Signing Ceremony of a JA$50 Million Counter-Narcotics and Law Enforcement Agreement

Remarks by Ambassador Cobb
at the Signing Ceremony of a
JA$50 Million 
Counter-Narcotics and Law Enforcement Agreement

September 22, 2003

AS PREPARED

MINISTER PHILLIPS/ PS SCOTT/LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

I AM DELIGHTED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT

THAT PROVIDES OVER 50 MILLION JAMAICAN DOLLARS FOR COOPERATIVE COUNTER-NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS.

WHILE IT SEEMS AS IF WE ARE ALWAYS FIGHTING AN UPHILL BATTLE IN THESE MATTERS, THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT JAMAICA IS COMMITTED TO AND WORKING ASSIDUOUSLY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS AND OTHER CRIMINAL ELEMENTS.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT PRIME TIME NEWS WILL ALWAYS PICK THE MOST SENSATIONAL STORY OF THE DAY TO CIRCULATE, BUT WE KNOW THAT BEHIND THE SCENES PROGRESS IS BEING MADE. I'D LIKE TO COMMEND MINISTER PHILLIPS AND HIS COLLEAGUES ON THEIR SUCCESSES TO DATE AND ON THEIR CAREFUL GROUND WORK TO POSITION THIS INSTITUTION FOR THE FUTURE AND FOR THE CONSIDERABLE BATTLES THAT INEVITABLY LIE AHEAD.

THE UNITED STATES AND JAMAICA SHARE MANY COMMON PURPOSES AND ONE OF THEM IS THIS WORK - TO DISRUPT AND DISMANTLE THE CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS AND TRAFFICKERS WHO MURDER OUR CITIZENS, POISON OUR CHILDREN, AND THREATEN OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.   OUR GOVERNMENTS HAVE COOPERATED FOR MANY YEARS IN THIS ARENA AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.

BY EXECUTION OF THESE DOCUMENTS TODAY, WE ARE OBLIGATING $861,000 U.S. DOLLARS FOR THE FOLLOWING FOUR JOINT PRIORITIES: (i) TO SUPPORT THE JAMAICA DEFENSE FORCE COAST GUARD'S MARITIME INTERDICTIN EFFORTS;  (ii) TO HELP MAKE JAMAICA'S PORTS AND AIRPORTS MORE SECURE;  (iii) TO HELP IMPROVE THE CAPACITY OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO INVESTIGATE AND ARREST TRAFFICKERS, FUGITIVES FROM JUSTICE AND OTHER CRIMINALS; AND  (iv) TO SUPPORT DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION PROGRAMS AMONG YOUTH AT RISK. 

PERMIT ME TO COMMENT BRIEFLY ON THESE FOUR JOINT PRIORITIES.

(i) THE MARITIME INTERDICTION PROJECT SUPPORTS THE JDF COAST GUARDS'S EFFORTS TO COUNTER THE MARITIME SHIPMENT OF DRUGS, PRIMARILY COCAINE, THROUGH TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AS WELL AS THE PROVISION OF COMMODITIES AND EQUIPMENT.  MARITIME INTERDICTION IS AN EFFFECTIVE WAY OF DISRUPTING NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING. OUR GOAL IS TO WORK WITH THE JDF COAST GUARD TO MAKE JAMAICAN WATERS SIMPLY TOO RISKY FOR GO-FASTS WITH ILLICIT CARGO TO TRANSIT, THUS FORCING TRAFFICKERS TO USE LONGER, MORE COSTLY, AND OFTEN MORE EXPOSED ROUTES.

(ii)THE PORT SECURITY PROJECT SUPPORTS CUSTOM'S CONTRABAND ENFORCEMENT TEAM IN ITS WORK DETECTING NARCOTICS AND FIREARMS DESTINED FOR OR TRANSITING JAMAICA'S PORTS AND AIRPORTS.  SEVERAL DIFFERENT U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE JOINING WITH COUNTERPART AGENCIES HERE TO ENHANCE PHYSICAL SECURITY AT THE CONTAINER PORTS AND CRUISE SHIP PORTS. U.S. AND JAMAICAN LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ALSO COLLABORATE TO COUNTER CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND ALIEN SMUGGLING AT JAMAICA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS.

(iii)THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INVESTIGATIONS PROJECT COVERS SUPPORT FOR A NUMBER OF SPECIALIZED POLICE UNITS. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE JAMAICA CONSTABULARY FORCE NARCOTICS DIVISION ON THE INVESTIGTION AND ARREST OF MAJOR NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS. WE HAVE SECONDED A U.S. EXPERT TO THE JCF TO SERVE AS AN INTELLIGENCE ADVISOR AS THE JCF WORKS TO MODERNIZE ITS  POLICE INTELLIGENCE PROCESSES.  WE HAVE PLEDGED TO SUPPORT THE POLICE INTELLIGENCE REFORM EFFORT THROUGH THE PROVISION OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AND SPECIALIZED SOFTWARE AND TRAINING. WE SUPPORT THE JCF FUGITIVE APPREHENSION TEAM'S ON-GOING EFFORTS TO LOCATE AND ARREST FUGITIVES FROM JUSTICE TO ENSURE THAT THESE CRIMINALS ARE PROSECUTED FOR THE CRIMES THEY COMMITED.

(iv)THE DEMAND REDUCTION PROJECT SUPPORTS THE EFFORTS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DRUG ABUSE AND NGO'S SUCH AS ADDICTION ALERT TO EDUCATE AT-RISK POPULATIONS, PARTICULARLY YOUTH, ABOUT THE DANGERS OF DRUG ABUSE.

THE CHALLENGES WE FACE ARE FORMIDABLE BUT THE UNITED STATES RECOGNIZES THAT DEDICATED MEN AND WOMEN OF JAMAICA, INCLUDING THOSE IN THIS ROOM, HAVE COMMITTED THEIR LIVES TO THESE FUNDAMENTAL TASKS OF A SOVEREIGN NATION - THE DIFFICULT AND ONGOING TASKS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NATIONAL SECURITY.

I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO OFFER THIS SUPPORT.