Jamaica Gleaner
Obama's Caribbean challenge - How will new US president deal with Jamaica and the region?
Published: Sunday January 18, 2009
Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter
WITH THE clock racing towards the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States (US), Jamaicans and others around the Caribbean are still looking at the possible impact of America's first African-American leader on the region.
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Snippet(s):
"And while it is widely accepted that the election of Barack Obama will not lead to an open bag of goodies across the region, the fire continues to burn that the Caribbean will make it on to the radar of the new president."
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"It is widely accepted that US policy towards Jamaica and the wider Caribbean has fluctuated between disinterest and obsession over the years.The policy has been based on a collection of reasons, including security (protecting its borders), ideology (keeping out communism), politics and economics.
Over the last eight years, outgoing president George W. Bush has emphasised all of the above, providing millions of dollars for drug interdiction, interfering in Haiti's domestic politics, maintaining the embargo on Cuba while paying little regard to the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas.
Now it is Obama's time to bat, but officials of the US State Department have already made it clear that there will be no major change in policy."
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