Eastern Caribbean Overview

While the vast majority of U.S. military and police assistance is oriented towards combating narco-trafficking, there is a new focus on preventing terrorism, alien smuggling and preventing financial crimes. Funding from the several programs is directed to the bolster the region’s national security forces along with the Caribbean Regional Security System (RSS) to help these organizations to “deal with terrorism, drug trafficking, financial crime, illegal trafficking in arms, alien smuggling, natural disasters, and external threats” [1]

While no eastern Caribbean country is a primary recipient of funding from the State Department’s International Narcotics Control (INC) program, the seven states of the region share in the program's Caribbean regional fund, which assists security forces in all Caribbean countries except the Bahamas and Jamaica, which have their own targeted programs. $1 million in assistance has been requested for FY 2004, while an estimated $2.6 million was received in 2003, most of it for equipment, spare parts, fuel, and operational support. [2]

The entire Caribbean region (not just the seven eastern Caribbean nations) shares a $2 million yearly grant of Foreign Military Financing (FMF). Like INC, this program chiefly funds Foreign Military Sales (FMS) purchases of equipment and spare parts for local security forces. FMF, the State Department's Congressional Presentation reports, is intended to "sustain the region’s maritmie and ground service operational capabilites and readiness for counter-drug operations, illegal migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and disaster relief efforts." [3]

The last time RSS countries received a drawdown was in September 1998, when they received a $1.5 million counternarcotics emergency drawdown package of rations, field gear, and small arms for police forces. This drawdown also funded Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) training for Antigua and Barbuda. [8]

U.S. Special Forces visit every eastern Caribbean country on Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) and counter-drug training deployments. Topics of deployments, before this information was classified, include light infantry training and small unit tactics (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada) and counternarcotics naval special warfare (St. Kitts and Nevis). [10]

Eastern Caribbean nations are active participants in the U.S. Southern Command's regular multinational military exercises, such as Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarian, Fuerzas Aliadas Peacekeeping, and Tradewinds. In the past few years, these exercises have practiced counternarcotics, disaster relief, and peacekeeping scenarios. [11] U.S. military Humanitarian and Civic Assistance (HCA) activities are also frequent under the aegis of the Southern Command's "New Horizons" exercise series. In 2002, for instance, regular HCA activities in Barbados resulted in the construction of one community center. In 2002, an HCA exercise in Dominica included two engineer projects to provide rudimentary construction and repair of two medical clinics. HCA activities throughout the Caribbean increased in 1999 in response to Hurricanes Georges and Mitch, which both struck in late 1998. [12]

[1] FY 2004 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations http://www.state.gov/m/rm/rls/cbj/2004/

[2] United States, Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Fiscal Year 2000 Budget Congressional Presentation (Washington: Department of State: March 1999): 56-7, 59. <http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/fy2000_budget/latin_america.html>.

[3] FY 2004 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations http://www.state.gov/m/rm/rls/cbj/2004/

[4] FY 2004 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations http://www.state.gov/m/rm/rls/cbj/2004/

[5] FY 2004 Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations http://www.state.gov/m/rm/rls/cbj/2004/

[6] United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Defense Articles (Including Excess) and Services (Including Training) Furnished Foreign Countries and International Organizations Under the Foreign Military Sales Provisions of The Arms Export Control Act, Chapter 2 (Washington: November 2003).

[7] United States, Department of State, U.S. Arms Exports: Direct Commercial Sales Authorizations for Fiscal Year 98 (Washington: November 2003): 1-123.

[8] United States, Department of State, "Memorandum of Justification for use of Section 506(a)(2) special authority to draw down articles, services, and military education and training," September 15, 1998.

[9] United States, Department of State, "Memorandum of Justification for use of Section 506(a)(2) special authority to draw down articles, services, and military education and training," November 2003.

[10] United States, Defense Department, "Report on Training of Special Operations Forces for the Period Ending September 30, 1998," Washington, April 1, 1999.

United States, Defense Department, State Department, "Foreign Military Training and DoD Engagement Activities of Interest In Fiscal Years 1998 and 1999: A Report To Congress," Washington, March 1999.

[11] United States Southern Command Slideshow Presentation (U.S. Southern Command: April 2002).

[12] United States, Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program of the Department of Defense, Fiscal Year 1998, (Washington: Department of Defense, March 1, 1999).

United States Southern Command, J34, Exercise Program Quick-View, (U.S. Southern Command: October 13, 1998).

[13] U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, 1998, (Washington: Department of State: February 1999) <http://www.state.gov/www/global/narcotics_law/1998_narc_report/other98.html>