In the coming weeks, the small Eastern Caribbean nation of Grenada, which the U.S. had invaded back in 1983, has an important decision to make as Washington has asked it for permission to establish a military radar station at its main airport to monitor nearby Venezuela.
In late August, the U.S. had formally approached the island nation to use its main Maurice Bishop International Airport to house military radar that could monitor both commercial and military flights in the Southern Caribbean with a particular eye on Venezuela about 100 miles to the south.
But strident opposition from some lawmakers and civil society groups has apparently slowed the decision-making process, with Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell telling parliament in recent days that his administration is working with an undisclosed deadline from the U.S., but won’t be hurried into deciding on such an important issue. In not being rushed, he appears to be cognisant of the simmering undercurrents that still persist regarding the 1983 invasion by the Reagan administration, allegedly back then to stop Russia and Cuba from gaining influence in the region.
For many on the island just north of Trinidad, the request is being seen as a major insult to national sensibilities and as the current generation of American politicians either has no regard for the open wounds from the 1983 invasion or they simply just don’t care.
Former Senate President Chester Humphrey is one of the key hardliners campaigning against any radar station on the island. He has vowed to lead national protests against the administration if it ever dares to grant permission. He says excuses about interdicting drugs are a pretext for more important issues, including an eye on Venezuela’s oil and other resources.
“Venezuela has not done us anything,” said Humphrey on a local television program. “Venezuela has helped us. On a state-to-state basis, Venezuela has probably provided more than the U.S. in recent years. Why must we join in somebody else’s war? It will be a grave strain on history against the memory of our forefathers for us to join a war against a state that has done us nothing, a state that has helped us tremendously. They have murdered Venezuelan citizens. The Americans have had a history of lying regarding their intentions before going to war. Of recent vintage, it lies in respect of its invasion of Iraq, so America has a long history of lying. It lied when it invaded Grenada, but this one has taken all the prizes,” he said.
Addressing parliament, Dickon, who faces elections in two years, gave an indication of his administration’s mindset as it ponders the request, noting that “the airport by its very history, is one that is of historic significance. Therefore, we understand clearly that the public will want to opine on this matter.”
He says authorities would need expert technical advice on how to proceed as “the airport is a civilian airport and therefore it is not equipped to handle military…operations. Installing the radar would obviously disrupt the operations of the airport and therefore, we would need technical advice as to whether or not it was feasible or advisable to do so.”
The PM was also quick to point out that Grenada has no military. Its links with the Florida-based U.S. Southern Command have much to do with police-type law enforcement matters than military-to-military cooperation and treaties.
“Our cooperation with the U.S. has therefore always been with that of law enforcement, and in the context of our own domestic law and in the context of international law, and therefore we would have enquired as to the legality of the basis upon which, given that this is a military request, the request was being made, and we have entered into discussions on those issues which are not settled. That is precisely what we have been doing. It is Important to point out that, and this is important for me to go on record to say that as PM of the country and the government we lead, we would not enter into any agreement which, from a Grenada perspective, has any possibility of violating any Grenadian or international law,” a relaxed-looking Mitchell stated from the house floor.
Other nations like Antigua, further to the north, have already stated their disinterest in hosting U.S. military facilities, with officials saying these cabinets are keen on staying away from superpower power, geopolitics.