CONGRESSMEN INVITE PRG TO TESTIFY ON CBI MARCH 29-30

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00148R000200450030-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 12, 2008
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: March 24, 1982
• Content Type: CABLE

Approved For Release 2008/08/12 : CIA-RDP84BOO148R000200450030-3
10
ss0
PAGE 001
TOR: 242018Z MAR 82
00 RUEAIIB
ZNY SSSSS ZOC STATE ZZH
STUO141
00 RUEHC
DE RUEHWN #1459 0831945
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
0 2418292 MAR 82
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0422
BT
S E C R E T BRIDGETOWN 1459
E.O. 12065: RDS-4 3/24/02 (FLOWER, LUDLOW) OR-M
TAGS: PEPR, EAID, EINV, GJ, US, OREP
SUBJ: (S) CONGRESSMEN INVITE PRG TO TESTIFY ON CBI MARCH 29-30
REF: (A) BRIDGETOWN 1323, (B) BRIDGETOWN 1317, (C) FBIS
KEY WEST FL 1823382 MAR 82, (D) BRIDGETOWN 1048,.
(E) BRIDGETOWN 125$
2. SUMMARY: TWO U.S. CONGRESSMEN WHO VISITED GRENADA TO
ATTEND MARCH 13 COUP ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION (REF A) REPORTEDLY
HAVE INVITED THE PEOPLE'S REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT TO SEND
A DELEGATION TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS ON THE CARIBBEAN BASIN
INITIATIVE AND GRENADA'S POTENTIAL ROLE IN IT. THE DELEGATION
WILL INCLUDE ONE OR TWO MEMBERS OF GRENADA'S CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE, WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE DISTORTION OF
THEIR TESTIMONY BY PRG AND PRO-GRENADA CONGRESSMEN. TESTI-
MONY REPORTEDLY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 29-30. END.SUMMARY.
3. CONGRESSMENGEORGE CROCKETT AND JOHN CONYERS OF MICHIGAN,
ALONG WITH JUDICIARY STAFFER MICHAEL WARD AND STAFFERS
CHARLOTTE SCOTT AND BARBARA LEE OF CONGRESSMAN RON DELLUMS'
OFFICE, WERE IN GRENADA MARCH 12-15 FOR THE CELEBRATION
OF THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY OF THE COUP. ACCORDING TO REPORTS
FROM GRENADA, THEY WERE TREATED AS DIGNITARIES, OCCUPIED
PLACES OF HONOR ON THE PODIUM, AND HAD MEETINGS WITH PM
BISHOP AND OTHER PRG OFFICIALS.
4. GRENADA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT DAVID MINORS AND
VP RICHARD MENEZES INFORMED EMBOFF VISITING GRENADA MARCH 22
THAT THE CONGRESSMEN INVITED THE PRG TO SEND A DELEGATION
TO WASHINGTON TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS ON THE CBI AT
HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 29-30. ON MARCH 22, PRG
DEPUTY FINANCE MINISTER LYDEN RAMDHANNY ( THE PRG'S CONTACT
MAN FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR) REQUESTED THAT THE EXECUTIVE
OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DESIGNATE REPRESENTATIVES TO BE
INCLUDED IN THE PRG DELEGATION. MINORS INFORMED EMBOFF MARCH
23 THAT, AFTER A SECOND MEETING WITH RAMDHANNY THAT
DAY, THE CHAMBER HAD AGREED TO SEND ONE OR POSSIBLY TWO REPRE-
SENTATIVES. THESE PROBABLY WILL BE MINORS AND MENEZES.
5. MINORS DID NOT KNOW WHO THE PRG REPRESENTATIVES WOULD
BE. FONMIN UNISON WHITEMAN AND PERMSEC ASHLEY TAYLOR WILL
BE ATTENDING A CARICOM FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING IN BELIZE
AT THE END OF THE WEEK, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY COULD
CONTINUE TO WASHINGTON FROM THERE. HOWEVER, WHEN EMBOFF
TRIED TO DRAW TAYLOR OUT MARCH 23 ON THE PRG ATTEMPTING TO
OPPILLB
INCOMING
Cole . Co k) ev S
I~
Co t,)Q. !e IlU'c'c
State Dept. review completed
Approved For Release 2008/08/12 : CIA-RDP84BOO148R000200450030-3
 - ~` Approved For Release 2008/08/12 : CIA-RDP84B00148R000200450030-3
SECRET
82 8266227 SSO PAGE 002 NC 8266227
TOR: 242018Z MAR 82
--------- ------------------------------------------------------------
TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS AT SOME POINT ON THE CBI, TAYLOR WAS
TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE.
6. AT DINNER MARCH 22, MINORS AND MENEZES EXPRESSED TO
EMBOFF THEIR OWN AND CHAMBER'S CONCERN OVER THE POSSIBLE
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THEIR TESTIMONY. THEY HAD BEEN LED
TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD BE SPEAKING TO THE ENTIRE
CONGRESS. EMBOFF TOLD THEM IT UNDOUBTEDLY WOULD BE ONE
OR ANOTHER CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE CONSIDERING CBI. THEY
SIAD THERE WAS AN EVEN DIVISION IN THE 12-MAN EXECUTIVE
OVER WHETHER OR NOT TO GO. HALF DID NOT WANT TO GO IF
ANY EXCUSE COULD BE FOUND BECAUSE THE TRIP WAS TOO POLITI-
CALLY-CHARGED AND THEY WERE AFRAID THEY WOULD BE FORCED
TO SAY POSITIVE AND UNTRUE THINGS ABOUT PRG PRIVATE SECTOR
POLICIES. THE OTHER HALF WERE AFRAID THAT THE PRG WOULD
RETALIATE IF THE CHAMBER REFUSED TO COOPERATE BY SENDING
A DELEGATION. MINORS AND MENEZES TOLD.EMBOFF THAT, ON
MARCH 23, THEY WOULD TELL RAMOHANNY THAT THE CHAMBER WOULD
CONSIDER SENDING A DELEGATION ONLY IF ITS REPRESETNATIVES
WOULD BE FREE TO EXPRESS HONESTLY CHAMBER VIEWS ON ANY
ISSUE ABOUT WHICH THEY WERE ASKED. THEY FORECAST THAT,
FACED WITH POTENTIALLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE DELEGATION MEMBERS.
THE.PRG MIGHT WITHDRAW THE REQUEST FOR CHAMBER PARTICIPATION.
7. HOWEVER, MINORS INFORMED EMBOFF BY A MESSAGE MARCH 23
THAT THE CHAMBER WILL PARTICIPATE. EMBASSY DOES NOT KNOW
WHAT WAS PERSUADING FACTOR OR IF PRG HAS PLACED CONSTRAINTS
ON FREE AND OPEN CHAMBER TESTIMONY IN WASHINGTON. EMBOFF
HAD SUGGESTED TO MINORS AND MENEZES THAT THEY INSIST THAT
CHAMBER REPRESENTATIVES BE ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN WASHINGTON
FOR EXTRA PERIOD, DURING WHICH TIME THEY COULD HAVE PRIVATE
TALKS WITH CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS TO GET THEIR TRUE VIEWPOINT
ACROSS IN CASE SUCH PROVED IMPOSSIBLE IN PUBLIC HEARINGS.
THEY MAY ATTEMPT TO DO THIS.
8. COMMENT:' THE PRG HAS MADE ITS VIEWS ON THE CBI QUITE
CLEAR IN A SERIES OF PUBLIC STATEMENTS BY GOVERNMENT
OFFICIALS (REFS 8 AND C) AND IN ITS OWN PRESS (REF 0).
AT THE SAME TIME, WE CAN SE ASSURED THAT THE PRG WOULD
CONCENTRATE ITS CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY ON ITS DESIRE TO
PARTICIPATE IN A CBI WITHOUT POLITICAL STRINGS ATTACHED.
THE PRESENCE OF PRIVATE SECTOR SPOKESMEN WOULD BE DESIGNED
TO LEND CREDENCE TO PRG CLAIMS OF GOOD PRG-PRIVATE SECTOR
RELATIONS. PRIVATE SECTOR REPS MIGHT BE DISINCLINED TO
BE CANDID ABOUT THEIR VIEWS (SUMMARIZED IN REF E) FOR
FEAR OF RETALIATION ON THEIR RETURN. CORRIDOR TALKS WITH
CONGRESSIONAL STAFF, HOWEVER, MIGHT AFFORD A FORUM FOR
FREER EXPRESSION OF VIEWS. IN SUM, PUBLIC APPEARANCE BY
GRENADIAN DELEGATION BEFORE A CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE COULD
BE VERY HARMFUL TO PROPER EXECUTION OF CARIBBEAN BASIN
INITIATIVE. DEPARTMENT MAY WISH TO MAKE SURE THAT CONGRESS-
MEN SKEPTICAL OF "PROGRESSIVE REGIMES" LIKE GRENADA'S ARE
MADE AWARE OF REPORTED PRG VISIT AND ARE BRIEFED ON PRG
STANCE TOWARD CBI, ON PRG PRIVATE SECTOR POLICIES AND ON
US-GRENADA RELATIONS GENERALLY AND THAT THEY BE URGED TO
ATTEND HEARINGS. DEPARTMENT MAY WISH ALSO TO ENSURE THAT
PRIVATE SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES ARE GIVEN FULL OPPORTUNITY
TO MEET WITH SYMPATHETIC STAFFERS DURING THEIR WASHINGTON
VISIT. MINORS AND MENEZES ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT THEY
WILL BE PUT BEFORE A STACKED COMMITTEE AND WILL FIND
THEMSELVES MANIPULATED INTO GIVING THE IMPRESSION THAT ALL
IS ROSY WITH GRENADA'S PRIVATE SECTOR. IT IS IN USG
INTEREST THAT THIS NOT BE ALLOWED TO OCCUR AND THAT PRO-
GRENADA PUBLICITY GARNERED BY WHITEMAN DURING HIS NOVEMBER
1981 U.S. VISIT NOT BE REPEATED. BISH
END OF MESSAGE SECRET
SECRET
Approved For Release 2008/08/12 : CIA-RDP84BOO148R000200450030-3