CONFIDENTIAL
(w/9
IFIDENTIAL.
ESKBY 03093OZ
FM BRIDGETOWN 021620Z JAN 79
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 002 OF 2 JANUARY
де обор
200.1
17. 93
INFO KINGSTON (FOR DA) NASSAU (FOR HA) PORT OF SPAIN R.J.C.
DEFENCE IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN
AMA
1. IN DESCRIBING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE MOVE OF THE ASSOCIATED
STATES TO INDEPENDENCE, WE HAVE TENDED TO PLAY DOWN THE SIGNIFI- CANCE OF THE FINAL BREAK, THE TERMINATION OF ASSOCIATION, ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT MERELY MEANT OUR GIVING UP RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUCH EXTERNAL RELATIONS AS WE HAD NOT ALREADY DEVOLVED, AND DEFENCE.
2.
RECENT EVENTS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT TERMINATING OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEFENCE MAY BE A MORE SIGNIFICANT FACTOR FOR THE NEW INDEPENDENT STATES THAN WE HAVE ADMITTED. IT IS TRUE THAT THE STATES THEMSELVES HAVE NOT GENERALLY REGARDED THE LOSS OF OUR PROTECTION AS A FACTOR WHICH SHOULD INHIBIT THEIR PROGRESS TO INDEPENDENCE, SO FAR AS I KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE GOVERNMENT OF DOMINICA NEVER RAISED THE QUESTION BEFORE INDEPENDENCE.
3. THE PREMIER OF ST VINCENT, CATO, DID HOWEVER SUGGEST DURING THE AID TALKS THAT THEY NEEDED HELP IN UP-GRADING THE POLICE, SINCE, AS HE PUT IT, AFTER INDEPENDENCE ST VINCENT COULD HOT DEAL WITH EVEN A SMALL PARTY OF DETERMINED ARMED MEN WHO ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES, POSSIBLY FOR PURPOSES OF DRUG-RUNNING, ON ONE OF THE GRENADINES, OR EVEN ON ST VINCENT ITSELF. HE WAS ASKED TO PUT FORWARD SPECIFIC PROPOSALS, BUT HAS NOT YET DONE SO. LEE MOORE, ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ST KITTS, HAS INDICATED TO THE DA CARIEREAN THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ADVICE ON POST-INDEPENDENCE DEFENCE.
4. THEN CAME THE THREAT TO BOTH DOMINICA AND BARBADOS BY ALLEYNE AND BANKS. THE IMMEDIATE REACTION OF BOTH COUNTRIES WAS TO ASK US FOR HELP. THEY ARE WELL AWARE THAT, DESPITE HAVING A DEFENCE FORCE OF SORTS, THEY ARE HIGHLY VULNERABLE.
5. IT SEEMS POSSIBLE THAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE ASSOCIATED STATES (AND OF COURSE THE DEPENDENCIES) MAY HAVE BEER A MUCH MORE IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE STABILITY OF THE REGION
THAT WE HAVE ASSUMED, SO LONG AS IT WAS KNOWN THAT WE HAD A DEFENCE RESPONSIBILITY, ADVENTURLINS WOULD HAVE SEEN EFFECTIVELY THUIDITED FROM CAUSING TROUBLE, SINCE, IN THE LAST RESORT THEY