DDI TALKING POINTS ON GRENADA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00363R000200370095-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 95
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/02/20: CIA-RDP85M00363R000200370095-0
19 October 1983
2200 Hours
Prime Minister bishop is apparently again under arrest after having
been temporarily freed by civilian s.:1~Fporters yesterday.
--Unconfirmed Iress reports claim that four people were killed while
freeing Bishop, and that he and two other Ministers were wounded.
yesterday afternoon that two opposing
factions of the military were engaged in active fighting near St. Georges
and that the city was in total chaos.
Bishop's apparent rearrest indicates that former Deputy Price Minister
.Card again has the upper hand.
--popular support for Bishop, however, endangers the radicals' position.
of the central committee have not yet yielded a solution to the inner-
party conflict.
Regional reaction to the political crisis in Grenada has been one of
alarm.
--Prime Minister Seaga of Jamaica is attempting to get CARICOM support
for a unified response to Grenada once the outcome of the power struggle
is evident. Leftist Michael Manley has requested Canadian intervention
in Grenada to save Bishop's life.
Approved For Release 2008/02/20: CIA-RDP85M00363R000200370095-0
 . Approved For Release 2008/02/20: CIA-RDP85M00363R000200370095-0
SECRET
--Barbados held an en.cr.rcncy high-level meeting to assess the Grenadian
situation and Trinidad and Tobago have put their defense forces on
alert.
--If any harm were to befall Bishop, it would have disastrous effects
on Grenada's relations with other islands of the eastern Caribbean,
which would prefer Bishop to the more radical Coard.
US intervention in the political crisis in Grenada would probably
have negative reper,ussions among the Zng.lish-speaking Caribbean, who
apparently prefer that the US take a wait and see attitude toward the
power struggle.
--Moreover, we do not see the LIS citizens on Grenada endangered by
the current leadership crisis.
In our 3udc3tient , the Cuban G :era gent is alarmed by the
ewer st:uy;l; in its, clo: s. Caribbean ally.
--Ti:e cri:?is is u:welco:i,e in iia,,?a:.a becau: e the political instabiltty
tarnishes bc~:h the Cuban an.i Crenadian regimes, gives the West a
propaganda ct~:~rtu::its , and i ai es the possibility of US interver.tion.
The Cubans ai-psi ently have dec. di-d not to choose sides
until a clear winner ~iaerc_s.
--Both Bishop and Coard have strong ties to the Castro ruyime.
--The crisis does not yet threaten the continuation of a friendly
Marxist tCggi.^ce in Grenada.
Approved For Release 2008/02/20: CIA-RDP85M00363R000200370095-0
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prospect of further bloodshed, which mikes a compromise
solution even more difficult to achieve.
SECRET
the Cubans will feel compelled to push for a solution that
avoids more bloodshed and preserves a role in the government
or ruling party for the charismatic Bishop.
--The Cuban kbassador reportedly is canvassing leftist Caribbean reaction
to the crisis, and Havana is aware of Bishop's popularity among leftists
in the region.
If a co:lpronisa solution cannot t:r reached, however, we
believe the Cubans would throw their support to Coard's
faction, which apparently has the hand and the backing
of rr:ost of the mil-; tai y.
--In that case, Iiav~_na presunaL_y wuulu ba forcel to sacrifice
consider.ilWWW! leftist sympathy n the r,,uion for the sake of
xestor.ng polit.ic