jamaicaobserver editorial
Jamaica
TEN years ago we, like the rest of the world, watched in horror as heartless terrorists murdered almost 3,000 human beings in co-ordinated attacks on the United States that have changed the world forever.
Our pain at this heinous act was brought home even closer by the fact that Jamaicans also perished in the inferno that was the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York, after the terrorists flew two hijacked commercial jets into the buildings.
We recall that amidst the grief and severe trauma the hijackers were being hailed as heroes in some parts of the world where there exists strong anti-American feelings.
But, as we have always held in this space, the men who took so many lives in those attacks were merely cowards who used Islam as a cloak to perpetrate one of the most abominable acts ever against humanity.
While we accept that people may have good reason for disliking America -- after all, US forces have been involved in countless military conflicts on foreign soil -- we are strongly opposed to the use of violence and, worse, murder to demonstrate differences of opinion on social, cultural, religious and political issues.
In reality, what that evil action achieved on 9/11 was widespread suspicion and, in some instances, rejection of Islam which, ironically, does not promote the use of violence.
The hysteria following the 9/11 attacks was understandable, but it created a political atmosphere receptive to retaliation. The problem though, is that terrorists are difficult to find, since they are not organised as armies which can be eliminated by conventional warfare.
While the response to 9/11 did make national security a growth sector, creating thousands of jobs, it resulted in American troops going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those wars have, however, contributed to a skyrocketing of oil prices and to a serious escalation in the US national debt and budget deficit in a time of global economic distress.
The fight against terrorists of the sort that organised and executed on September 11, 2001 therefore, must quickly and in a sustained way extend beyond military action and reconstruction to soft power and development. Democracy cannot be instituted by force of arms, it must be willingly demanded by those motivated by the force of ideas.
At the same time, we should not submit to the climate of fear that the hijackers, their puppet master, the now late Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terror organisation, wanted to create by their actions.
Every opportunity must be taken to emphasise the fact that murder and mayhem will not shake our belief in the ideals of democracy, freedom and tolerance of cultural diversity.
In fact, the American president, Mr Barack Obama, articulated this point very well in his weekly radio and Internet address yesterday. "The terrorists who attacked us that September morning are no match for the character of our people, the resilience of our nation or the endurance of our values," he said. "And no matter what comes our way, as a resilient nation, we will carry on."
To do otherwise would be to surrender to the terrorists whose sole aim is to quench their thirst for blood while salivating at the thought of people living in fear.
So today, as we reflect with the American people and the families of those Jamaicans who were victims of this slaughter, we again express our sympathy but affirm our commitment to the ideals of freedom, democracy and tolerance shared by our two nations with a long history of partnership.
September 11, 2011
jamaicaobserver editorial
An International Caribbean Online Log about the news and opinions in the Americas and World. This Caribbean Blog of global reach and appeal is maintained by Bahamian Blogger - Dennis Dames with all readers and subscribers in mind.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
The Pan-American Heath Organisation (PAHO) has made recommendations to the Bahamian government on how to best control and eliminate the dengue fever outbreak in The Bahamas
International group gives govt advice on dengue control
By SANCHESKA BROWN
tribune242
Nassau, The Bahamas
THE Pan-American Heath Organisation has made recommendations to the government on how to best control and eliminate the dengue outbreak in the Bahamas.
PAHO representatives have been in New Providence for about two weeks working with officials from the ministries of the environment and health to map out the way forward.
Dr Gerry Eykemans, PAHO representative for the Bahamas, said we are not alone in the fight against dengue fever - there are currently ten other Caribbean countries with dengue fever outbreaks.
Dr Eykemans said there needs to be some environmental and health interventions.
"The Ministry needs to fog twice a day," he said. "There needs to be enhanced surveillance and increased health access, meaning clinic hours need to be extended and opened over the weekends.
"We also recommend health education promotion, with messages crafted in such a way to effect change in the action of the population, and the government needs to form campaigns to eliminate breeding sites that involve schools and community organisations to reduce mosquito population and dengue cases."
In response, the government is launching its "Fight the Bite" campaign.
According to Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, the campaign is targeted toward schools and communities.
Dr Minnis said: "We are embarking on educational programmes in schools. We will go into the various schools throughout the Bahamas to inform people on how they can best assist the government in this fight. We cannot do this alone. We need the public's support. Fogging will only help if people do what they are supposed to around their homes. It only takes seven days for an egg to hatch into a full breeding adult. So we are working along with the Department of Environment, Bahamas Waste and Rotary to pass out leaflets and hold seminars so the public can be best informed on how they can help."
Dr Robert Lee, health disaster advisor, also made the following recommendations: "The Bahamas needs to improve surveillance, data analysis and use of data, embark in aggressive preventative measures in the Family Islands, assess the effectiveness of the insecticides in use and strengthening the monitoring of impact of fogging activities by tracking mosquito populations.
"In the long run the government needs to ensure continuous water supply to all houses to prevent people from collecting water in their backyard. Review dengue prevention and control programmes annually and involve the whole population preventing mosquito breeding."
Since coming to the Bahamas, PAHO has confirmed one type of dengue which is "type one."
There also has been one confirmed dengue death. The Ministry of Health is investigating two other deaths. They do not expect those results soon.
PAHO representatives have also confirmed that reported dengue cases have been declining over the past few weeks and the number of dengue fever-like cases are predominately from eastern and southeastern communities.
Ministry of Health officials estimate the number of cases going to health care facilities will top 4,000 by the end of this week. Last week's count stood at 3,300.
Dr Minnis is asking the public to take ten minutes once a week to walk around and get rid of or seal any containers that hold water.
Each resident is being asked to take responsibility to make sure there are no mosquitoes growing in their yards.
September 10, 2011
tribune242
By SANCHESKA BROWN
tribune242
Nassau, The Bahamas
THE Pan-American Heath Organisation has made recommendations to the government on how to best control and eliminate the dengue outbreak in the Bahamas.
PAHO representatives have been in New Providence for about two weeks working with officials from the ministries of the environment and health to map out the way forward.
Dr Gerry Eykemans, PAHO representative for the Bahamas, said we are not alone in the fight against dengue fever - there are currently ten other Caribbean countries with dengue fever outbreaks.
Dr Eykemans said there needs to be some environmental and health interventions.
"The Ministry needs to fog twice a day," he said. "There needs to be enhanced surveillance and increased health access, meaning clinic hours need to be extended and opened over the weekends.
"We also recommend health education promotion, with messages crafted in such a way to effect change in the action of the population, and the government needs to form campaigns to eliminate breeding sites that involve schools and community organisations to reduce mosquito population and dengue cases."
In response, the government is launching its "Fight the Bite" campaign.
According to Health Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, the campaign is targeted toward schools and communities.
Dr Minnis said: "We are embarking on educational programmes in schools. We will go into the various schools throughout the Bahamas to inform people on how they can best assist the government in this fight. We cannot do this alone. We need the public's support. Fogging will only help if people do what they are supposed to around their homes. It only takes seven days for an egg to hatch into a full breeding adult. So we are working along with the Department of Environment, Bahamas Waste and Rotary to pass out leaflets and hold seminars so the public can be best informed on how they can help."
Dr Robert Lee, health disaster advisor, also made the following recommendations: "The Bahamas needs to improve surveillance, data analysis and use of data, embark in aggressive preventative measures in the Family Islands, assess the effectiveness of the insecticides in use and strengthening the monitoring of impact of fogging activities by tracking mosquito populations.
"In the long run the government needs to ensure continuous water supply to all houses to prevent people from collecting water in their backyard. Review dengue prevention and control programmes annually and involve the whole population preventing mosquito breeding."
Since coming to the Bahamas, PAHO has confirmed one type of dengue which is "type one."
There also has been one confirmed dengue death. The Ministry of Health is investigating two other deaths. They do not expect those results soon.
PAHO representatives have also confirmed that reported dengue cases have been declining over the past few weeks and the number of dengue fever-like cases are predominately from eastern and southeastern communities.
Ministry of Health officials estimate the number of cases going to health care facilities will top 4,000 by the end of this week. Last week's count stood at 3,300.
Dr Minnis is asking the public to take ten minutes once a week to walk around and get rid of or seal any containers that hold water.
Each resident is being asked to take responsibility to make sure there are no mosquitoes growing in their yards.
September 10, 2011
tribune242
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Wikileaks demonstrates the need for improved foreign policy management within the Caribbean
By Ian Francis
I am not in consort with those who have glaringly breached United States security protocol. While it is enticing and encouraging to consume the leaked gossip, I still maintain the position that the leaked communications on Jamaica, St Vincent and Grenada are private conversations, grossly exaggerated and poor analyses by those who authored the reports.
A few weeks ago, this medium printed an article entitled “More Wikileaks to come”, following the revelations and publication of alleged conversations between Prime Minister Gonzales and Bridgetown based United States Embassy officials. Jamaica was also mentioned, which highlighted perceived rifts between Simpson-Miller and Dr Peter Phillips of the People’s National Party (PNP).
In recent days, Wikileaks has been able to shed some more light on the foreign policy and national security ineptness of the former Grenada administration under Dr Keith Mitchell with respect to Grenada-United States relations.
While there is very little that regional governments and their affiliated organizations can do to prevent further juicy leaks, the current release of such embarrassing information might get governments thinking more seriously about developing and sustaining effective foreign policy management practices that will guide how elected and appointed officials interact with foreign diplomatic personnel accredited to respective CARICOM governments.
To put it bluntly, personnel in our foreign affairs ministries need to equip themselves with knowledge and understanding about the operations of foreign accredited governments. If the acquisition of knowledge and understanding is acquired and applied effectively, there are strong possibilities that the current “unfettered policy access policy” that exposes our duly elected leaders to meeting with “foreign pipsqueak diplomatic representatives” will come to an immediate halt, resulting in a more streamlined policy of access.
The above access policy realignment will not bring an immediate halt to Wikileaks and political reporting by various accredited diplomatic personnel. However, the streamlining will ensure that those junior diplomatic representatives accredited to the region that bully local foreign ministry officials for access to our elected officials will decrease. As it is regularly said, these junior diplomatic officials cannot even get access to some of their senior officials in their own domain, why should they expect it in the region?
It is all the fault of the weak-kneed local foreign ministry officials and some of the inept elected officials that are engaged in the governance of various states in the region. The development and management of effective rules and procedures must be immediately brought to fruition.
I was extremely incensed about the Wikileaks report between Grenada and the United States. I felt that the juicy cables showed some ineptness on the Mitchell administration. Three observations are noted:
-- Reliance by the then administration on United States security support to quell any political uprising that could have resulted in a coup or the overthrow of the administration.
-- Poor quality of national security analysis by Ogilvie, James and De Gale who were charged with the responsibility of managing the national security process.
-- Mary Kramer, a George Bush Ambassadorial political appointee, who described the legitimate concerns of the then Grenada prime minister as “scaremongering”. It is understood, Mary Kramer has since returned to pedigree dog rearing somewhere in the United States.
-- The inability of various local national security officials to adequately brief and convince the administration on local national capacity security abilities that could delimit the United States involvement in the management of security in an independent CARICOM state.
While Wikileaks continues to be an embarrassing source to many governments and individuals within the CARICOM region, it is also an indicator or lesson to stakeholders about the need and sustainability for the management of foreign policy in the region.
Where can governments begin? Earlier in this article, suggestions were made for the need of local foreign ministry officials to embrace information and knowledge about the governance operations of various foreign countries that have established and maintain diplomatic relations with their respective government.
If such an approach was accepted and applied, local foreign ministry officials will quickly determine that ranks and titles are very important elements in the foreign relations community. Therefore, a third secretary from an accredited nation with ambition to see an elected prime minister should be told that he can only meet with a local counterpart who might be at the rank of an executive or senior executive officer.
Another area for consideration is control and monitoring of foreign accredited diplomats. Many of these accredited countries have diverse bilateral technical assistance in the receiving state that might involve various ministries and state corporations. As a result, meetings will be requested so the visiting diplomat can report back to his government on the progress of the project. When and if such meetings are held, the ministry of foreign affairs should always ensure that a foreign ministry official is present at that meeting.
Finally, another modus operandi of visiting foreign diplomats is to cultivate “corrupt and chatty” local public sector workers. The cultivation is often achieved by meals, alcohol, promise of a long term family visa and often other perks that these officials cannot refuse. To effectively control this cultivation tactic, the suggested guidelines should include that any public sector that engages in frequent contact and exchange of ideas and discussions with a foreign diplomat should be required to submit a written report through his/her immediate supervisor, who in turn will submit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for analysis and comments.
In conclusion, CARICOM independent nations might be described as small and poor, thus giving large nations the opportunity to run roughshod. However, a truly independent nation is expected to exert its own style and management capacity without anyone being offended.
I am remaining alert for more Wikileaks, which will reconfirm my assessment and observation of the current feeble leadership in the conduct and management of foreign policy in certain CARICOM nations.
September 10, 2011
caribbeannewsnow
I am not in consort with those who have glaringly breached United States security protocol. While it is enticing and encouraging to consume the leaked gossip, I still maintain the position that the leaked communications on Jamaica, St Vincent and Grenada are private conversations, grossly exaggerated and poor analyses by those who authored the reports.
A few weeks ago, this medium printed an article entitled “More Wikileaks to come”, following the revelations and publication of alleged conversations between Prime Minister Gonzales and Bridgetown based United States Embassy officials. Jamaica was also mentioned, which highlighted perceived rifts between Simpson-Miller and Dr Peter Phillips of the People’s National Party (PNP).In recent days, Wikileaks has been able to shed some more light on the foreign policy and national security ineptness of the former Grenada administration under Dr Keith Mitchell with respect to Grenada-United States relations.
While there is very little that regional governments and their affiliated organizations can do to prevent further juicy leaks, the current release of such embarrassing information might get governments thinking more seriously about developing and sustaining effective foreign policy management practices that will guide how elected and appointed officials interact with foreign diplomatic personnel accredited to respective CARICOM governments.
To put it bluntly, personnel in our foreign affairs ministries need to equip themselves with knowledge and understanding about the operations of foreign accredited governments. If the acquisition of knowledge and understanding is acquired and applied effectively, there are strong possibilities that the current “unfettered policy access policy” that exposes our duly elected leaders to meeting with “foreign pipsqueak diplomatic representatives” will come to an immediate halt, resulting in a more streamlined policy of access.
The above access policy realignment will not bring an immediate halt to Wikileaks and political reporting by various accredited diplomatic personnel. However, the streamlining will ensure that those junior diplomatic representatives accredited to the region that bully local foreign ministry officials for access to our elected officials will decrease. As it is regularly said, these junior diplomatic officials cannot even get access to some of their senior officials in their own domain, why should they expect it in the region?
It is all the fault of the weak-kneed local foreign ministry officials and some of the inept elected officials that are engaged in the governance of various states in the region. The development and management of effective rules and procedures must be immediately brought to fruition.
I was extremely incensed about the Wikileaks report between Grenada and the United States. I felt that the juicy cables showed some ineptness on the Mitchell administration. Three observations are noted:
-- Reliance by the then administration on United States security support to quell any political uprising that could have resulted in a coup or the overthrow of the administration.
-- Poor quality of national security analysis by Ogilvie, James and De Gale who were charged with the responsibility of managing the national security process.
-- Mary Kramer, a George Bush Ambassadorial political appointee, who described the legitimate concerns of the then Grenada prime minister as “scaremongering”. It is understood, Mary Kramer has since returned to pedigree dog rearing somewhere in the United States.
-- The inability of various local national security officials to adequately brief and convince the administration on local national capacity security abilities that could delimit the United States involvement in the management of security in an independent CARICOM state.
While Wikileaks continues to be an embarrassing source to many governments and individuals within the CARICOM region, it is also an indicator or lesson to stakeholders about the need and sustainability for the management of foreign policy in the region.
Where can governments begin? Earlier in this article, suggestions were made for the need of local foreign ministry officials to embrace information and knowledge about the governance operations of various foreign countries that have established and maintain diplomatic relations with their respective government.
If such an approach was accepted and applied, local foreign ministry officials will quickly determine that ranks and titles are very important elements in the foreign relations community. Therefore, a third secretary from an accredited nation with ambition to see an elected prime minister should be told that he can only meet with a local counterpart who might be at the rank of an executive or senior executive officer.
Another area for consideration is control and monitoring of foreign accredited diplomats. Many of these accredited countries have diverse bilateral technical assistance in the receiving state that might involve various ministries and state corporations. As a result, meetings will be requested so the visiting diplomat can report back to his government on the progress of the project. When and if such meetings are held, the ministry of foreign affairs should always ensure that a foreign ministry official is present at that meeting.
Finally, another modus operandi of visiting foreign diplomats is to cultivate “corrupt and chatty” local public sector workers. The cultivation is often achieved by meals, alcohol, promise of a long term family visa and often other perks that these officials cannot refuse. To effectively control this cultivation tactic, the suggested guidelines should include that any public sector that engages in frequent contact and exchange of ideas and discussions with a foreign diplomat should be required to submit a written report through his/her immediate supervisor, who in turn will submit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for analysis and comments.
In conclusion, CARICOM independent nations might be described as small and poor, thus giving large nations the opportunity to run roughshod. However, a truly independent nation is expected to exert its own style and management capacity without anyone being offended.
I am remaining alert for more Wikileaks, which will reconfirm my assessment and observation of the current feeble leadership in the conduct and management of foreign policy in certain CARICOM nations.
September 10, 2011
caribbeannewsnow
Friday, September 9, 2011
A 'third world' response to the dengue fever outbreak in The Bahamas
A 'third world' response to the dengue outbreak
By PACO NUNEZ
Tribune News Editor
Nassau, The Bahamas
In the poorest countries cursed with mosquito-bourne diseases, the only response available to authorities is often the cheapest and least effective. It involves driving about in trucks spewing clouds of toxic gas into the atmosphere.
Luckily, Bahamians don't have to worry about being condemned by poverty to futile efforts in the face of a serious public health concern. Rough economic times aside, this is a fairly advanced society by global standards with a high per capita income and a very respectable life expectancy.
We might not be first world, but we aren't really third world either. The life and health of every citizen matters here.
Only you couldn't tell that from the government's response to the dengue fever "outbreak" in New Providence. One look at the image that accompanies this article really says it all.
THE PROBLEM WITH FOGGING
The aim is to kill as many adult mosquitos as possible, but it turns out this is not very productive because the mature population isn't the real threat - the unhatched eggs are.
One adult female can lay hundreds in the span of a few weeks, so each new generation has the potential to become an much larger pestilential hoard than the last.
The general acceptance that on its own, fogging is inadequate has led to the development of a number of alternative methods.
In addition to "adulticiding", some have decided to use larvacide, which attacks the eggs directly. One new version, known as BTI, was used to great effect last year in Key West in response to an outbreak there.
According to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control website, BTI "is an eco-friendly, non-toxic larvicide released from a helicopter, penetrating the foliage and targeting the mosquito larvae around homes. The micron-sized larvicide droplets fall into gutters, cisterns, abandoned-swimming pools, wells, plant trivets, garbage cans, bromeliads, buckets and other problem areas."
Since the start of 2011, the website notes "the Florida Keys and Key West has not seen any new cases of dengue."
Another method is known as biocontrol: the introduction of natural mosquito predators. In some countries, fish that eat mosquito larvae like guppies and minnows have been used in fresh water lakes and ponds; others have introduced dragonflies, which eat adult mosquitos.
There is also a new device that produces carbon dioxide and emits certain chemicals that attract mosquitos, then sucks them when they get near.
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
At the same time, fogging has its place, but only as part of an integrated approach which, according to the World Health Organisation, should have five aspects:
* A public education campaign and the creation of appropriate legislation;
* Collaboration between health officials and other public and private sectors;
* An approach to disease control that maximizes the use of resources;
* A decision making process based on evidence to make sure interventions hit the mark;
* Capacity building to ensure that an adequate response is possible in future;
So, let's see how the local response stacks up. The government has held town meetings, but even its own officials allegedly don't believe these are working, and there has been no talk of new laws.
Nor has there been talk of government working with private pest control companies, although reports have reached The Tribune of some communities taking matters into their own hands and calling an exterminator, so disillusioned were they with the government's efforts.
I suppose fogging counts as "disease control", but are we really maximizing the use of resources by sending up clouds of fog indiscriminately? I say indiscriminately, because we've heard nothing about efforts to monitor the mosquito population, even though experts believe this is an essential step in launching a targeted response.
An evidence-based approach would presumably also involve understanding how bad the outbreak is and where it has hit the worst. But that ship sailed the second health officials began telling people to treat the symptoms at home unless absolutely necessary. We will never know how many cases of dengue there were this summer.
And as far as capacity building goes, officials would first have to admit that there was something wrong with their response this time around.
OTHER PROBLEMS
First of all, it makes no sense to keep the public in the dark when it comes to a public health crisis. All it does in breed panic and mistrust.
Yet more than a month and a half into this outbreak, the public knows nothing about how bad it is or when things are going to get better.
Requests from the media for information on the first reported cases were turned down in favour of a press conference 24 hours later, causing who knows how many unsuspecting people to contract dengue in the interim.
Nor is it wise to stick stubbornly to a position if evidence to the contrary is easily available.
When asked by reporters if the government is handling the situation well, doctors not employed by the Ministry of Health react with anger. A few actually burst out laughing.
One doctor said she alone has dealt with 60 cases a day, every day since the outbreak began, and is still inundated.
But we don't really need to seek the opinion of medical experts to see the truth of the matter - the evidence is right in front of us. I have emptied all containers capable of holding water near my house, but there's a flooded construction site across the street that I can do nothing about, so the area is still teeming with mosquitos.
And while the government has tried to inform people like my neighbours about the dangers of standing water, they don't appear to be listening.
Crime is another problem for which, we are always being told, the solution ultimately lies with the public, but that doesn't mean we have no need for a police force. Why not empower Environmental Health inspectors to visit any and all properties in high risk areas to ensure all containers have been emptied?
They could also get to work cleaning up their own mess, and draining the standing water at a hundred public sites like Eastern Parade, which one Tribune reader described as "boiling with mosquitos."
And, what good will it do to upend a few flower pots if you live near a "dengue factory" like the one The Tribune identified on East Bay Street, where the stagnant swimming pool is a gravid mosquito's dream.
The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has asked the public to bring such cases to its attention, yet a full week after The Tribune did so, nothing had changed.
And then there's the garbage. Trash attracts mosquitos and if left for too long, collects water in which they can breed. But it seems the sanitary workers of DEH must have been needed to drive the fogging trucks, because garbage has sat uncollected for weeks in some areas. Again, I need only look at the pile of trash outside my gate.
Also, how do they know how much to spray or how often when the government has failed to keep tabs on the size of the mosquito population - for which there are a number of established methods.
PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING
Of course, it is possible I'm not doing the government's dengue fighting efforts justice - they may be larvaciding, drafting laws and ordering mosquito-eating fish as I write - but if so, it's news to me. And that really is the point: whatever the truth of the situation, the public is left with the impression that no one is taking it seriously; at least not as seriously as we would like them to.
Fogging
Even the fogging trucks, ineffectual as they are, seem to be invisible. I told a senior official recently that if it were me, I would have those fogging trucks driving around Nassau day and night, regardless of what time mosquitos are active, equipped with a siren, flashing lights and a neon sign that reads "FOGGING TRUCK".
Trust, confidence in your response, belief in your ability to handle things is what the government should be after.
In fact, I find it astonishing that the FNM hasn't grasped what kind of damage this situation could do to them politically.
One voter told me over the weekend: "I am an FNM supporter. However, for the first time I am doubting my support.
"Over the past six weeks, the way that my government and the respective ministers involved have handled - or should I say not handled - the dengue fever outbreak/epidemic has left me speechless, frustrated and extremely scared for the safety of my family.
"They need to acknowledge and admit defeat, that their current fogging/spraying is completely ineffective and we need to bring in outside help to combat this devastating epidemic.
"I have spoken with many other FNM supporters and they too are sharing the same sentiments. "This upcoming election will be theirs to lose if they don't wake up and see what's happening on this island."
Another FMN supporter said: "I don't feel safe at all. I don't feel like anyone in authority really cares. Maybe they will when it hits their family.
"But now I have to question the way I look at politics in this country. I always thought the FNM was the compassionate party, even though the PLP pretends to be. This dengue made me realise that at the end of the day, neither is really looking out for me. Maybe we have to try a new alternative."
If it were me in the hot seat, I'd be ordering helicopters, killer fish, and whatever else I could get my hands on.
* What do you think?
pnunez@tribunemedia.net
tribune242 Insight
By PACO NUNEZ
Tribune News Editor
Nassau, The Bahamas
In the poorest countries cursed with mosquito-bourne diseases, the only response available to authorities is often the cheapest and least effective. It involves driving about in trucks spewing clouds of toxic gas into the atmosphere.
Luckily, Bahamians don't have to worry about being condemned by poverty to futile efforts in the face of a serious public health concern. Rough economic times aside, this is a fairly advanced society by global standards with a high per capita income and a very respectable life expectancy.
We might not be first world, but we aren't really third world either. The life and health of every citizen matters here.
Only you couldn't tell that from the government's response to the dengue fever "outbreak" in New Providence. One look at the image that accompanies this article really says it all.
THE PROBLEM WITH FOGGING
The aim is to kill as many adult mosquitos as possible, but it turns out this is not very productive because the mature population isn't the real threat - the unhatched eggs are.
One adult female can lay hundreds in the span of a few weeks, so each new generation has the potential to become an much larger pestilential hoard than the last.
The general acceptance that on its own, fogging is inadequate has led to the development of a number of alternative methods.
In addition to "adulticiding", some have decided to use larvacide, which attacks the eggs directly. One new version, known as BTI, was used to great effect last year in Key West in response to an outbreak there.
According to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control website, BTI "is an eco-friendly, non-toxic larvicide released from a helicopter, penetrating the foliage and targeting the mosquito larvae around homes. The micron-sized larvicide droplets fall into gutters, cisterns, abandoned-swimming pools, wells, plant trivets, garbage cans, bromeliads, buckets and other problem areas."
Since the start of 2011, the website notes "the Florida Keys and Key West has not seen any new cases of dengue."
Another method is known as biocontrol: the introduction of natural mosquito predators. In some countries, fish that eat mosquito larvae like guppies and minnows have been used in fresh water lakes and ponds; others have introduced dragonflies, which eat adult mosquitos.
There is also a new device that produces carbon dioxide and emits certain chemicals that attract mosquitos, then sucks them when they get near.
AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
At the same time, fogging has its place, but only as part of an integrated approach which, according to the World Health Organisation, should have five aspects:
* A public education campaign and the creation of appropriate legislation;
* Collaboration between health officials and other public and private sectors;
* An approach to disease control that maximizes the use of resources;
* A decision making process based on evidence to make sure interventions hit the mark;
* Capacity building to ensure that an adequate response is possible in future;
So, let's see how the local response stacks up. The government has held town meetings, but even its own officials allegedly don't believe these are working, and there has been no talk of new laws.
Nor has there been talk of government working with private pest control companies, although reports have reached The Tribune of some communities taking matters into their own hands and calling an exterminator, so disillusioned were they with the government's efforts.
I suppose fogging counts as "disease control", but are we really maximizing the use of resources by sending up clouds of fog indiscriminately? I say indiscriminately, because we've heard nothing about efforts to monitor the mosquito population, even though experts believe this is an essential step in launching a targeted response.
An evidence-based approach would presumably also involve understanding how bad the outbreak is and where it has hit the worst. But that ship sailed the second health officials began telling people to treat the symptoms at home unless absolutely necessary. We will never know how many cases of dengue there were this summer.
And as far as capacity building goes, officials would first have to admit that there was something wrong with their response this time around.
OTHER PROBLEMS
First of all, it makes no sense to keep the public in the dark when it comes to a public health crisis. All it does in breed panic and mistrust.
Yet more than a month and a half into this outbreak, the public knows nothing about how bad it is or when things are going to get better.
Requests from the media for information on the first reported cases were turned down in favour of a press conference 24 hours later, causing who knows how many unsuspecting people to contract dengue in the interim.
Nor is it wise to stick stubbornly to a position if evidence to the contrary is easily available.
When asked by reporters if the government is handling the situation well, doctors not employed by the Ministry of Health react with anger. A few actually burst out laughing.
One doctor said she alone has dealt with 60 cases a day, every day since the outbreak began, and is still inundated.
But we don't really need to seek the opinion of medical experts to see the truth of the matter - the evidence is right in front of us. I have emptied all containers capable of holding water near my house, but there's a flooded construction site across the street that I can do nothing about, so the area is still teeming with mosquitos.
And while the government has tried to inform people like my neighbours about the dangers of standing water, they don't appear to be listening.
Crime is another problem for which, we are always being told, the solution ultimately lies with the public, but that doesn't mean we have no need for a police force. Why not empower Environmental Health inspectors to visit any and all properties in high risk areas to ensure all containers have been emptied?
They could also get to work cleaning up their own mess, and draining the standing water at a hundred public sites like Eastern Parade, which one Tribune reader described as "boiling with mosquitos."
And, what good will it do to upend a few flower pots if you live near a "dengue factory" like the one The Tribune identified on East Bay Street, where the stagnant swimming pool is a gravid mosquito's dream.
The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has asked the public to bring such cases to its attention, yet a full week after The Tribune did so, nothing had changed.
And then there's the garbage. Trash attracts mosquitos and if left for too long, collects water in which they can breed. But it seems the sanitary workers of DEH must have been needed to drive the fogging trucks, because garbage has sat uncollected for weeks in some areas. Again, I need only look at the pile of trash outside my gate.
Also, how do they know how much to spray or how often when the government has failed to keep tabs on the size of the mosquito population - for which there are a number of established methods.
PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING
Of course, it is possible I'm not doing the government's dengue fighting efforts justice - they may be larvaciding, drafting laws and ordering mosquito-eating fish as I write - but if so, it's news to me. And that really is the point: whatever the truth of the situation, the public is left with the impression that no one is taking it seriously; at least not as seriously as we would like them to.
Fogging
Even the fogging trucks, ineffectual as they are, seem to be invisible. I told a senior official recently that if it were me, I would have those fogging trucks driving around Nassau day and night, regardless of what time mosquitos are active, equipped with a siren, flashing lights and a neon sign that reads "FOGGING TRUCK".
Trust, confidence in your response, belief in your ability to handle things is what the government should be after.
In fact, I find it astonishing that the FNM hasn't grasped what kind of damage this situation could do to them politically.
One voter told me over the weekend: "I am an FNM supporter. However, for the first time I am doubting my support.
"Over the past six weeks, the way that my government and the respective ministers involved have handled - or should I say not handled - the dengue fever outbreak/epidemic has left me speechless, frustrated and extremely scared for the safety of my family.
"They need to acknowledge and admit defeat, that their current fogging/spraying is completely ineffective and we need to bring in outside help to combat this devastating epidemic.
"I have spoken with many other FNM supporters and they too are sharing the same sentiments. "This upcoming election will be theirs to lose if they don't wake up and see what's happening on this island."
Another FMN supporter said: "I don't feel safe at all. I don't feel like anyone in authority really cares. Maybe they will when it hits their family.
"But now I have to question the way I look at politics in this country. I always thought the FNM was the compassionate party, even though the PLP pretends to be. This dengue made me realise that at the end of the day, neither is really looking out for me. Maybe we have to try a new alternative."
If it were me in the hot seat, I'd be ordering helicopters, killer fish, and whatever else I could get my hands on.
* What do you think?
pnunez@tribunemedia.net
tribune242 Insight
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Land use and capability in the Caribbean
By Dr Joseph E. Edmunds and Anton E. Edmunds
Heightened international attention has recently been given to the subject of food security and increasingly, Caribbean voices have joined the chorus. This while hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on food importation into the region. While the World Health Organization (WHO) states that agriculture remains the largest source of employment in developing countries, by all appearances, the Caribbean must either have graduated from developing nation status or economic policy decisions have downgraded the importance of agriculture. One cannot help but observe that in many Caribbean countries, acreages of land are underutilized, many with grass, shrubs, and trees in abundance, and with no planned use at all to fulfill human needs.
Clearly, Caribbean planners have failed to recognize and give priority to what is seen by some as a fundamental tenet of development -- land capability and its effective usage. As a result, what is seen in the broader region is large land acreages of valuable national assets that appear abandoned and categorized as wastelands, even while there are increased domestic food needs. The uncoordinated approach that allows land to remain undeveloped, underdeveloped or converted into different types of development unrelated to land capabilities appears to be the norm in the region.
Further, in some cases, lands ideally suited for agricultural development – plant and animal production -- are abandoned or are converted into industrial or tourism/hotel development sectors without any thought to a functional integrated national plan. While tourism is the recognized economic driver for many in the region, and it is clear that the development of new hotels and resorts may well require access to strategically located properties. Unfortunately, efforts to integrate surrounding lands or maximize the use of fertile soils into the tourism product appear to be an afterthought.
The time is now when countries in the region need to take a critical look at their development policies and seek to incorporate viable landmass into strategic sustainable plans to meet the local and regional needs, thus contributing to the Caribbean’s ability to survive and compete in the global marketplace. A concerted effort is also needed to integrate key plant and animal production as a food resource for our tourism industry. This would contribute to the cultural experience of the visitor and temper the increasingly rapid move away from the land, a social development that needs to be carefully monitored. A taste of the Caribbean that accentuates local and regional products and flavours should be an addition to the visitors’ experience. There are already best practices, of hotels and restaurants that have had success in sourcing local agricultural and fisheries products. This should not be ignored, but rather replicated.
The issue of investing in an energy mix that includes renewable energy is another area where larger so-called waste tracts can serve as spots for solar farms, and used to cultivate bio diesel. Effective land use in this area combined with agricultural production for local and regional consumption can make good sense and can even serve to “re-green” the tourism industry if integrated into the mix and marketed correctly.
Key to the development of linkages with the above-mentioned industries is the establishment of national land use/land capability councils consisting of members from the public and private sectors as well as local, regional, and international institutions. This strategy is in keeping with the basic elements of a participatory democracy, a necessary component of good governance, and could result in the articulation and formulation of enabling policies, and the improvement of policy planning and management of sustainable plans. Of course, access to capital is vital to the facilitation of this process and therefore requires the understanding and inputs from various financial and development institutions.
While it is argued by some that countries in the region are guided by the realities of geo-politics and geo-economics and the “the urgency of now” which dictate the survival of political parties, the importance of food security is of increasing concern to domestic populations, and with rising food prices, this could become a real threat to political longevity. What appears to be the blunt survival mode of some more developed countries, which provide enormous subsidies for their local products and take aggressive actions (sometimes to the detriment of the less developed countries), in order to sustain their vested interests at home and in the global marketplace, only exacerbates the situation.
For the region, the call for a redoubling of efforts to address low productively and lack of investment in research and development should become major priorities. Innovative approaches for the region require linking the agricultural industry to other productive sectors, the implementation of modern management systems, and the injection of appropriate technologies. Best practices have to be replicated and efforts to rebuild a torn social fabric that balances effective land use with land capability is critical to the region’s future.
Dr Joseph E. Edmunds is a former Senior Research Fellow, UWI St Augustine Campus, Trinidad, Director of Research and Development, of the banana industry of the Windward Islands, and Ambassador of St Lucia to the UN, OAS, and US. Senior Associate to The Edmunds Group International and The Caribbean Research and Policy Center in Washington.
Anton E. Edmunds is the president and CEO, The Edmunds Group International (www.theedmundsgroup.com), former CEO of Caribbean Central American Action (www.c-caa.org) and Senior Project Advisor to Halcrow. Member: Latin America Council on Renewable Energy, Caribbean Association of Industry & Commerce, Caribbean Shipping Association, Caribbean Tourism Organization and Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum.
September 7, 2011
caribbeannewsnow
Heightened international attention has recently been given to the subject of food security and increasingly, Caribbean voices have joined the chorus. This while hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on food importation into the region. While the World Health Organization (WHO) states that agriculture remains the largest source of employment in developing countries, by all appearances, the Caribbean must either have graduated from developing nation status or economic policy decisions have downgraded the importance of agriculture. One cannot help but observe that in many Caribbean countries, acreages of land are underutilized, many with grass, shrubs, and trees in abundance, and with no planned use at all to fulfill human needs.
Clearly, Caribbean planners have failed to recognize and give priority to what is seen by some as a fundamental tenet of development -- land capability and its effective usage. As a result, what is seen in the broader region is large land acreages of valuable national assets that appear abandoned and categorized as wastelands, even while there are increased domestic food needs. The uncoordinated approach that allows land to remain undeveloped, underdeveloped or converted into different types of development unrelated to land capabilities appears to be the norm in the region.
Further, in some cases, lands ideally suited for agricultural development – plant and animal production -- are abandoned or are converted into industrial or tourism/hotel development sectors without any thought to a functional integrated national plan. While tourism is the recognized economic driver for many in the region, and it is clear that the development of new hotels and resorts may well require access to strategically located properties. Unfortunately, efforts to integrate surrounding lands or maximize the use of fertile soils into the tourism product appear to be an afterthought.
The time is now when countries in the region need to take a critical look at their development policies and seek to incorporate viable landmass into strategic sustainable plans to meet the local and regional needs, thus contributing to the Caribbean’s ability to survive and compete in the global marketplace. A concerted effort is also needed to integrate key plant and animal production as a food resource for our tourism industry. This would contribute to the cultural experience of the visitor and temper the increasingly rapid move away from the land, a social development that needs to be carefully monitored. A taste of the Caribbean that accentuates local and regional products and flavours should be an addition to the visitors’ experience. There are already best practices, of hotels and restaurants that have had success in sourcing local agricultural and fisheries products. This should not be ignored, but rather replicated.
The issue of investing in an energy mix that includes renewable energy is another area where larger so-called waste tracts can serve as spots for solar farms, and used to cultivate bio diesel. Effective land use in this area combined with agricultural production for local and regional consumption can make good sense and can even serve to “re-green” the tourism industry if integrated into the mix and marketed correctly.
Key to the development of linkages with the above-mentioned industries is the establishment of national land use/land capability councils consisting of members from the public and private sectors as well as local, regional, and international institutions. This strategy is in keeping with the basic elements of a participatory democracy, a necessary component of good governance, and could result in the articulation and formulation of enabling policies, and the improvement of policy planning and management of sustainable plans. Of course, access to capital is vital to the facilitation of this process and therefore requires the understanding and inputs from various financial and development institutions.
While it is argued by some that countries in the region are guided by the realities of geo-politics and geo-economics and the “the urgency of now” which dictate the survival of political parties, the importance of food security is of increasing concern to domestic populations, and with rising food prices, this could become a real threat to political longevity. What appears to be the blunt survival mode of some more developed countries, which provide enormous subsidies for their local products and take aggressive actions (sometimes to the detriment of the less developed countries), in order to sustain their vested interests at home and in the global marketplace, only exacerbates the situation.
For the region, the call for a redoubling of efforts to address low productively and lack of investment in research and development should become major priorities. Innovative approaches for the region require linking the agricultural industry to other productive sectors, the implementation of modern management systems, and the injection of appropriate technologies. Best practices have to be replicated and efforts to rebuild a torn social fabric that balances effective land use with land capability is critical to the region’s future.
Dr Joseph E. Edmunds is a former Senior Research Fellow, UWI St Augustine Campus, Trinidad, Director of Research and Development, of the banana industry of the Windward Islands, and Ambassador of St Lucia to the UN, OAS, and US. Senior Associate to The Edmunds Group International and The Caribbean Research and Policy Center in Washington.
Anton E. Edmunds is the president and CEO, The Edmunds Group International (www.theedmundsgroup.com), former CEO of Caribbean Central American Action (www.c-caa.org) and Senior Project Advisor to Halcrow. Member: Latin America Council on Renewable Energy, Caribbean Association of Industry & Commerce, Caribbean Shipping Association, Caribbean Tourism Organization and Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum.
September 7, 2011
caribbeannewsnow
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Learn from your neighbour's mistakes Bahamas!
Reader warns: Learn from Jamaica's mistakes
tribune242 editorial
Nassau, The Bahamas
IN THIS column yesterday we commented on a proposal to Government by former Bahamian gangleaders to get crime under control by using them to create community jobs for the unemployed.
Having formed an alliance - United Against Crime (UAC) -- to mobilise resources and support for community based initiatives, the former gang leaders presented their proposal to National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest and senior members of the Police Force.
UAC's top priority is to create economic opportunities for the unemployed, who through lack of jobs are driven to crime.
"Whenever there is poverty there is crime. When people can't pay the bills they find other ways. The police can't do anything, with all due respect, until after the fact," said Valentino "Squaw" Josey, spokesman for the group. He said that community leaders - presumably himself and his fellow former gang members -- are the key to successful preventative measures.
He suggested that community leaders should be employed to do full time community work -- mediating conflicts, building side walks, cleaning the community, landscaping and performing other tasks. They proposed a partnership with the government and corporate society. He suggested that instead of giving government jobs to big contractors, the jobs should all be kept within the community. For example, he said, a $10,000 contract to paint a school could be given to a community leader, who could then employ other people in the community. And by working more closely with the community "we stand a chance to eliminate crime."
This could be a solution, but it is also the very kernel from which a serious problem could develop in the future.
This was partially the story of how the Tivoli Garden's saga started in Jamaica several years ago. It ended last year in the storming by Jamaican security forces of Tivoli Gardens, where it was believed that Tivoli's don, "Dudus" Coke, wanted on drug and gun running charges in the US, was hiding. Tivoli residents, whose very existence depended on the generosity of gangleader "Dudus," violently fought off government forces to protect their community leader. Seventy-three Jamaican's were killed in that clash.
Mr Turnquest told the leaders that government would not provide them with financial backing without "accountability and transparency."
We backed Mr Turnquest's stand, because we do not believe in arbitrarily cutting off an extended olive branch without a thorough hearing. However, for us there was a caveat and that was the case of Tivoli. We are certain that this is not the intent of our reformed Bahamian gangleaders, nor was it the intent of those of Tivoli Gardens when the political leaders got involved with the "community leaders." But in the end it was the unintended that eventually happened. Good intentions ended in tragedy.
A Mr Patrick Beersingh of Jamaica, having read this column on Tribune242.com, on Monday had the following comment. His interpretation of the proposal: "Community work translates to legitimizing gang control" -
"Editor,
"You seem to be supporting the idea, in spirit at least, that the so-called 'Community Leaders' should be employed to do 'full time community work'. That would be a huge mistake. I speak from personal knowledge of having experienced the very same idea implemented in Jamaica in the 1970's. You are so correct when you say that these ideas led to the Tivoli invasion. However, if you explore 'community work' closer you will see that the 'Community Leaders' are the Dons and Gang Leaders, who are attempting to get legitimacy to enforce their particular brand of law and order via intimidation and doling out scarce benefits within the community. This would see them grow in power until it takes a full scale assault on their neighbourhoods to dislodge them, when they eventually fall afoul of the supremacy of the organs of State, which they most certainly will.
"Look at the Crash Programme of the 1970's under PM Michael Manley. Now MP's are actually given monies to spend within their constituencies, which they use to influence their affiliated criminal organizations. Work is hardly done any more in exchange for this dole. Apart from the billions wasted on these programmes, what they do more than anything else, is to give legitimacy to the local criminals, making them into national and international dons of crime. What they become are state sponsored, Gang Controlled Neighbourhoods.
"Learn from your neighbour's mistakes!"
We are certain government will take a long and serious look at UAC's proposal.
Prime Minister Ingraham has launched another initiative aimed at the unemployed -- government's job readiness and training programme. The object is to prepare the unskilled for jobs as the economy rebounds. These are the programmes that these young men should be encouraged by their gang leaders to take advantage of.
September 06, 2011
tribune242 editorial
tribune242 editorial
Nassau, The Bahamas
IN THIS column yesterday we commented on a proposal to Government by former Bahamian gangleaders to get crime under control by using them to create community jobs for the unemployed.
Having formed an alliance - United Against Crime (UAC) -- to mobilise resources and support for community based initiatives, the former gang leaders presented their proposal to National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest and senior members of the Police Force.
UAC's top priority is to create economic opportunities for the unemployed, who through lack of jobs are driven to crime.
"Whenever there is poverty there is crime. When people can't pay the bills they find other ways. The police can't do anything, with all due respect, until after the fact," said Valentino "Squaw" Josey, spokesman for the group. He said that community leaders - presumably himself and his fellow former gang members -- are the key to successful preventative measures.
He suggested that community leaders should be employed to do full time community work -- mediating conflicts, building side walks, cleaning the community, landscaping and performing other tasks. They proposed a partnership with the government and corporate society. He suggested that instead of giving government jobs to big contractors, the jobs should all be kept within the community. For example, he said, a $10,000 contract to paint a school could be given to a community leader, who could then employ other people in the community. And by working more closely with the community "we stand a chance to eliminate crime."
This could be a solution, but it is also the very kernel from which a serious problem could develop in the future.
This was partially the story of how the Tivoli Garden's saga started in Jamaica several years ago. It ended last year in the storming by Jamaican security forces of Tivoli Gardens, where it was believed that Tivoli's don, "Dudus" Coke, wanted on drug and gun running charges in the US, was hiding. Tivoli residents, whose very existence depended on the generosity of gangleader "Dudus," violently fought off government forces to protect their community leader. Seventy-three Jamaican's were killed in that clash.
Mr Turnquest told the leaders that government would not provide them with financial backing without "accountability and transparency."
We backed Mr Turnquest's stand, because we do not believe in arbitrarily cutting off an extended olive branch without a thorough hearing. However, for us there was a caveat and that was the case of Tivoli. We are certain that this is not the intent of our reformed Bahamian gangleaders, nor was it the intent of those of Tivoli Gardens when the political leaders got involved with the "community leaders." But in the end it was the unintended that eventually happened. Good intentions ended in tragedy.
A Mr Patrick Beersingh of Jamaica, having read this column on Tribune242.com, on Monday had the following comment. His interpretation of the proposal: "Community work translates to legitimizing gang control" -
"Editor,
"You seem to be supporting the idea, in spirit at least, that the so-called 'Community Leaders' should be employed to do 'full time community work'. That would be a huge mistake. I speak from personal knowledge of having experienced the very same idea implemented in Jamaica in the 1970's. You are so correct when you say that these ideas led to the Tivoli invasion. However, if you explore 'community work' closer you will see that the 'Community Leaders' are the Dons and Gang Leaders, who are attempting to get legitimacy to enforce their particular brand of law and order via intimidation and doling out scarce benefits within the community. This would see them grow in power until it takes a full scale assault on their neighbourhoods to dislodge them, when they eventually fall afoul of the supremacy of the organs of State, which they most certainly will.
"Look at the Crash Programme of the 1970's under PM Michael Manley. Now MP's are actually given monies to spend within their constituencies, which they use to influence their affiliated criminal organizations. Work is hardly done any more in exchange for this dole. Apart from the billions wasted on these programmes, what they do more than anything else, is to give legitimacy to the local criminals, making them into national and international dons of crime. What they become are state sponsored, Gang Controlled Neighbourhoods.
"Learn from your neighbour's mistakes!"
We are certain government will take a long and serious look at UAC's proposal.
Prime Minister Ingraham has launched another initiative aimed at the unemployed -- government's job readiness and training programme. The object is to prepare the unskilled for jobs as the economy rebounds. These are the programmes that these young men should be encouraged by their gang leaders to take advantage of.
September 06, 2011
tribune242 editorial
Cuban Missile Crisis 1962: The Cuban Missile Crisis (known as the October Crisis in Cuba or Caribbean Crisis (Russian: Kарибский кризис) in the USSR)
Cuban Missile Crisis
At the beginning of September 1962, U-2 spy planes discovered that the Soviet Union was building surface-to-air missile (SAM) launch sites. There was also an increase in the number of Soviet ships arriving in Cuba which the United States government feared were carrying new supplies of weapons. President John F. Kennedy complained to the Soviet Union about these developments and warned them that the United States would not accept offensive weapons (SAMs were considered to be defensive) in Cuba.
As the Cubans now had SAM installations they were in a position to shoot down U-2 spy-planes. Kennedy was in a difficult situation. Elections were to take place for the United States Congress in two month's time. The public opinion polls showed that his own ratings had fallen to their lowest point since he became president.
In his first two years of office a combination of Republicans and conservative southern Democrats in Congress had blocked much of Kennedy's proposed legislation. The polls suggested that after the elections he would have even less support in Congress. Kennedy feared that any trouble over Cuba would lose the Democratic Party even more votes, as it would remind voters of the Bay of Pigs disaster where the CIA had tried to oustFidel Castro from power. One poll showed that over 62 per cent of the population were unhappy with his policies on Cuba. Understandably, the Republicans attempted to make Cuba the main issue in the campaign.
This was probably in Kennedy's mind when he decided to restrict the flights of the U-2 planes over Cuba. Pilots were also told to avoid flying the whole length of the island. Kennedy hoped this would ensure that a U-2 plane would not be shot down, and would prevent Cuba becoming a major issue during the election campaign.
On 27th September, a CIA agent in Cuba overheard Castro's personal pilot tell another man in a bar that Cuba now had nuclear weapons. U-2 spy-plane photographs also showed that unusual activity was taking place at San Cristobal. However, it was not until 15th October that photographs were taken that revealed that the Soviet Union was placing long range missiles in Cuba.
President Kennedy's first reaction to the information about the missiles in Cuba was to call a meeting to discuss what should be done. Robert S McNamara, Secretary of State for Defence, suggested the formation of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council. Fourteen men attended the meeting and included military leaders, experts on Latin America, representatives of the CIA, cabinet ministers and personal friends whose advice Kennedy valued. Over the next few days they were to meet several times. During their discussions they considered several different strategies for dealing with the crisis. They included the following:
(1) Do nothing. The United States should ignore the missiles in Cuba. The United States had military bases in 127 different countries including Cuba. The United States also had nuclear missiles in several countries close to the Soviet Union. It was therefore only right that the Soviet Union should be allowed to place missiles in Cuba.
(2) Negotiate. The United States should offer the Soviet Union a deal. In return for the Soviet Union dismantling her missiles in Cuba, the United States would withdraw her nuclear missiles from Turkey and Italy.
(3) Invasion. Send United States troops to Cuba to overthrow Castro's government. The missiles could then be put out of action and the Soviet Union could no longer use Cuba as a military base.
(4) Blockade of Cuba. Use the United States Navy to stop military equipment reaching Cuba from the Soviet Union.
(5) Bomb Missile Bases. Carry out conventional air-strikes against missiles and other military targets in Cuba.
(6) Nuclear Weapons. Use nuclear weapons against Cuba and/or the Soviet Union.
When discussing these strategies. President Kennedy and his advisers had to take into consideration how the Soviet Union and Cuba would react to decisions made by the United States.
At the first meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, the CIA and other military advisers explained the situation. After hearing what they had to say, the general feeling of the meeting was for an air-attack on the missile sites. Remembering the poor advice the CIA had provided before the Bay of Pigs invasion, John F. Kennedy decided to wait and instead called for another meeting to take place that evening. By this time several of the men were having doubts about the wisdom of a bombing raid, fearing that it would lead to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The committee was now so divided that a firm decision could not be made.
The Executive Committee of the National Security Council argued amongst themselves for the next two days. The CIA and the military were still in favour of a bombing raid and/or an invasion. However, the majority of the committee gradually began to favour a naval blockade of Cuba.
Kennedy accepted their decision and instructed Theodore Sorensen, a member of the committee, to write a speech in which Kennedy would explain to the world why it was necessary to impose a naval blockade of Cuba.
As well as imposing a naval blockade, Kennedy also told the air-force to prepare for attacks on Cuba and the Soviet Union. The army positioned 125,000 men in Florida and was told to wait for orders to invade Cuba. If the Soviet ships carrying weapons for Cuba did not turn back or refused to be searched, a war was likely to begin. Kennedy also promised his military advisers that if one of the U-2 spy planes were fired upon he would give orders for an attack on the Cuban SAM missile sites.
The world waited anxiously. A public opinion poll in the United States revealed that three out of five people expected fighting to break out between the two sides. There were angry demonstrations outside the American Embassy in London as people protested about the possibility of nuclear war. Demonstrations also took place in other cities in Europe. However, in the United States, polls suggested that the vast majority supported Kennedy's action.
On October 24, President John F. Kennedy was informed that Soviet ships had stopped just before they reached the United States ships blockading Cuba. That evening Nikita Khrushchev sent an angry note to Kennedy accusing him of creating a crisis to help the Democratic Partywin the forthcoming election.
On October 26, Khrushchev sent Kennedy another letter. In this he proposed that the Soviet Union would be willing to remove the missiles in Cuba in exchange for a promise by the United States that they would not invade Cuba. The next day a second letter from Khrushchev arrived demanding that the United States remove their nuclear bases in Turkey.
While the president and his advisers were analyzing Khrushchev's two letters, news came through that a U-2 plane had been shot down over Cuba. The leaders of the military, reminding Kennedy of the promise he had made, argued that he should now give orders for the bombing of Cuba. Kennedy refused and instead sent a letter to Khrushchev accepting the terms of his first letter.
Khrushchev agreed and gave orders for the missiles to be dismantled. Eight days later the elections for Congress took place. The Democrats increased their majority and it was estimated that Kennedy would now have an extra twelve supporters in Congress for his policies.
The Cuban Missile Crisis was the first and only nuclear confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union. The event appeared to frighten both sides and it marked a change in the development of the Cold War. Some of the direct consequences of the crisis include the following:
(1) The two sides established a direct communications link that became known as the Hot Line. It was hoped that this would help prevent dangerous confrontations such as the Cuban Missile Crisis arising again.
(2) Three months after the Cuban Missile Crisis the United States secretly removed all its nuclear missiles from Turkey and Italy.
(3) A Test Ban Treaty was signed between the two countries in August 1963. The treaty prohibited the testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere.
(4) The 1,113 prisoners captured during the Bay of Pigs invasion were exchanged by Castro for $60 million in food, drugs, medicine and cash.
(5) The Soviet Union became determined to have a nuclear capability that was equal to the United States. This was achieved by 1972.
(6) China accused the Soviet Union of being a 'paper-tiger' and claimed to be the true leader of the Communist movement. The split between theSoviet Union and China became wider.
(7) The United States became convinced that the Soviet Union would not go to war over another communist country. It has been argued that this encouraged the United States to help attempts to overthrow socialist and communist governments in Vietnam, Nicaragua and Grenada.
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