‘

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Regardless of views on

| the circumstances surrounding the tragic deaths of
_ former Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, several of his
| Cabinet and a number of civilians, the invasion by U.S.
| troops has from the beginning been rightly condemned
on both legal and moral grounds by a wide section of
_ Tegional and international democratic public opinion.

The first concern of this opposition has undoubtedly

| been whether all the options had been explored before

the invasion was launched. For example, the govern-

: ~ Ment of Trinidad and Tobago, a member of the 12-nation
| Tegional Caricom grouping which met the weekend be-
| fore the invasion, regretted that its proposals involving

the non-use of force advanced by Prime Minister George

_ Chambers as well as other states were ignored.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Conference of
Churches (CCC) in a statement protesting the invasion,

_ questioned why a fact-finding mission was not sent to

Grenada to find out the real situation. ‘‘We are disturbed

| that subsequent developments have resulted in addi-

tional violence,” said the CCC, an umbrella body under

| which most of the Caribbean Christian churches are
- grouped.

One major reason given by the U.S. for its action was’
“fear for the safety’’ of some 700 students on the island.
But was there any substance to these fears? Speaking to
the Barbados press Oct. 24, one day before the invasion,
U.S. embassy spokesmen here said that ‘‘all options are
Open for ensuring the safety of the Americans and help-
Ing those who want to leave ...”” -

Another reason advanced by Reagan and his regional
allies (Adams of Barbados, Charles of Dominica and
Seaga of Jamaica) was the prospect of ‘‘further chaos”’
following the death of Bishop.

Analysts here, however, point to the four-day curfew

| which began Oct. 29 as a genuine effort under volatile

Conditions to prevent further disorder and bloodshed.

_ They argue that when the curfew was lifted for four

hours on Oct. 22 there was no disorder.
The Barbados newspaper Nation_reported that tour-

__ ists were on the beaches near their hotels and that some

WORLD

| Grenada: what lies ahead?

From the
Caribbean

Norman
Faria

U.S. medical students were jogging and riding their
bicycles. Other residents reached by the Barbados-
based news agency CANA said the capital was calm and
there were no unusual troop movements during the lift in
curfew. A Monday evening phone check by this reporter
to journalists at Radio Free Grenada revealled that the
mood was more of anxiety of invasion rather than worry-
ing about disorder.

If it is recognized that the Grenadian armed forces
were in firm control in the days preceding the landings,
and regardless of what one thinks about the ruling Rev-
olutionary Military Council (RMC) policies, there are
those who argue that the civilian government in which
‘‘all social classes and interests’’ would participate that
was proposed by the Council should have been given a
chance.

**.. We are disturbed (now) that subsequent
developments have resulted in additional loss of life,”
said the CCC statement.

U.S. imperialism has clearly used the widespread
emotional anger at the death of Bishop for its own aims.
Here was a Caribbean man who was respected not only
by the majority of Grenadians, but by people in many
countries for his tireless efforts to lead Grenada out of
neo-colonialism and onto the path of democracy, peace
and well-being. His New Jewel Movement’s overthrow
of the hated Gairy regime was welcomed by all demo-
cratic-minded people and governments.

Would the bringing out into the open of the exact
circumstances under which Bishop and his colleagues
died, and on which there has been speculation, have

Marines bringing “freedom and democracy” to Grenada.

been possible with the establishment of a broad-based
government proposed by the now-defunct Revolution-
ary Military Council? If foul play was found to have
occurred in the death of Bishop, would those who per-
petrated the acts have been brought to justice?

With the U.S. invasion putting an end to such ques-
tions, the next query is undoubtedly what is now in store
for the 110,000 Grenadians. All signs are that the Reagan
administration and the Adams-Charles-Seaga group will
continue to whip up hysteria branding the PRG’s policies
as a ‘‘foreign evil’. ;

The Westminster parliamentary model, which suited
Gairy to a ‘‘T’’, will be represented as “‘desirable’’.
Almost at once public sector services promoted by the
PRG will come under severe strain, probably leading to
their eventual dismantlement. In foreign affairs the
new regime will toe the U.S. line.

Whether the outcome of any ‘‘elections’’ produces
exactly the political requirements of this scenario de-
pends greatly on the mood and determination of the
Grenadian people in these traumatic times.

‘International Focus

Tom Morris

Getting the
‘evidence’ ready

Another result of invasion
under wraps — expect it — will
be ‘‘evidence’’ uncovered by
U.S. troops as they search and
Scavage the 12x 20-mile island.

The first hand-picked re-
porters were shown weapons.
Imagine that! The country with
the world’s biggest arsenal is
Outraged that a tiny island
would have weapons. They
had an army and militia in Gre-

‘nada. The PRG was fully
aware of Reagan’s threats,
‘openly over network

The weapons in the ware-
houses were small arms. Clear-
ly, if anything Grenada was
under-supplied with weapons
when the U.S. struck.

Now they’re searching for
‘Cuban training camps’, but
have been unsuccessful.
Here’s the U.S. with spy satel-
lites capable of picking up a
human form at 85 miles, but
Still they search for ‘training
Camps’’. Given enough time
and secrecy, the Marines will
have them constructed in time
for the next batch of reporters
On the guided tour.

Then there’s the ‘‘secret
documents’’ showing deals be-

‘tween Grenada, Cuba, the

USSR and North Korea which
the Pentagon says it has. We
Can’t wait for these. CIA for-

gers must be making a fortune
in overtime.

If we’re patient enough the
Marines will probably ‘‘dis-
cover’ a tunnel from St.
George’s to Moscow.

Grenada — a lesson
for every Canadian

Where are the words to
describe Reagan and his
administration, obsessed with
a psychotic vision, armed with
a formidable killing machine,
backed by a sophisticated, de-
dicated media which twists
truths into lies?

What degree of disgust is
sufficient when watching and
listening to Reagan as he
speaks to millions of Ameri-
cans on national television to

_describe Grenada as a ‘“Cuban

terrorist outpost.’” And how
can one understand that, after
his speech, polls showed he
succeeded in convincing the
majority of Americans that the
brutal invasion was justified?

It was a shocking week. It
was a jolting reminder that the
people with Reagan are less
than sane, that they're
belligerant and have lost all
sense of proportion in inter-
national affairs.

The military has become
king. It’s become bloated by a
$1.6-trillion military budget,
by new weapons’ systems.
Extreme right-wing ideologues
today make policy — they

mean to use whatever force
necessary to roll back history
and to prevent human social
advance anywhere.

They’ve tasted blood in
Grenada. White House
spokesmen are calling it “‘a
clear message to Nicaragua,
Cuba and the Soviet Union’..

It’s also a clear message to
Canada. :

Labor MPs in Britain’s
parliament asked a funda-

mental question last week: If.

Reagan can’t be trusted to act
rationally, how can we trust his
finger on the button of Cruise
missiles scheduled for Britain
next month?

Ottawa should be asking the
same thing. It should know
what the Cruise tests mean to
Reagan. It should listen as that
arrogant U.S. ambassador in
Ottawa orders this country
around — he speaks for
Reagan.

Grenada should give every
Member of Parliament pause
for thought. Canada is not im-
mune from the Marines. If
Grenada is ‘‘vital to U.S.
security’’, imagine what
category Canada would be
placed in?

Ottawa should put the

’ biggest distance possible bet-

ween Reagan, his generals and
Canadian foreign policy.
Events in Grenada and the
threats against Nicaragua and
Cuba clearly show what the
U.S. administration is capable

of, and what they mean to drag What’s the problem? Why

their “‘allies’’ into.

An invasion
‘in camera’

The press blackout imposed
by the U.S. military while it
carries out its ‘““democratiza-
tion’’ process in Grenada con-
tinues to develop as one of the
most fascinating sidelights of
this terrible affair.

Tribune Caribbean cor-
respondent Norman Faria by
telephone October 25 de-
scribed the chaos at Barbados
International airport as 600 re-
porters milled about unable to
cover the story. His voice was
repeatedly drowned out by
military jet aircraft as he
spoke.

Others since have attempted
to reach Grenada aboard char-
tered fishing boats and yachts
only to be turned back by U.S.
warships. ‘‘I know how to stop
those press boats,’’ warned
U.S. vice-Admiral Joseph
Metcalf, ‘‘we’ve been shooting
at them...”

Some reporters have been
permitted in, shown what the
army wants them to see, then

‘shipped back to Barbados

aboard military transports.
Some film has been taken by
TV crews “‘cleared by the De-
fence Department’’ and some
photos taken by civilians
caught in the invasion have
been published.

the controlled, managed, cen- .
sored news of this vaunted
“‘liberation’’ process? What’s
there to hide if this action is to
‘‘defend democracy”’?

With 600 reporters struggl-
ing to get there and cover the
story, how was it that a Cana-
dian journal, Maclean’s, was
the one to inform the world
(and the U.S. army, according

_ to them) that U.S. jets had

bombed a mental hospital in
St. George’s killing 47
patients?

‘ What other atrocities have
been carried out away from the
searching eyes of the world

- press?

The invasion “‘in camera”’ is
so repugnant it even brought
about the resignation Oct. 31 of
the deputy press secretary of
the White House. Les Janka
described his credibility as ‘‘ir-
repairably damaged’’. The lies
and press manipulation about
Grenada are so gross that on
Oct. 18 in the evening, hours
before the U.S. blitzkrieg
against Grenada, White House
press secretary Larry Speakes
and national security council
spokesman Robert Simms told
reporters it was ‘‘preposter-
ous”’ to think the U.S. would
invade Grenada.

The lies in the week that fol-
lowed have grown tenfold. But
despite this unprecedented
whitewash effort, truths are §
seeping out.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 9, 1983—Page9 __