Dear Editor,
Clement J. Rohee joins the SN argument that ‘No one should be impugning the allegiance to this country of any of our leaders, past or present’ It is an interesting position for a self-professed ‘Jaganite’ to assume and, maybe it explains Rohee’s earlier assertion ‘it is only the United States Guyana can turn to provide the military assistance and political support needed.’(S.N 17.11.23) Rohee and, all Guyanese would do well to consider what a determined small population can achieve in defence of their nation, the situation faced by Israel in 1948 and 1956 is similar to what Guyana is staring at today, with the exception that Guyana is now a wealthy nation that has friends with a vested interest in our territorial integrity; Israel faced down 100 Million Arabs with a population of 500 thousand (many of whom were survivors of Nazi death camps and unable to fight). Courage and true patriotism got Israel in front and have kept her there since. The absence of US military assistance does not translate to an easy victory for any aggressor.
There is growing evidence that ties Burnham to the CIA, it is clear in a CIA Cable, “Plans to Overthrow the Government of Premier Cheddi Jagan in British Guiana,” July 7, 1964 “This explosive intelligence cable explains that a former citizen of British Guiana-with the alleged approval of the Venezuelan government-has met with Burnham and D’Aguilar, the main opposition leaders in British Guiana, to discuss plans of a possible overthrow of the Jagan government. The plan consists of “the training of 100 men for 30 days in Venezuela.” The men will be trained by a “General” who “was said to have conducted similar training in Vietnam.” Burnham and D’Aguilar are “being urged to form a ‘revolutionary government,’ then use the trainees to launch a coup by seizing key points and declaring a new government,” Finally, Cheddi and Janet Jagan are to be “kidnapped and hidden in Venezuela.” (https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/19957-national-security-archive-doc-20-central).
A year and a half later, Forbes Burnham signed the Geneva Agreement without consulting Cheddi Jagan; Clement J. Rohee may be willing to defend Burnham’s actions, but I cannot. I repeat for the record Jagan’s assertion “Recognition was thus given to the spurious Venezuelan territorial claim, and what was a closed case since 1899 was re-opened”. (The West on Trial, 1966)
I have noted and, am suitably puzzled by Mr. Neville Bissember’s ‘explanation’ that he is constrained by the Official Secrets Act (OSA); if Bissember knew about Barton Scotland’s offer of a Sea Lane to Venezuela, then he deliberately attempted to mislead the nation by his assertion that the offer originates with me or anyone else. I fail to see where the OSA applies, I rather suspect that Bissember was very junior in 1990 and, therefore not considered an integral part of the Good Officer team, was not privy to all of the discussions and, as a matter of course, some things were kept secret from him officially (or otherwise). The ‘secret’ is out and, it would be beneficial to gain insight from Barton Scotland and others who were directly involved instead of speculation and derision from the uninformed.
I believe that it is now a firm fact that the Sea Lane offer came from the Hoyte administration and it provides a good opportunity for many to do a self-test of integrity (and possibly racism) by asking themselves if the knowledge that the offer originated from Hoyte and not Jagdeo has changed it from ‘treasonous’ to something more benign … honest answers only, for as Bob Marley sang “none but ourselves can free our minds”…
Sincerely,
Robin Singh
