VZCZCXRO3296
RR RUEHGR
DE RUEHKG #0930/01 1322005
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 122005Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KINGSTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2798
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM J6 MIAMI FL
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM J7 MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KINGSTON 000930 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAR (BENT), 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ABLD AMGT ECON EAID PREL KMCA JM
SUBJECT: VISIT OF WHA/DAS PATRICK DUDDY TO KINGSTON, 
JAMAICA, APRIL 27-28, 2006 
 
REF: A. KINGSTON 892 
     ¶B. BRIDGETOWN 505 
     ¶C. KINGSTON 418 
 
This message is Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please handle 
accordingly. 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: On April 27 and 28, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Patrick Duddy 
 
SIPDIS 
visited Kingston, Jamaica.  On April 27, Duddy met with GOJ 
officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign 
Trade, the details of which are reported in ref. A.  On April 
28, Duddy met with Jamaican business leaders who discussed 
the potential for a trde agreement with the United States, 
USG reaction to Venezuelan petrodiplomacy, and the 
potentialities of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). 
 Also on April 28, Duddy met officials representing Cricket 
World Cup 2007, and discussed preparations for the event 
scheduled for March-April 2007, and the potential for 
cooperation with the USG on security matters.  End summary. 
 
------------------ 
Business Breakfast 
------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) On April 28, DAS Duddy, Ambassador Johnson and DCM 
hosted a breakfast roundtable with business leaders from 
around Jamaica.  Audrey Marks and Becky Stockhausen, 
respectively the President and Executive Director of the 
American Chamber of Commerce of Jamaica, were joined by Aubyn 
Hill, Chairman of the National Investment Bank of Jamaica; 
Robert Levy, Chairman and CEO of Jamaica Broilers Group, an 
agricultural products exporter; attorney R. Anthony "Tony" 
Jenkinson, Managing Partner for Nunes, Scolefield, Deleon and 
Co.; and Mariano Robles, General Manager of Verizon 
International Teleservices. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The executives expressed hope for increased 
U.S.-Caribbean trade, and asked about the status of 
negotiations for a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). 
Duddy acknowledged that the FTAA process had stalled 
somewhat, but noted that the USG was moving forward with 
trade agreements bilaterally.  The guests were stunned and 
impressed by the trade figures that Duddy provided in the 
aftermath of the USG,s free trade agreement with Chile, but 
noted to Econoff that Jamaica would have to negotiate within 
the context of CARICOM, and that the smaller Eastern 
Caribbean states would likely demand special and differential 
treatment in any agreement. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Hill and Levy probed USG reaction to closer 
Jamaica-Venezuela ties as a result of PetroCaribe, among 
other initiatives.  Duddy acknowledged the attractiveness of 
PetroCaribe in the current oil price climate, but noted that, 
as private sector representatives, they are aware that 
greater state involvement in that sector might not be 
something that was desirable.  In a similar vein, Jenkinson 
asked for the USG,s opinion on the Chinese "dollar 
diplomacy" taking place around the region, including in 
Jamaica (Note: the Chinese are building a stadium for the 
Cricket World Cup in Trelawny, at a cost of USD 30 million. 
End note.).  Duddy stated that while the difference in 
spending levels over the last few years was significant, the 
actual total in real terms remains relatively low.  What must 
be monitored, he continued, is how much money the Chinese 
actually "leave behind."  Thus far, they have engaged the 
Caribbean solely in trade terms. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The executives also appeared intrigued by the 
potential for Jamaica from the Millennium Challenge 
Corporation (MCC), and asked Econoff to provide some 
background materials.  The Ambassador noted that she had 
already raised the issue with the Prime Minister, and urged 
the business leaders to engage their political counterparts 
to explore the possibilities that MCC could facilitate. 
 
----------------- 
Cricket World Cup 
----------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Seeking a better understanding of the economic and 
security aspects of Cricket World Cup 2007, Duddy met on 
April 28 with Chris Dehring, Managing Director and CEO of 
Cricket World Cup 2007, Limited (CWC); Don Lockerbie, Chief 
Operating Officer and Venue Development Director; Derek 
Jones, Senior Legal Counsel; and Chris Tetley, International 
Cricket Council (ICC) Liaison.  Dehring noted that the legacy 
 
KINGSTON 00000930  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Jones thanked the USG for what he characterized as 
our interest in assisting the countries of the region in 
their security preparations, as expressed by Secretary Rice 
in the aftermath of the Nassau Ministerial meeting.  Asked 
specifically about the chain of command in terms of 
coordinating requests of this kind, CWC officials clarified 
that Dehring is the point of contact for all security matters 
concerning the event itself; issues arising that would more 
properly be characterized as 'national security' matters 
should be channeled through Jamaican Minister of National 
Security Peter Phillips.  They did pointedly note, however, 
that any "Smart Card" system would not have any practical 
benefit with regard to event security. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Tetley also explained the decision-making process as 
it relates to event movement, vice individual match movement. 
 The ICC Board will be the body to determine that the entire 
event will move to the contingency venue, South Africa.  He 
stated that there is no single "drop-dead" date for such a 
decision, as their contingency planning accounts for a 
variety of scenarios (Note: Tetley has repeatedly told 
Econoff, in both private and public contexts, that there is 
no chance, barring a catastrophic natural event, that this 
will happen (ref. C). End note.)  Match movement, however, 
would be determined by CWC ) in consultation with the ICC 
Board.  Once again there is no fixed date for such a 
decision.  Asked specifically about Guyana and Grenada, 
Dehring acknowledged that they had "difficulties," but 
pointed out that all events of this magnitude are behind 
schedule in some respects at this stage of planning.  He said 
that the ICC was beginning evaluations of all venues starting 
May 1, and that these would be followed by a second round in 
November, as hurricane season closes. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The business leaders' initial enthusiasm for MCC 
could be extremely useful in a country where the business and 
political elites mingle so closely, and in many cases 
overlap.  Their informal lobbying could be the nudge that 
reluctant politicians require to take action to pass 
sufficient MCC parameters in order to qualify for 
consideration.  On a less positive note, cricket officials 
seemed unconvinced that the "Smart Card" system would get off 
the ground, and appeared to be keen to distance themselves 
and the event from involvement in its implementation.  End 
comment. 
 
¶10. (U) This cable has been approved by WHA DAS Duddy. 
ROBINSON