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Caribbean Islands NATIONAL SECURITY
During its long history as a British colony, Jamaica looked to
London for its defense and security needs. Unlike many Hispanic
countries of Latin America, including nearby Cuba and the Dominican
Republic, Jamaica remained immune from foreign military
intervention while under British protection. Jamaica reciprocated
by supporting Britian's war efforts. As a member of the British
West Indies, Jamaica participated in World War I by sending over
10,000 men to the front.
With the outbreak of World War II, the United States became the
recognized protector of the British West Indies, acquiring a
ninety-nine-year lease for base rights in Jamaica and other islands
under the Lend-Lease or Bases-for-Destroyers Agreement of 1941 (see
The Strategic Setting, ch 7.). Jamaica also became a part of North
Atlantic defense preparations, hosting United States naval and air
bases. Many volunteers from Jamaica joined the various services,
particularly the Royal Air Force; the Jamaica Contingent of the
First Battalion of the Caribbean Regiment went overseas in May
1944. With the close of the war, the United States deactivated its
bases in Jamaica, and Britain reassumed responsibility for
Jamaica's defense and foreign affairs until independence. On August
7, 1962, the day after independence, Bustamante announced that the
United States was free to establish a military base in Jamaica
without any obligation to provide aid in return, but the offer was
declined. Nevertheless, as the Castro regime consolidated its power
in Cuba during the 1960s and the Soviet military presence in the
region expanded, Jamaica's importance to United States national
security interests grew.
Jamaica experienced no direct military threat during its first
twenty-five years as an independent state; in the early 1980s,
however, it had to deal with indirect threats to its national
security interests posed by Cuban activities in Jamaica and by the
events in Grenada. The Seaga government handled the issue of the
Cuban presence in Jamaica by expelling the Cubans and breaking
diplomatic relations (see Relations with Communist Countries, this
ch.). Seaga's concerns about Grenada's undemocratic practices in
the 1979-83 period and its close ties to Cuba and the Soviet Union
also prompted his government to take a more active regional
security role. Jamaica did not, however, sign the 1982 memorandum
that established the Regional Security System (RSS) in the Eastern
Caribbean (see Appendix E; A Regional Security System, ch. 7). When
Maurice Bishop was overthrown and assassinated by the short-lived
Coard-Austin regime in October 1983, the Seaga government's concern
turned to alarm. Jamaica joined several members of the Organisation
of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS--see Glossary) in an appeal for
United States military intervention in Grenada to restore order and
democracy, and then participated in a joint United States-Caribbean
military operation in Grenada (see Current Strategic
Considerations, ch. 7). Jamaica, whose population favored the joint
military action by a 56-percent majority, also provided the largest
Caribbean contingent (250 troops) to the peacekeeping force in
Grenada from late October 1983 to June 1985. The Seaga government
continued actively to support security cooperation among the
Commonwealth Caribbean islands by having Jamaican troops
participate in regional military exercises, such as "Operation
Exotic Palm" in September 1985. In addition, Jamaica cooperated
with the United States and RSS-member states on regional security
matters, by holding joint military and narcotics interdiction
exercises and by offering some training and technical assistance to
the Eastern Caribbean.
Data as of November 1987
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