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Golding warns gov't against anti-US crusade
'Don't sell out Ja for a few barrels of oil'
BY balford henry Observer writer
Monday, June 12, 2006
Bruce Golding yesterday said that Jamaica was in danger of selling out its foreign policy interest for oil from Venezuela and warned the government against getting caught in an aggressive anti-American campaign led by Hugo Chavez.
Golding. we must not sell out the foreign policy interest of this country because of a few barrels of oil
At the same time, Golding, the opposition leader, said Caracas' push for a seat on the United Nations Security Council later this year will test the strength of the Jamaican government and indicate what the Portia Simpson Miller administration considers to be in Jamaica's best interest.
"We must not sell out the foreign policy interest of this country because of a few barrels of oil," Golding told hundreds of mainly green-clad members of his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at the monthly meeting of its Area Council One, which covers the 15 constituencies of the Corporate Area, at Scouts Headquarters on Camp Road in Kingston.
"Don't get me wrong, there are things that America does that are worthy of criticism. there are things which we can criticise and which we have criticised," he said. "But, as to whether I, as prime minister, would ever allow Jamaica to be conscripted into an anti-US crusade and campaign, we don't have no oil in Jamaica to back us up when the consequences of that hit us."
Golding made the comment on the same day that Chavez, in his weekly television and radio programme Hello President, vowed not to back down in his bid for a seat on the UN Security Council, and slammed the United States for pressuring Latin American nations to reject his country's candidacy.
Chavez, a former paratroop commander who has repeatedly clashed with Washington since taking office in 1999, accused the US of using "psychological warfare, pressure and blackmail against the world's governments to avoid Venezuela being elected".
The George W Bush administration publicly backed Guatemala's bid at last week's Organisation of American States general assembly in the Dominican Republic. Central American nations also are expected to back their neighbour, while countries such as Argentina and Brazil have expressed support for Venezuela, which has been courting Caribbean and Latin American countries with oil deals.
The contested seat will become available in January. If the region cannot agree on a consensus candidate, the issue will be taken up by the UN General Assembly.
Yesterday, Golding recalled that he had first referred to the issue while addressing the conference of the ruling New National Party in Grenada in November, when he suggested that Caribbean nations should not allow themselves to get caught up in a "meaningless and bombastic" crusade against the US.
"If we have a quarrel with America, then we must go ahead and fight out that quarrel with America. But let us not get Jamaica involved in somebody else's quarrel with America," he warned yesterday. "We have enough problems of our own, we don't need to take on problems that don't belong to us."
Golding said that he had warned from the Grenada event that, "if we are not careful, we are going to get sucked into this anti-America brigade and when that happens we must recognise that there are certain disadvantages that will impose on us".
The issue, he said, will test the strength of Jamaica's leadership and challenge the understanding of the leadership as to where Jamaica's interest lies, and how best that interest ought to be protected.
"This is where the Jamaican government will have to determine: do we want to entrench ourselves further in this anti-American crusade, because Venezuela has been waging a hostile campaign against the United States?" Golding said.
"I am not here today to suggest to you that there are not things that the United States does that ought not to be criticised. Let me make my position very clear, I have said public already that I disagreed with the way in which America went into Iraq," said Golding. "I felt that it ought to have done so under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United Nations assuming the responsibility and America and other countries being part of that initiative.
"I am on record already, and I repeat it again, that I think that the continued detention of persons at Guantanamo Bay, taken outside of their own jurisdictions, not detained in the United States where they would have the benefit of the protection of US law, but detained in a place where they remain stateless, where there is no legal jurisdiction, no jurisprudence that applies to them, I believe that is a travesty. I believe that is an assault on international law and on the established principles that govern the treatment of persons in times of conflict.
"So don't get me wrong, there are things that America does that are worthy of criticism. America itself has admitted that it really didn't have any evidence of any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which is not to say that Saddam Hussein is a nice fellow, it is simply to say that the pretext that you used, the justification that you offered, you have admitted was false."
Additional reporting by the AP
Dudd: The only problem The US administration have with Chavez,is the use of the oil money to foster development of the latin American economies.
Neither venezuala,nor Chavez is capable of attacking the US. What is at stake is the US foreign policy of using the Factors of production of the area,for the benefit of the US economy and at the expense of the citizens of the area,who derives very little.
There is nothing in Jamaica's relationship with venezuala that is injurious to the US. The Us has allowed itself to become too dependent on foreig oil,to the detriment of not just the economy,but at risk of the lives of the youth,who have to risk their lives to maintain this status quo.
I see Venevula's action as nothing more than an opportunity for the US to make serious attampt to develope alternative energy sources. Which they country will have to to eventually anyway. Instead of expelling so much energy and creating so much friction over something that the country with the appropriate will can do without. Don't tell me that Brazil has better resources,techincal skills,technological advantage and abillity than the USA. How come they quietly reduced their dependent on foreign oil without picking fights with the oil cartel?
And what is in it for this incarnation of washington's mutt. Is he desperate enpough to play the US against Jamaica game as was done during the 70's by his party again?
He better rtealize that with the advent of the internet,Jamaican memory is much longer. All the youth have to do is to go to the internet,to be informed about the actions of the oppoaition while they were in power.
That is what has put an end to the alternate 2 term history of each administrations. one more thing,the internet has also make it more difficult for the pressures of the 70's to be replicated too.
With the ease of communication of the masses,it will be much more expensive to create the level of economic chaos. A properly utilized camara phone will expose the goods stashed away in the warehouses,that created the artificil shortages. ..and that is jst the tip of the berg.
Come on Mr Golding there must be somthing you can find to speak about that is not to the detriment of Jamaica!!
This certainly is,or I should say your views,on the subject,is anatgonistic to the good of the country. Don't US gets much more oil at subsidized prices than Jamaica? why is that not against the best intrest of the USA?
It is good that you spoke anyway,we see where you will be leadidng the country,if you get the opportunity. Jamaicans may look fool,fool,but they are adept at playing fool fi ketch wise.
'Don't sell out Ja for a few barrels of oil'
BY balford henry Observer writer
Monday, June 12, 2006
Bruce Golding yesterday said that Jamaica was in danger of selling out its foreign policy interest for oil from Venezuela and warned the government against getting caught in an aggressive anti-American campaign led by Hugo Chavez.
Golding. we must not sell out the foreign policy interest of this country because of a few barrels of oil
At the same time, Golding, the opposition leader, said Caracas' push for a seat on the United Nations Security Council later this year will test the strength of the Jamaican government and indicate what the Portia Simpson Miller administration considers to be in Jamaica's best interest.
"We must not sell out the foreign policy interest of this country because of a few barrels of oil," Golding told hundreds of mainly green-clad members of his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at the monthly meeting of its Area Council One, which covers the 15 constituencies of the Corporate Area, at Scouts Headquarters on Camp Road in Kingston.
"Don't get me wrong, there are things that America does that are worthy of criticism. there are things which we can criticise and which we have criticised," he said. "But, as to whether I, as prime minister, would ever allow Jamaica to be conscripted into an anti-US crusade and campaign, we don't have no oil in Jamaica to back us up when the consequences of that hit us."
Golding made the comment on the same day that Chavez, in his weekly television and radio programme Hello President, vowed not to back down in his bid for a seat on the UN Security Council, and slammed the United States for pressuring Latin American nations to reject his country's candidacy.
Chavez, a former paratroop commander who has repeatedly clashed with Washington since taking office in 1999, accused the US of using "psychological warfare, pressure and blackmail against the world's governments to avoid Venezuela being elected".
The George W Bush administration publicly backed Guatemala's bid at last week's Organisation of American States general assembly in the Dominican Republic. Central American nations also are expected to back their neighbour, while countries such as Argentina and Brazil have expressed support for Venezuela, which has been courting Caribbean and Latin American countries with oil deals.
The contested seat will become available in January. If the region cannot agree on a consensus candidate, the issue will be taken up by the UN General Assembly.
Yesterday, Golding recalled that he had first referred to the issue while addressing the conference of the ruling New National Party in Grenada in November, when he suggested that Caribbean nations should not allow themselves to get caught up in a "meaningless and bombastic" crusade against the US.
"If we have a quarrel with America, then we must go ahead and fight out that quarrel with America. But let us not get Jamaica involved in somebody else's quarrel with America," he warned yesterday. "We have enough problems of our own, we don't need to take on problems that don't belong to us."
Golding said that he had warned from the Grenada event that, "if we are not careful, we are going to get sucked into this anti-America brigade and when that happens we must recognise that there are certain disadvantages that will impose on us".
The issue, he said, will test the strength of Jamaica's leadership and challenge the understanding of the leadership as to where Jamaica's interest lies, and how best that interest ought to be protected.
"This is where the Jamaican government will have to determine: do we want to entrench ourselves further in this anti-American crusade, because Venezuela has been waging a hostile campaign against the United States?" Golding said.
"I am not here today to suggest to you that there are not things that the United States does that ought not to be criticised. Let me make my position very clear, I have said public already that I disagreed with the way in which America went into Iraq," said Golding. "I felt that it ought to have done so under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United Nations assuming the responsibility and America and other countries being part of that initiative.
"I am on record already, and I repeat it again, that I think that the continued detention of persons at Guantanamo Bay, taken outside of their own jurisdictions, not detained in the United States where they would have the benefit of the protection of US law, but detained in a place where they remain stateless, where there is no legal jurisdiction, no jurisprudence that applies to them, I believe that is a travesty. I believe that is an assault on international law and on the established principles that govern the treatment of persons in times of conflict.
"So don't get me wrong, there are things that America does that are worthy of criticism. America itself has admitted that it really didn't have any evidence of any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which is not to say that Saddam Hussein is a nice fellow, it is simply to say that the pretext that you used, the justification that you offered, you have admitted was false."
Additional reporting by the AP
Dudd: The only problem The US administration have with Chavez,is the use of the oil money to foster development of the latin American economies.
Neither venezuala,nor Chavez is capable of attacking the US. What is at stake is the US foreign policy of using the Factors of production of the area,for the benefit of the US economy and at the expense of the citizens of the area,who derives very little.
There is nothing in Jamaica's relationship with venezuala that is injurious to the US. The Us has allowed itself to become too dependent on foreig oil,to the detriment of not just the economy,but at risk of the lives of the youth,who have to risk their lives to maintain this status quo.
I see Venevula's action as nothing more than an opportunity for the US to make serious attampt to develope alternative energy sources. Which they country will have to to eventually anyway. Instead of expelling so much energy and creating so much friction over something that the country with the appropriate will can do without. Don't tell me that Brazil has better resources,techincal skills,technological advantage and abillity than the USA. How come they quietly reduced their dependent on foreign oil without picking fights with the oil cartel?
And what is in it for this incarnation of washington's mutt. Is he desperate enpough to play the US against Jamaica game as was done during the 70's by his party again?
He better rtealize that with the advent of the internet,Jamaican memory is much longer. All the youth have to do is to go to the internet,to be informed about the actions of the oppoaition while they were in power.
That is what has put an end to the alternate 2 term history of each administrations. one more thing,the internet has also make it more difficult for the pressures of the 70's to be replicated too.
With the ease of communication of the masses,it will be much more expensive to create the level of economic chaos. A properly utilized camara phone will expose the goods stashed away in the warehouses,that created the artificil shortages. ..and that is jst the tip of the berg.
Come on Mr Golding there must be somthing you can find to speak about that is not to the detriment of Jamaica!!
This certainly is,or I should say your views,on the subject,is anatgonistic to the good of the country. Don't US gets much more oil at subsidized prices than Jamaica? why is that not against the best intrest of the USA?
It is good that you spoke anyway,we see where you will be leadidng the country,if you get the opportunity. Jamaicans may look fool,fool,but they are adept at playing fool fi ketch wise.
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