Office of the Historian

462. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, March 23, 1976.

SUBJECT

  • ARA/CIA Weekly Meeting, 19 March 1976

PARTICIPANTS

  • ARA—Assistant Secretary William D. Rogers;
  • CIA—Mr. Richard Sampson, Mr. Ray Warren;
  • INR/DDC—Francis De Tarr

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Jamaica.]

Jamaica: Reston article; Questions

Assistant Secretary Rogers said that James Reston’s article (“Castro and the Caribbean”) in the New York Times two days earlier had caused much comment, particularly the first paragraph (“Fidel Castro’s Cuban Government, according to high officials of the Ford Administration, has entered into an agreement to train the police forces of Jamaica, and is also increasing its political contacts with Black revolutionary elements elsewhere in the Caribbean basin.”) There have been many questions about the article. The Jamaican Ambassador had complained; Prime Minister Manley was upset. It probably would be enough for us now not to say any more and to refer reporters to a statement made by the Jamaican Minister of Security, Keble Munn. It did not appear that any sources were compromised by the story.

A discussion ensued as to what, if anything, we should do about Jamaica. Noting that Jamaica’s big problem is its economic situation, Assistant Secretary Rogers noted that the IMF does not want to get involved. Mr. Sampson said that this is why the Jamaicans are looking to the Cubans. Assistant Secretary Rogers asked whether we should be concerned. Perhaps we should let the Cubans bail the Jamaicans out? Mr. Warren said we should be concerned about a possible close relationship between the Jamaicans and the Cubans, and said that to the extent the Jamaicans see they are getting nothing from us they will look to the Cubans and Soviets. Assistant Secretary Rogers speculated on the possibility of going back to Congress to try to get $200,000,000 to bail the [Page 1189] Jamaicans out for one year. Mr. Warren said that Jamaica presents Cuba with an opportunity in the hemisphere, and said we also need to look beyond Jamaica. Mr. Sampson noted that the President recently made a statement warning about armed intervention in Latin America. But what if Cuban intervention comes piecemeal. Suppose we did nothing? What would the White House say? If the Cubans bail Manley out, they will get him into their sphere. What if Jamaica becomes a Cuban satellite? This does bother us. What should we do?

Assistant Secretary Rogers asked what the likely economic outlook would be if we do not help Jamaica. And if we did, would we be subsidizing the incompetent? If we don’t lift a finger, what would Manley’s response be? If the Soviets offer $200,000,000, would he proclaim Jamaica a Marxist popular Socialist republic? How a country governs itself is its own business.

Mr. Sampson asked what the attitude of the White House would be to such questions. President Kennedy had been concerned about Cheddi Jagan’s activities. Assistant Secretary Rogers suggested that Mr. Bush be asked to raise the subject in the NSC. In any case, Congress was not going to provide money. What should be done?

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Jamaica.]

  1. Summary: Officials from the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs and the Central Intelligence Agency discussed which actions, if any, the United States should take with respect to the situation in Jamaica.

    Source: Department of State, INR/IL Historical Files, ARA–CIA Weekly Meetings, 1975–1976. Secret; Sensitive. All brackets are in the original except those indicating text omitted by the editors. The James Reston article entitled “Castro and the Caribbean” appeared in the New York Times on March 17, 1976, p. 41.

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