Dread,

From the article posted by Blutarsky the situation in Jamaica resembles a sort of Medieval arrangement where urban "lords" administer their feudal estates and the "King" needs their assistance(drug money and money laundering) to operate his Kingdom. A power unto themselves and with violence as their weapon of choice, the institutional stability of the Jamaican State is at risked from this highly unsustainable arrangement. The State now must enforce its monopoly of power over these warlords or risk further immiseration and, dare we say it, capitulation to these bloody gangs. Sad that the Prime Minister acted so foolishly and now the good people of Jamaica will end up with a huge problem that grows by the day. He needs to see that this bad guy is caught or killed and put these thugs in their places. And that means cleaning out the "hoods" collecting as many guns and other weapons as possible. This will not be a pleasant series of tasks for this or any other Prime Minister to administer. And remember, out of all these developments the news of prominent politicians and businessmen involved with the warlords will make front page news. One big can of worms is about to hit the fan.

the stuff hit the fan a long time ago. a country needs people who have lived abroad, and seen new and better ways of accomplishing things, to return home with their skills, if it is ever to modernise.sadly, because of the Area Dons, as the warlords are called, nobody wants to go home. you do not want to start a business, then have to pay some guy a monthly fee for the right to do business. the government derives no financial benefit from the arrangement, contrary to what you suggest. they get VOTES. the warlords are allowed to amass fortunes by any means necessary. with that money, they send kids to school, and pay for day to day living, such as food and medicine. that is the machinery by which they fortify the numerical bases. the people out there firing guns at soldiers on behalf of Dudus are those who see him as the neighborhood messiah who helped them pay the bills when Junior crashed on the Kawasaki and broke his back.

"the government derives no financial benefit from the arrangement, contrary to what you suggest. they get VOTES. the warlords are allowed to amass fortunes by any means necessary."

But Dread the government get benefits and I seriously doubt that there are no government officials helping themselves from the "Dons" It happens everywhere where the government loses control over the State. As in Mexico and Colombia and the DR and all the rest, drug lords wield power if the political parties allow this situation or arrangement to develop. And why on earth would they-government-allow it? You say Votes and I say Votes and Money. I have yet to witness a system operated under the conditions in Jamaica that was not tainted with Drug and money laundering. Watch and see when the "Dons" begin to talk how many otherwise "outstanding members of society" will be enmeshed in this debacle. Of course the Prime Minister could arrange for a bargain with some of the 'dons' and offer protection if they turn on the big 'Don" Mexico appears to be taking this route with respect to its cartel strategy. Heck, the US may even wink and nod approvingly if this is the only face saving way out for the Prime Minister. I see, however, no movement in this direction and if these thugs are as tough and violent as you say they are, the Prime Minister may actually call for outside help in quashing this rebellion.

Christopher "Dudus" Coke is a man who inspires conflicting emotions. To the US government he is one of the world's most dangerous criminals, responsible for trafficking cannabis and crack cocaine around the Caribbean, North America and the UK in exchange for guns and money.

To the residents of Tivoli Gardens, the poor west side of Kingston where his gang has immense support, he is the benefactor who provides them with food, acts as mediator in disputes and even sends their children to school. They call him Presi, Bossy, Shortman or, most commonly, Dudus.

That Coke, 40, should be resisting arrest before possible extradition to the US to face drug charges is perhaps unsurprising, given the end that his father came to.

Lester Coke, a leader of a gang called Shower Posse, died in 1992 in a fire that mysteriously broke out in his prison cell where he was awaiting extradition to the US on drug charges. The elder Coke's death occurred on the same day as the funeral of Mark Coke, Dudus' brother, who had been shot three weeks earlier.

According to US authorities, Dudus Coke has stepped into his father's shoes, running the Shower Posse that in the 1980s had been blamed for more than 1,000 murders.

Until recently he enjoyed substantial protection from the ruling Labour party and the Jamaican prime minister, Bruce Golding, whose local constituency is Tivoli Gardens.

Pressure from the Obama administration on the Jamaican government to prove it is serious about combating drugs has forced Golding's hand. Hence the order to arrest Coke, and the ensuing violence intended to keep him out of jail.

Ed Pilkington

By DAVID McFADDEN, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 5 mins ago
KINGSTON, Jamaica – More than 1,000 police and soldiers assaulted a public housing complex occupied by heavily armed gangsters defending an alleged drug lord wanted by the U.S., waging a major offensive in the heart of West Kingston's ramshackle slums.

Security forces broke through barbed-wire barricades and fought their way into the warren-like Tivoli Gardens neighborhood Monday afternoon. Sporadic gunfire could be heard into the night echoing across the darkened slums, where authorities cut off power. Military helicopters flying with their lights off buzzed overhead.

Masked gunmen swarmed around West Kingston trying to prevent the extradition of Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who has been indicted in New York on drug and arms trafficking charges. The U.S. Justice Department considers him one of the world's most dangerous drug lords.

While fighting raged in Tivoli Gardens, gunbattles spread to other volatile slums close to Kingston, the capital that sits on Jamaica's southeastern coast, far from the tourist resorts on the north shore.
It was not immediately clear what was happening inside the virtual fortresses where Coke's supporters began massing last week after Prime Minister Bruce Golding dropped his nine-month stonewalling against extraditing Coke, who has ties to the governing party.

Authorities said two police officers had been killed and at least six wounded since Sunday, and at least one Jamaican soldier was shot dead during Monday's fighting at Tivoli Gardens, the Caribbean island's first housing project. There were no details on casualties inside that neighborhood or other poor areas where clashes erupted.

A woman in Tivoli Gardens told Radio Jamaica that she and her terrified family were hunkered down in their apartment as a firefight raged outside.

"I really pray that somebody will find the love in their heart and stop this right now. It is just too much, my brother," the woman told the station, the sound of a gunbattle nearby.

Gangsters loyal to Coke began barricading streets and preparing for battle immediately after Golding caved in to a growing public outcry over his opposition to extradition. Jamaica's leader, whose represents West Kingston in Parliament, had claimed the U.S. indictment relied on illegal wiretap evidence.
West Kingston, which includes the Trenchtown slum where reggae superstar Bob Marley was raised, is the epicenter of the violence. But security forces also came under fire in areas outside that patchwork of gritty slums.

Gunmen shot at police while trying to erect barricades in a poor section of St. Catherine parish, which is just outside the two parishes where the government on Sunday implemented a monthlong state of emergency.

A police station in an outlying area of Kingston parish also was showered with bullets by a roving band of gunmen with high-powered rifles.

Security Minister Dwight Nelson said "police are on top of the situation," but gunfire was reported in several poor communities and brazen gunmen even shot up Kingston's central police station.
The drug trade is deeply entrenched in Jamaica, which is the largest producer of marijuana in the region and where gangs have become powerful organized crime networks involved in international gun smuggling. It fuels one of the world's highest murder rates; the island of 2.8 million people had about 1,660 homicides in 2009.

In a sun-splashed island known more for reggae music and all-inclusive resorts, the violence erupted Sunday afternoon after nearly a week of rising tensions over the possible extradition of Coke to the United States, where he faces a possible sentence of life in prison.

He leads one of the gangs that control politicized slums known as "garrisons." Political parties created the gangs in the 1970s to rustle up votes. The gangs have since turned to drug trafficking, but each remains closely tied to a political party. Coke's gang is tied to the governing Labor Party.

The U.S. State Department said Monday it was "the responsibility of the Jamaican government to locate and arrest Mr. Coke." A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman denied widespread rumors that U.S. officials were meeting with Coke's lawyers.

Coke's lead attorney, Don Foote, told reporters his legal team had planned to have talks with U.S. officials at the embassy but the meeting was canceled.

Foote refused to say whether Coke was hunkered down in the barricaded Tivoli Gardens slum or was somewhere else in the country.

Jamaica gunfights claim 30 lives as police and army battle gangsters

State of emergency to remain for a month, PM says, as security forces fight gunmen loyal to alleged drug lord in West Kingston


Smoke billows over the Tivoli Gardens district in Kingston, Jamaica, a major flashpoint between police and soldiers battling gangsters loyal to US-wanted alleged gangster Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. Photograph: Andrew Smith/Reuters

At least 26 civilians and four members of the security forces have died as police and soldiers battle supporters of an alleged drug lord who faces extradition to the US, Jamaican police have said.

Thousands of heavily armed forces are raiding the capital's most violent central slums in a hunt for underworld boss Christopher Coke, known as "Dudus".

A police spokesman said the fighting in West Kingston alone has led to 26 civilian deaths and one of a security official. Police had reported that earlier fighting left two officers and a soldier dead.

The government has declared a state of emergency in volatile sections of the capital as the prime minister, Bruce Golding, vowed "strong and decisive action" to restore order.

The violence erupted in districts where gunmen attacked and burned five police stations yesterday and carried out carjackings and looting.

The government has called on Coke to surrender to face a US extradition request on cocaine trafficking and gunrunning charges.

US prosecutors have described Coke as the leader of the Shower Posse, which murdered hundreds of people during the cocaine wars of the 1980s.

Earlier today, helmeted police in flak jackets and brandishing automatic assault rifles fought their way into Tivoli Gardens and engaged in gunfights with suspected allies of Coke. Residents temporarily held them off with makeshift barricades as masked gunmen opened fire from high-rise buildings overlooking the barricades, which closed off main streets leading into the area.

The normally bustling streets were mostly deserted as the country marked a national holiday and motorists and pedestrians steered clear of the trouble spot.

The US issued a travel alert warning of violence in Kingston ahead of the weekend. Tensions rose after Golding said he was starting extradition proceedings against Coke.

Golding said yesterday that the state of emergency would remain in effect for a month and would demonstrate that Jamaica is "a land of peace, order and security" where gang-related violence would not be tolerated.

"This will be a turning point for us as a nation to confront the powers of evil that has penalised the society and earned us the unenviable label as one of the murder capitals of the world," he said.

Jamaica initially refused a US request for Coke's extradition in August, alleging that evidence against Coke had been gathered through illegal wiretaps.

In its annual narcotics control strategy report in March, the US said Coke's ties to Jamaica's ruling party highlighted "the potential depth of corruption in the government".

[B]Kingston declares state of emergency after gangs attack police

Large swaths of Jamaican capital off-limits as supporters of alleged drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke fight extradition moves[/B]
(
The Guardian, Tuesday 25 May 2010


Demonstrators block a street on Spanish Town Road, Kingston, Jamaica. Four people have died in continued unrest by groups opposed to the extradition to the US of alleged drug trafficker Christopher 'Dudus' Coke Photograph: Mark Brown/EPA [see footnote]

Large areas of Jamaica's capital, Kingston, were barricaded against security forces last night as four people were killed during violence orchestrated by supporters of one of the country's gang leaders, who is wanted for extradition by the US.

The government declared a state of emergency on Sunday after supporters of Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who is wanted in the US for drug and weapons trafficking, attacked four police stations in the city, burning one to the ground. At least two police officers, one soldier and one civilian have been killed and several others wounded during two days of violence.

Last night, automatic rifle fire continued after dark and sections of the city remained barricaded off, with army trucks attempting to clear roadblocks in the Red Hills district.

The unrest was triggered after Jamaican authorities attempted to arrest Coke, acting upon a US extradition warrant. He is wanted on charges before the New York courts that he masterminded a drugs trade between Jamaica and North America.

In recent days, residents of Tivoli Gardens and neighbouring Denham Town, where Coke is believed to be holed up, began erecting roadblocks in an apparent attempt to prevent his arrest. The roadblocks began spreading to neighbouring and rival communities along the industrial corridor of Spanish Town Road.

Gunmen from these communities have also been acting in support of Coke in what police say is a co-ordinated attack on law and order. Residents in central Kingston openly mocked the police as they stood behind the barricades. "Only police I trust is a sleeping policeman I've run over in the road," said one. Another said in Jamaican patois: "Bus it pon dem," – a phrase meaning "fire on them", which was used by local people to encourage gunmen to attack the police.

Coke maintains considerable respect in these neighbourhoods for his strong maintenance of what is known as "one order", and for ensuring peace in the downtown area. Some fear that his removal will destabilise the area. Coke is often referred to as "president" in Tivoli – an indication of the extent of his power locally. Although police are unable to operate freely there, the area enjoys considerable security, attributed to his leadership.

The ruling Jamaican Labour party is also prominently represented in the neighbourhood, an area where political and gang networks are intimately intertwined. Under a relationship known as garrison politics, political parties shore up votes in communities by partnering with gangsters and using coercion and physical intimidation.

[B]The prime minister, Bruce Golding, initially resisted the extradition of Coke, arguing that evidence gathered against him by wire-tapping had been wrongly obtained by the US authorities. Golding eventually capitulated in the face of intense lobbying by Washington.[/B]

On Sunday night, hours after imposing a month-long state of emergency, Golding went on television to address the nation. He said the gunmen were making "a calculated assault on the authority of the state that cannot be tolerated and will not be allowed to continue. The criminal element who have placed society under siege will not be allowed to triumph."

In the centre of Kingston yesterday, residents could be seen standing behind roadblocks on street corners. Several barricades appeared to have been erected by residents seeking to protect themselves, or to obstruct the police, who often have a reputation for corruption and brutality.

There were reports of the violence spreading, with shots being heard in central Kingston and trouble in Spanish Town outside the city, an area known for its high crime rate.

Since Jamaica achieved independence 48 years ago, there have been five state of emergencies. Those in 1988, 2004 and 2007 were related to hurricanes, while the exceptional powers imposed in 1966 and 1976 were political in nature, related to violence in the run-up to an election.

• This article was amended on 25 May 2010. The original photo caption read 'Demonstrators block a street in Spanish Town, Kingston, Jamaica.' This has been corrected.

The normally bustling streets were mostly deserted, as the country marked its Labor Day national holiday and motorists and passersby steered clear of the trouble spot.
Golding said on Sunday the state of emergency would remain in effect for a month and would demonstrate that Jamaica is 'a land of peace, order and security' where gang-related violence will not be tolerated.
'This will be a turning point for us as a nation to confront the powers of evil that has penalized the society and earned us the unenviable label as one of the murder capitals of the world,' he said.
In a gritty section of the capital of an island known more for reggae and all-inclusive resorts, the violence erupted after nearly a week of rising tensions over the possible extradition of Coke to the United States.
Golding had stalled the extradition request for nine months with claims the U.S. indictment relied on illegal wiretap evidence.
Lawyers for Coke - who in addition to Dudus is also known as Small Man and President - challenged his extradition in Jamaica's Supreme Court.
About 10 percent of the capital was cordoned by security.
The violence has not touched the tourist meccas along the Caribbean island's north shore, but several hotels reported cancellations. Air Jamaica rescheduled four flights today because of the unrest in Kingston.
'I'm very concerned,' said Wayne Cummings, business director for Sandals resorts. 'The entire Caribbean and the world is trying to pull itself out of a recession. This kind of hit, if one can call it that, comes at a very, very bad time.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1281334/Jamaica-11-dead-Kingston-hunt-Christopher-Dudus-Coke.html#ixzz0oz3LDXtv

blutarsky, since you have been the one doing all the posting, here is one for you



But another more recent Times news story appeared to confirm our more sinister interpretation of the CIA's clandestine history in Jamaica. Convicted drug baron Charles "Little Nut" Miller is a native of, and currently residing in, the tiny Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Times writer Mark Fineman posted an article dated December 7, 1997, which detailed much of Miller's activity as a CIA operative active in Kingston during the tumultuous 1970s. Miller operated under the cover of Cecil Conner, a "political enforcer." The article, which contained a number of devastating revelations similar to the "Dark Alliance" series (CIA links to crack cocaine sales in California), written by Gary Webb and originally posted in the San Jose Mercury News, contained the following accounts of covert U.S. intelligence activities in Jamaica and elsewhere:

...the U.S. government indicted him [Charles Miller], then protected him as a key federal witness who helped put two gang leaders in prison for life, only to have him emerge nearly a decade later as one of Washington's worst nightmares. Today, Miller is the target of one of the U.S. Justice Department's most intensive and frustrating extradition efforts-a two-year court battle in this tiny Caribbean island nation that is made all the more confounding for U.S. law enforcement officials because, they acknowledge, Miller was once one of theirs.

The CIA employed Charles "Little Nut" Miller as a political thug attached to Edward Seaga's JLP Party and later as a member of a vicious Jamaican "posse" drug gang in the U.S. Now an influential local soft-drink and chicken distributor, Miller is cast by U.S. official sources as an ingenious former federal witness-turned-fugitive who has learned the inner workings of U.S. anti-drug intelligence, law enforcement and judiciary... Working for what he called "the underworld section" of Jamaica's Labor Party in Kingston [allied to Edward Seaga], he stated, he stuffed ballot boxes, intimidated voters, shot and wounded a clerk during a robbery and spent years in prison.

He also testified, according to court records and documents, that he escaped the Jamaican prison using political connections in 1983 and came to the United States, where he became a trusted member of a brutal Jamaican drug gang known as the Shower Posse. The gang's trademark was spraying victims-from California to Miami to New York-with machine-gun fire, often killing and maiming bystanders... He said he was present the day posse leaders opened fire with machine guns in a Florida crack house, killing five people-including a pregnant woman found in a praying position-and shooting the sole survivor in the mouth.


These first-hand revelations from courtroom documents serve to confirm our worst suspicions over criminal provocateur activities that were being carried out by U.S. intelligence operatives. The Jamaican "posses" which are being described here were the subject of a sordid propaganda film produced during the mid-1980s entitled Marked for Death, which significantly elevated the career of action-film heavy Steven Segal. While the violent record of "Little Nut" as revealed in the Times piece is full of such sordid details, it is Miller's experience in Jamaica during the political conflicts of the 1970s and 1980s, which is our principal concern. The article contained these additional revelations:

Under cross-examination, Conner readily admitted to his violent past in Jamaica, where, at 17, he was convicted of a jewelry store robbery in which he shot and wounded a clerk in the chest. He stated that he worked for an armed underground faction in the Labor Party of former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, a close U.S. ally in the fight against Cuba-inspired

incidentally, blutarsky, miller was a member of the same shower posse , which was headed by Coke.

so, blutarsky, as i told you before, these characters are the product of Jamaica Labor Party politics. this has been going on for decades. these guys have operated in the USA, with almost tacit approval from the CIA, in return for their support in bringing out the vote for the pro american, anti socialist party of the current prime minister. the CIA helped create these monsters, because, before 1974, a guy who was considered a dangerous person was one who carried a switchblade knife. and that is real! it is the CIA that started the gun culture and invented garrison politics, to thwart the left leaning politics of Michael Manley. the chickens have really come home to roost, with desperate results.