WORLD ‘Exotic Palm’ war exercises meets resistance in region BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Planners of the just concluded first annual war games involving the armed forces of several Anglophone Caribbean governments and U.S. and UK military units will have their work cut out for them when two island administrations face strong challenges from their anti-games oppositions in upcom- Ing general elections. As well, peace organizations such as the Guyana Peace Committee and its counterpart in Grenada have pledged to continue their opposition to such military Manoeuvres which they say is counter productive and not what the region needs. Both the Barbados government, which must hold a poll by the end of next year, and the Edward Seaga regime in Jamaica, which must hold elections by 1998, contributed sizeable contingents to last month’s exer- Cises, code named ‘‘Exotic Palm”’ and held in St. Lucia. In Barbados, the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP) which under the late Tom Adams had won two elections since coming to power in September 1976, faces a deter- mined and eager campaign from the opposition Demo- cratic Labour Party. Led by former RAF navigator but now practicing lawyer Errol Barrow, the ‘‘Dems’’ as they are popularly called, had ruled the 166 square mile tourist resort island for three terms before the BLP took over. ,' Political analysts say that the opposition will give the ruling Bernard St. John administration a good run for its money following several closures of U.S. branch plant garment factories among other economic problems. Large quantities of cocaine and other drugs have also been found cached in the island. In a magazine article published in Florida, Barrow had Opposed the Grenada invasion and Barbados’ participa- tion in them. Sections of the leadership, including Brand- ford Taitt who is tipped here to succeed Barrow shortly after the elections, have also called periodically for the withdrawal of Barbadian police and other occupation personnel such as the current head of the Grenada prison System who are still in the Spice Isle. Significantly, in a recent sitting of the island’s Parliament, the BLP “queried” the importance of the Exotic Palm man- oeuvres. The other main opposition Party in Barbados, the _ Workers Party of Barbados, hasn’t decided if it will either field a slate of candidates, help elect a progressive majority to Parliament or both during the upcoming elec- tion. Whatever is the case, the party has gone on record aS Opposing any such war games. In a press statement, the WPB condemned the Exotic Palm exercises as imperialistic and noted that Caribbean peoples were demanding food, jobs, improved health and other social facilities — and not guns, bombs and militarization of the region. In the past, the WPB has urged the DLP to be more forthright and more wide ranging in criticisms of government policies on the matter. In Jamaica, the ruling Jamaica Labour Party govern- ment of Edward Seaga will have to achieve miracles to stave off a defeat at the polls from the opposition People’s National Party led by Michael Manley. The PNP boycotted the last elections in 1980 over the JLP’s going back on its word to allow for the putting out of a proper voters’ list before the poll was held. However, all indications suggest the PNP will win a majority in the island’s 60 seat Parliament when voters next cast their ballots. This could be as soon as next year. Manley is an outspoken regionalist who has called for the Caribbean area to be made ‘‘a Zone of Peace’’. If elected, the PNP should take a serious look at the is- land’s participation in the Regional Security System (RSS) which was conceptualized at a CARICOM heads of government meeting in Nassau, Bahamas in 1982. The Workers Party of Jamaica is expected to run a ’ Slate of candidates. It too is determined to do all it can to ensure that the Caribbean is free of such war games as the Exotic Palm. There are 13 members of the regional economic group- ing CARICOM but under the terms of the final document of the Nassau parley, participation in any military group- ing is voluntary. So far, Trinidad and Tobago, the most economically developed of the Anglophone Caribbean nation states, has refused to send any contingents to any of the RSS activities, although observers have attended. For its part, the recently-elected government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines of Prime Minister James Mitchell has opposed any such regional force, saying that what is necessary now is an influx of developmental aid — and not armaments — into the region. From the Caribbean In neighbouring Dominica, the strong left wing in and around the social democratic opposition Democratic Labour Party, which gave the ruling Eugenia Charles’ . Freedom Party a scare at last July’s general elections, is opposed to such military manoeuvres as is Rosie Doug- las, the sole member in Parliament of the United Dominica Labour Party. The Freedom Party got less than 45 per cent of the popular vote and is unlikely to hold on to power at the next polls, due in five years time. Washington, which has spent an estimated $20-million since the Grenada invasion to upgrade the Anglophone Caribbean’s relative large armed forces, footed the $1- million bill for the Exotic Palm exercises. Included in this outlay was the provision of 300 combat ‘troops from the 7th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army and the landing at one of the island’s airports of several AC-10 jet fighters and helicopters gunships. ‘ According to the Barbados Advocate newspaper, the Thatcher government sent representatives to certain RSS planning meetings. During the Exotic Palm exer- cises, which was officially designed to quell an imaginary ” “leftist coup”’ which is supported by the fictitious coun- tries ‘‘Carumba’’ (Cuba, get it?) and ‘‘Niggara” (Nicaragua), two British warships, the HMS Alacrity and the refuelling vessel Gold Rover were present. However, the biggest question being asked in some circles here is what would happen if a CARICOM member country did indeed have a ‘‘leftist coup”’ brought about by massive popular participation, but de- sired no intervention? “That's an interesting question,”* Brigadier Rudyard Lewis, the Barbadian armed forces commander and head of the regional forces during the just concluded games, told reporters. It goes to show that peace forces and democratic and progressive opinion in general must deepen their work to ensure that Caribbean peoples will be able to live in _ ; peace and well-being without having to worry about being killed by a U.S. warplane crashing or a nuclear bomb exploding accidentally. International Focus Tom Morris And now it. USIA announced it will use control the news about this Lech Walesa, Radio Free Can’t you just hear the ‘‘I the news... “The goal is to facilitate the collection, development and distribution of credible, objec- tive and timely professional- quality news stories, photos and television images,”’ is the way a new $500,000 project is described. . It seems the CIA-backed Afghan Mujahdeen have a pub- lic relations problem — and the nited States Information gency is now going to correct the money to train “‘rebel jour- nalists’’ in the proper use of TV, radio and press. Even mini-cameras will be provided. Experts will be hired, the first one being Associated Press administrator John Koehler who is off to Pakistan, Paris and elsewhere ‘‘to dis- cuss the problems guerrillas and western journalists face in telling the rebels’ story.” The scheme is fitting. Why shouldn’t the propaganda arm of the CIA, the USIA, directly CIA operation? How can a bunch of Afghan ‘‘rebels”’ understand what Mr. & Mrs. America want to see on the evening news? How would they know when to fit the ads in? What could be more “credible’’ and ‘‘objective”’ than the Associated Press when it comes to international news? Who is’ more *‘professional’”’ than the USIA — the boys who gave you Gre- nada, Vietnam body counts, — sweet HART YOU SNUFF THE THER Of, DWT. sMice AT THE CAMERA TEACHER , TELL CASTING TO Levis TAKe A & MINUTE Europe and Voice of America? USIA and AP will turn the Mujahdeen into Afghan Ram- bos. Mini-cameras will: bring us images of stunning vic- tories. Once these ‘‘rebel journalists” get the knack of it, good old Yankee know-how, the tide of battle will turn in America’s living rooms. We’ll have a teflon war to match a teflon president. Lewis’ formula shakes up Botha Canada’s UN ambassador Stephen Lewis may be off the hook. Last year he delivered a’ speech tearing apartheid from stem to gudgeon. He really gave the racists what for. Lewis then followed his denunciation with sweet rea- son — he opposed sanctions. Our ambassador argued for gradual change, reforms, constructive engagement, patience — and this week Botha responded. ? The regime announced “reforms’’ which will allow movie houses, exclusively re- served for white, to apply for special permits in some cities to admit Black viewers. s PACIFIC TRIBUNE, OCTOBER 16, 1985 ¢ 9 — told you so’s” from Lewis’ New York office? The fact that hundreds have been murdered, thousands arrested since Lewis’ speech; that Bothat has defended apartheid, that Mandela and others are still jailed, that prac- tically every democratic or- ganization is banned and their leaders facing treason charges — all might be seen as nit-pick- ing by the good ambassador. ‘ Nobody’s shooting at his ids. Figure this one out... Speaking before the Na- tional ;Committee on U.S. foreign policy Oct. 2, Sec- retary of State George Shultz was replying to charges the Reagan White House employs a double standard in its ap- proach to Nicaragua and South Africa. “Commitment to moral principles can be no substitute for a sound foreign policy in a world of hard realities and complex choices,” he ex- For that lucid thought they then gave Shultz an award.