NNP seek to downplay wikileaks

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Parent Category: Oct 2011

Category: Week ending Oct 22nd, 2011

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The main opposition, New National Party (NNP) has sought to downplay the leaked Wikileaks documents that gave insights into some of their dealings in government during the 1995-2008 period.

 According to Opposition Senator, Gregory Bowen the documents are only the views of U.S embassy officials and not that of government in Washington.

Bowen made his remarks against the backdrop of a wikileaks document in which the U.S. Ambassador to Barbados, Mark Kramer investigated claims by then Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell about an alleged coup d’etat being planned by the then Opposition, National Democratic congress (NDC) and found no evidence of it.

 According to Kramer, none of the persons interviewed in Grenada such as former Police Commissioners, Nestor Ogilvie and Winston James and former Head of the Special Branch, Anthony De Gale gave much credence to the coup plot claim.

 The American envoy also said that two envoys were sent by the Mitchell government to meet with embassy officials in Barbados to solicit U.S support on the grounds that the NDC were planning to seize power in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.

 The two were identified as Barbadians, Dr. Rudy Webster who is married to a Grenadian, and Barry Collymore who served as Press Secretary to Prime Minister Mitchell.

 In responding to questions during a press conference held last week Tuesday, Sen. Bowen, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Grenada under the NNP regime, described the controversial wikileaks documents as mere reports put together by US State Department personnel reporting what they think and that it is not the official position of the United States Government.

 “I am not surprised at anything I see in wikileaks. I think who should be surprised should be the United States Government and the other countries”, he said.

 Bowen charged that what the leaked document has done is to undermine the relationship between Washington and other countries.

 The classified report by Ambassador Kramer stated that she met in Bridgetown with Collymore, Advisor to PM Keith Mitchell, and Dr. Webster, Director and Chairman of the Health and Medical Committee in Grenada for CWC 2007.

 The Kramer report said that, “advisors to Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell requested U.S. assistance in bringing a naval floating hospital to Grenada during Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007.  The two — Barry Collymore and Dr. Rudy Webster warned that the opposition would take advantage of the situation if the International Cricket Commission (ICC) canceled Grenada’s participation in the March 2007 event. 

 “Throughout the meeting, Dr. Webster continuously underscored concerns over the opposition’s growing radical ideology and its desire to change Grenada’s democratic system.”

 The Ambassador’s report continued, “In between the scare tactics that echoed previous conversations between PM Mitchell and Ambassador Kramer, Dr. Webster evoked past U.S. generosity and the 1983 U.S. intervention. 

 “Dr. Webster also noted the growing number of left-of-center leaders in the region and Grenada’s newly established relations with the PRC. The GOG envoys, arguments thinly veiled the implied threat of a coup d’etat and loss of U.S. influence on the island if more USG assistance fails to materialize.”

 In response, Kramer is quoted as saying that she understood Grenada’s predicament and that the request was not for humanitarian assistance or disaster relief purposes. 

 Dr. Webster replied that should the ICC cancel Grenada’s participation, the opposition would take advantage of the situation and use it as a pretext to mount a coup d’etat.

 However, former Foreign Affairs Minister, Elvin Nimrod said that he did not know that any authority, direction or appointment was made for anyone to act as an envoy for Grenada to meet with Ambassador Kramer.

 Nimrod also attempted to downplay the issue by saying that there is no proof of anyone being assigned as an envoy to meet with Ambassador Kramer in Barbados.

 “All I can tell you in my official capacity then as Minister of Foreign Affairs, I have no knowledge that any two persons were dispatched to lodge any complaints in reference to a potential overthrow of the government,” he said.

 Nimrod insisted that former Prime Minister Mitchell made it clear that he was informed of the allegation through former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning during a Heads of Government Meeting.

Current Prime Minister, Tillman Thomas of Congress has welcomed the wikileaks exposure on the grounds that it has now exposed those who were pushing the alleged coup plots in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan.

 PM Thomas questioned the thinking of people to talk about coup when everyone in Grenada was concentrating on picking up the pieces after the devastating hurricane.

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