435. Intelligence Memorandum1
THE BAHAMAS STRIKE OFF ON THEIR OWN
Summary
On 10 July, The Bahama Islands will become the 33rd independent member of the British Commonwealth and the fifth British colonial possession in the Atlantic-Caribbean area to gain nationhood in the last 11 years. Full independence will be more a formality than a bold new departure for The Bahamas, since the islands have been almost wholly self-governing for several years. What will be new are the opportunities the Bahamians will have to set their own policy courses abroad and to make themselves heard on international issues.
The Bahamian Government is likely to play a generally responsible role in the international community. A sense of nationalism and identification with the causes backed by the less developed countries will sometimes impel The Bahamas along paths divergent from those of the U.S. and the other large powers. Many Bahamians already have mixed feelings about their giant neighbor to the northwest, and independence can be expected to accentuate the differences. The islands’ longstanding ties with Britain and the U.S., their dependence on U.S. tourism and money, and the basic practicality of the Pindling government will tilt the scales heavily in favor of a continued close association with the U.S. and the West.
[Omitted here is the body of the memorandum.]
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Summary: This memorandum analyzed the Bahamian political scene and U.S.-Bahamian relations on the eve of Bahamian independence.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Current Intelligence Files, Job 79T00861A, Box 16, Folder 29. Secret; [handling restriction not declassified]. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text omitted by the editors.
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