THE LEAKS AND THE SUSPECT

Nov 30, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

This week started with two spectacular developments to which we will attempt to draw a link. The first was the publication by the New York Times and the Guardian newspaper of confidential diplomatic briefings, which has caused great damage to America’s image abroad and made a number of its operatives and world leaders now vulnerable.
The second development occurred in Guyana and involved the arrest of someone suspected to have committed terrorist actions last year within the country including the firebombing of the Ministry of Health, the High Court, a public school and an attack on police headquarters.
When those attacks occurred, the government described them as terrorist attacks and claimed that there was a link between the local operatives and someone who resided within the United States.
The US embassy in Guyana was approached for assistance in the matter but it would seem as if not much material cooperation took place.
It may have been that the US authorities and especially the local diplomats may have been misled into believing that this was just another state-directed prank to divert attention from the real motive for the firebombing of the Ministry of Health.
As things have now turned out, one of the suspects in those attacks who has escaped from lawful custody has been arrested and from reports in the media is singing like a kiskadee.
Based on the press reports, the main suspect is repeating the theory originally offered by the government and therefore the United States government is going once again to come under intense scrutiny for what is seen as foot dragging in this matter.
Right now of course, the US State Department has its own worries. There have been leaks of a massive number of diplomatic correspondence, thus placing the United States in a very difficult position. There have also been revelations, that the US may have once again be engaged in spying against the United Nations, a charge that is going to affect US-UN relations.
But more importantly, the leaks raise the question once again as to whether it was proper for the New York Times and the Guardian newspaper to have reported on the leaks considering the implications for national security.
One recalls during the mission to rescue the US hostages in Iran during the presidency of Jimmy Carter, the media got whiff of the operation. However, the White House was able to convince the media houses that were prepared to run with the story that to do so with jeopardise national security and the operation itself and therefore the reports were held back until the end of the mission which was bungled.
There seems in this instance to be strong grounds for the new media to not carry these leaks, considering its likely impact on national security.
But no doubt the newspapers that have run with the story may have realised that one way or the other the leaks would have reached the public through the Internet and therefore could see no justifiable reason for not running with the report.
Based on reports so far made public in the Guardian, it does not seem as if diplomatic correspondence from Guyana has been compromised, and therefore there is now a clear opportunity for the Guyana Government in light of the arrest this week of a suspect in last year’s terrorist attack in Guyana, to once again approach the United States and impress upon the authorities there, the need for them to provide more information and cooperation in nabbing one of the suspected masterminds behind the attacks, a mastermind whom we are told provided some US $500 per month for the support of the gang.
It is also likely that weapons may have been smuggled from the United States and thus there is a possibility of criminal violation of US laws in this instance.
It is now incumbent on our local diplomats to summon their US counterparts and demand that cooperation be initiated to deal with this situation because it seems as if apart from the political aspects of the case, there is also drug element involved.
The US cannot, despite its present preoccupation with the leaks, refuse to assist at this time for had it been more aggressive in identifying the alleged plot master, then two lives may have been saved and a great deal of damage avoided.

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