Dear Editor,
Enough writers have reminded us of the diplomatic, foreign relations and ideological consequences of President Jagdeo’s trip to the Middle East. After all this potential damage to Guyana’s reputation and to its ability to successfully access aid, debt write-offs and favourable lending terms from peeved nations in the West, one would think that the trip should be worth it. Well, let’s critically examine what the President got from this trip to offset the assault on our foreign policy framework:
1. Guyana has to perform a feasibility study likely from its own funds and then submit a project proposal for an infrastructure project up to US$10M for Kuwait to consider. Nothing given and gained here yet. Everything is up to the whims of the Kuwait Fund if they decide they like the proposed project, but this is a good possibility.
2. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed with Iran for a US$1.5M grant for the health sector. Iran still has not decided how, when and where it will spend this money. As one blogger commented, Lumumba and friend may get as much as Iran has offered from the special mining deal. A visit by a nation in America’s backyard to a major pariah and known sponsor of terror unearthed a measly US$1.5M. Surely one’s morality could be bought for a higher price.
3. The attempt to obtain a debt write-off from Kuwait failed. The President chalked this up to Kuwait’s complications. Not a single cent was written off and Guyana’s debt was enlarged by this trip, which probably had a large delegation in keeping with the Wall Street Journal’s claim of “oversized government.”
4. The President had discussions with Iran on several areas including technical assistance to map mineral potential and resources in Guyana. Iran will be sending a team to work with the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to map mineral wealth and a mission will be here soon. The President believes the country will be better positioned for the development of the mining sector.
This act is one that dramatically pushes the envelope. It is one thing to visit Iran at a time of heightened international tension over its nuclear programme and crackdown on election protesters, but it is definitely another to allow a known sponsor of terror virtually unlimited access to Guyana’s unmanned rainforest which happens to be part of a contiguous zone with Iran’s strongest ally in Latin America, Venezuela, which in turn happens to be a place where Russia intends to engage in daring war games. Russia, Iran and Venezuela are close-knit company at present as Putin seeks to flex Russia’s revived military strength in America’s backyard with the support of Chávez pushing an anti-American, Latin American front and Iran using the entire exercise to shore up its military image to avoid a possible confrontation with Israel fixated on destroying its nuclear ambitions. Iran, Russia and Venezuela also are locked together by their growing might in oil.
The last time I checked the United States of America is still the force majeure and the dominant tide that floats nations around here. Their military and humanitarian might still runs through the veins of this region. See Haiti for reference.
While the USA fiddled at times during its fight against communism, it will never hesitate to strike and strike monstrously and boldly when it comes to terrorism. It is called the doctrine of pre-emption and it can bring intolerable pain to those who do not heed its warning or sense its imminence or understand its desire to protect its people.
Allowing the nation that reportedly trains, funds and supports Hezbollah to roam our porous rainforests freely will get some talking heads talking in the halls of power in America. Let’s hope they don’t start acting. It is a travesty that the Government of Guyana can allow Iran to map our resources but disallow the Americans from fighting those smuggling narcotics using our rainforests. Like Cheddi Jagan, has President Jagdeo chosen the wrong side of the ideological battle?
Yours faithfully,
Michael Maxwell
