncheon, arranged by the Deputy Chief of Mission, was 
nominally in honor of the newly-named president of the 
College of The Bahamas, Rodney Smith. 
 
¶3. (C)  Mr. Wilson emotionally presented the case for Perry 
Christie, calling him the United States' "best friend" inside 
Caricom's councils.  He said that Christie's personality and 
manner made it possible for him to become friends with 
everyone -- including President Bush -- and thereby exert a 
moderating and calming influence within Caricom to counter 
the proclivities of that body's more extreme members. 
Comparing Christie to the country's first PLP prime minister, 
Sir Lynden Pindling, Wilson declared that back in the early 
1970's, many of the region's first post-independence leaders 
"were a half-step from being communists...preaching socialism 
and national planning" while Pindling -- misunderstood by the 
United States -- was, in reality "only a half-step from being 
a conservative." Pindling, insisted Wilson, quietly and 
effectively served as a moderating influence during that era 
and thus served U.S. strategic interests.  What was true some 
thirty years ago, argued Wilson, was equally true today. 
 
¶4.  (C)  The United States, continued Wilson, needed to 
ignore tactical deviations and remember that strategically 
Perry Christie was America's best friend and supporter in the 
region.  "(The United States) should keep its eye on its 
(strategic) goal," Wilson declared several times, and should 
support and enhance Christie's stature within Caricom in its 
own best self-interest.  Just as British Prime Minister Tony 
Blair was the United States' chief supporter in Europe.  DCM 
pointed out to Wilson that Blair's influence came because he 
took a leadership role as British Prime Minister despite, not 
because of, Britain's membership in the EU and that the EU's 
support of U.S. policies in Iraq and elsewhere have been much 
more restrained and lukewarm than have Britain's. 
 
 
MONTHS LATER, STILL CLAIMING NOT TO BE UPSET 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
¶5. (C)  Addressing the issue of Haiti, Wilson, a long-time 
Perry Christie supporter and PLP financial backer, yet again 
claimed that despite feeling that he had been "ignored" by 
the United States during the departure of Haitian 
ex-President Jean Bertrand Aristide, Prime Minister Christie 
harbored no grudges and was not upset.  Echoing similar 
statements from Christie insiders over the months, Wilson did 
go on to express the view that Christie believes that he was 
in the forefront of the Caricom effort to persuade the 
ex-President to peacefully resign his office.  Given his 
leadership role in the effort, argued Wilson, the United 
States owed it to Christie to have received a call from 
senior USG officials, or the White House, advising him "when 
the United States decided to change direction on Aristide" 
and "remove him from power."  DCM reminded Mr. Wilson that he 
had been briefed on the rapid spiral of breaking events that 
weekend, noted -- again -- that Caricom was not an 
organization well suited to handling crises, and that given 
the press of events that Saturday night/Sunday morning, it 
was unrealistic to have expected the Secretary or the 
President to have phoned thirteen heads of government to 
brief them on rapidly-breaking events.  Wilson responded that 
Christie had at least been able to have his call to the 
Canadian Prime Minister returned by "Canada's Condolecia 
(sic) Rice." 
 
¶6.  (U)  Echoing PM Christie's position, and reflecting 
continuing Bahamian Government skepticism about Aristide's 
departure, in his speech to the UN General Assembly September 
30, Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell similarly claimed that "No 
one will ever know what truly happened on that night as an 
elected president left his country with armed rebels nipping 
at his heels, but it filled the entire Caribbean with 
sadness.  It has raised the spectre of mistrust between 
friends." 
 
 
CHRISTIE ADDRESSING AMERICAS CONFERENCE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C)  Noting that Prime Minister Christie was scheduled to 
be the principal speaker at a morning session October 1 at 
the Miami Herald's annual Americas Conference, Ambassador 
expressed the hope that the Prime Minister would take a 
positive position that reflected the deep, long-standing, and 
overall positive relationship between the United States and 
the region. 
 
¶8. (C)  The theme of Christie's remarks at the conference are 
"Friend or Foe?  Can the Caribbean and the U.S. Repair Their 
Damaged Relations?"  Speaking with DCM at the Chinese 
National Day reception September 30, shortly before flying to 
Miami, Christie feigned  surprise and dismay "at the topic 
they assigned me."  DCM took the opportunity to reiterate 
Ambassador's hope that he would use his spotlight to focus on 
the overwhelmingly positive bilateral and mutually beneficial 
multilateral regional relationship and not engage in an 
unproductive negative analysis. 
 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9. (C)  Franklyn Wilson is one of the wealthiest black 
Bahamians.  He has been closely identified with the PLP 
throughout his entire life and holds The Bahamas' first 
post-independent Prime Minister, Sir Lynden Pindling, in a 
status close to sainthood.  He is a member of the Christie 
"kitchen cabinet."  Wilson's wife, Sharon, is president of 
the Bahamian Senate.  Wilson is also one of the PLP's 
principal financiers and fund raisers.  He is accustomed to 
serving as a transmission belt both to send, and to receive, 
messages intended for the Prime Minister. 
 
¶10. (C)  Months after ex-President Aristide's departure, that 
both Prime Minister Perry Christie and Foreign Minister Fred 
Mitchell continue to volunteer denials that they don't feel 
"dissed" and left hanging on a limb by not being consulted by 
the United States during the hours leading up to Aristide's 
departure after they took what they perceive to be a leading 
role in advocating the U.S. position within Caricom, are as 
convincing as Caesar's thrice refusal of Rome's imperial 
crown.  Christie's spotlight at the Miami Herald conference 
will give him the opportunity to advance his long-expressed 
desire to assume a role as Caricom's leading statesman. 
Whether he will take full advantage of this opportunity 
remains to be seen. 
 
WITAJEWSKI