Seemingly in an effort to appease the Bahamian government and the Bahamian people, United States Ambassador J. Richard Blankenship said in an open letter to the Bahamian people that his government is now welcoming members of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to work with U.S. officials in the war against drugs.
“We will now welcome those members of the Defence Force into the war on drugs who are willing to step forward as members of the police force do now and put duty and honor and their country before all else,” he said.
In the letter issued Boxing Day, Mr. Blankenship said, “Innocent members of the HMBS Inagua do not enjoy the privilege of travelling to the United States because 10 years ago, it seems, it was not important to determine responsibility.”
Earlier this month in a meeting of the U.S.-Bahamas Joint Task Force Meeting, Ambassador Blankenship caused considerable embarrassment to Bahamian Foreign Affairs Ministry officials.
The meeting, which takes place twice a year, is usually a review of the work done in the past and recommendations on the way forward in Bahamian-American drug fighting efforts.
Insiders say, however, that generally the meeting is not considered to be the acceptable forum to make disparaging remarks against the host country.
The incident forced Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service Fred Mitchell to adjourn the meeting and to hold a press conference in reaction to the Ambassador’s statement.
Ambassador Blankenship said that since in his letter he stepped up efforts to combat the illegal drug trade, he has received personal threats and has been the object of rumour and innuendo.
He added in the letter that neither he nor the United States will be deterred as “sip sip” is not a part of American foreign policy.
The Ambassador said that his country’s goal “is to make our countries safe from those who seek not only to profit from drug smuggling but from those who seek to use those ill-gotten profits to wrongfully influence not only the present but the future of our children as well.”
Mr. Blankenship said that the past year has been a good year for relations between The Bahamas and the United States.
He said he expects that cooperation between the two countries would improve in many areas and “grow ever more fruitful” in 2003.
By Julian Ried, The Bahama Journal
