TT: GWB's religion enrages some in the region

The dialogue between the Caribbean and the United States has sunk to a record low. In recent months senior members of Washington's fundamentalist and increasingly dysfunctional administration have sought to coerce the leaders of democratic and stable governments in the region on issues as diverse as the United Nations and Iraq, Cuba, Haiti, homeland security and trade policy. Predictably, the reaction has been anger. Although little noticed in the wider world the recent decision to cancel a high level regional security conference to be held with the US shows how far the relationship has been damaged by a belief in Washington that only its will should prevail.

The events of this past weekend in TT demonstrate the folly of the course Caricom is taking vis-a-vis the U.S. Caricom leaders, like those in Europe from which they take note, believe that GWB will not be re-elected so that, in the short term, they may act in ways that are counter-productive to their national security interests. However, like the Europeans, Caricom are sadly misreading the American population. Islamic militants are not going to wait until after November 2 to strike in the region and across the globe. Right now, jihad proceeds apace all across the globe, and Caricom countries are ill suited to cope with the large scale destruction of their civil society that will comes. This is not a time to alienate the U.S. out of pique, especially when the U.S. is engaged in a defensive war. This is not a time to be following the lead of Euroope.