Jamaica drug war violence

[nibbler]

Excerpt:

Jamaica state of siege: Scores dead, hundreds detained

By Bill Van Auken

World Socialist Web Site

May 28, 2010

Scores have been reported killed or wounded and hundreds arrested in what critics describe as indiscriminate violence by Jamaican security forces besieging an impoverished West Kingston neig hborhood.

The confrontation, triggered by the Jamaican government’s reluctant acquiescence to Washington’s demand for the extradition of powerful and politically connected reputed drug trafficker, Christopher “Dudus†Coke, has continued for five days. Residents of Tivoli Gardens, Jamaica’s first public housing development and a supposed stronghold of Coke and his supporters, have been turned into prisoners in their own homes as some 2,000 police and soldiers armed with automatic weapons and wearing combat helmets have stormed into the area.

In a call to Jamaica’s News Talk Radio 93FM Wednesday night, two women from the Tivoli Gardens neighborhood said that they were trapped on the floor of their home, without food, electricity or water and terrified of being shot if they raised their heads.

“We’re not animals down here,†one of the women said. “We are humans.â€

Residents have reported the security forces firing rocket-propelled grenades and using bulldozers to demolish homes, while the media has raised questions about unexplained explosions in the housing estate.

The security forces have sought to keep a tight lid on the operation, turning away the media at gunpoint. On Wednesday, Jamaica’s independent public defender, Earl Witter, a government official, was allowed into the zone and reported a count of 44 civilians dead.

Hospitals, however, had by Wednesday reported receiving the bodies of 60 civilians, and there were disturbing reports that suggest the real death toll could be significantly higher. Some residents of Tivoli Gardens have reported seeing troops burning corpses on piles of tires. And Kingston’s Mayor Desmond McKenzie announced that he was launching an investigation following a Television Jamaica report Wednesday night showing police carrying coffins to a local cemetery for unauthorized burials....

read entire original article here

[Jay Funk Dawg]

With a name like Christopher Coke - what was the chances that he'd be a wanted Drug Dealer?

Must be really scary down in JA right now.

[AD]

Sounds like it's just Kingston that's dealing with issues right now. Kingston is a disgusting and rough city to begin with, this is really a bad scene for sure.

I never want to go back to Jamaica. Hated it there.

[Ms.Huxtable]

I was speaking with someone from Mexico last week who has seen first hand the violence and loss that comes from the drug trade.

He put it into perspective for me in a way I never thought of, he said that Canadians do have the power to influence the violence in Mexico, by not doing drugs like cocaine that are brought in from his and other countries.

I had never thought that because I peacefully sniff a line here and there I contribute to drug trafficing and violence. It seems so obvious to me now, but sometimes it takes a slap in the face like that to put it in perspective.

Don't blame the Jamaicans, blame the people that buy the drugs and support their business I guess.

[Im going home Donny]

....and or the people who make the drugs so bloody valuable by pretending they can rid society of them by illegalizing them. Just a thought since I'm not sure how controlled legalization of hard drugs would work but something aint working now, thats for sure.

[ollie]

These pretzels are making me thirsty.

[Im going home Donny]

I'm looking for any reason to avoid packing...

[Davey Boy 2.0]

Lisa: It was designed to settle fights in taverns.

Homer: Whoo-hoo. She said "tavern". I'm going to Moe's. [runs away and drives off]

[Thorgnor]

Coke has been implicated, to my knowledge, in something a little more creepy. Back when he was getting his start in the late 80's-90's there was an attempt by some to change the Rastafarian sacrament from marijuana to crack. Many "foot-soldier" types are introduced through casual social interaction to the drug trade and viola, massive drug lord wanted internationally.

The truly frightening thing is that the very first report I heard from the CBC said that Coke had begun by firing on the stronghold of a local politician when he got mad about the threat of deportation becoming more real. This man is well protected in some neighbourhoods, but I'm pretty sure after 5 nights he's probably gone to the beach for a break from all the noise.

Edited May 29, 2010 by Guest
He also sells guns...

[SaggyBalls]

While users contribute, those culpable are the ones turning this violent.

If everyone were free to sell their cocaine, meth, and Heroin then none of this would have to come to murder.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Guest
...but senseless deaths would certainly not stop.

[zero]

Sorry but listening into this dialogue about the international drug trade seems a bit laughable to me. I'm sure it's because let's say I've been more invested in that culture but mainly I mean through the lens of not so much (but lately) the Canadian and American media.

With regard to Dudus, one of the odd things is that I believe he got his start by backing Seaga likely in the election against Manley days after the Bob Marley assasination attempt where he famously made the two shake hands on stage. There was a massive bust in Toronto a couple weeks ago that was splashed over all the papers that involved the takedown of two gangs the Falstown Crips (that's Crips, Crips- like members of the international crime organization Crips, like you don't where a Hell's Angels logo on your denim jacket type of thing) and the Five Point Generals. The raid/sting which netted about 100 Torontonian's but led to the arrest of 12 Jamaican's members of the notorious (and not limited to) Jamaican Shower Posse- of which Coke is the leader.

Coke is literally more powerful than the Prime Minister of Jamaica, gov't members have admitted as much. He's also hired, astutely, American lobbyists to fight his extradition which is what this whole bloodbath is based on.

With regard to Mexico yes the violence in any of the border cities particularly Ciudad Juarez is of epic and staggering proportions. It's not really reported in the Canadian media very much but the culture of kidnap for hire, assassination, criminal infiltration of justice organizations is astounding. There was a music festival MtyMx (Monterrey, MX) that tried to time around SXSW but - and this was both in the New York Times and I heard it directly from a band they wanted to play- well basically bands were legitimately concerned about kidnap for extortion, gun violence, all of it.

It's important too- and I think this is really lost in the general (legitimate) indignation at the unconstitutional gubernatorial challenge of Latino rights- to remember that it's not a bullshit argument that what they are dealing with in Phoenix (the kidnapping capital of America) is not a city or state but a federal issue.

[elemeno]

Verbal Diarrhea:

a condition suffered by an individual who has the inablility to shut the fuck up, I.e the words keep flowing.

[zero]

Brah, I hate to tell you but you're a fucking idiot. That's a concise analysis of about 18 newspaper articles I could likely find the links or clippings for.

How about this one, a little piece slipped through the New York Times a few weeks back that said - now think about this for a second- in the upping of the ante on the Mexican border in terms of Homeland security and whatnot there was massive hirings made of course- these candidates are all vetted thoroughly but especially in Mexico but of course in America it is routine for criminal organizations to infiltrate Justice organizations (think of the film The Departed). In any case it turns out of all the hires only, I'd have to find the number exactly but I want to say that they only administered (routine) polygraphs to %10 of the candidates and something like %60 were eliminated on the basis of the polygraph. It was just a small little item in the NYTimes but if you think about it, it's a scary thought how deeply interlaced government organizations and cartels are.

But if you're only into heady music festivals here's the article about MtyMx.

Problems at the MtyMx festival in Mexico

MONTERREY, Mexico — Since Saturday, the MtyMx festival has occupied Autocinema Las Torres, an abandoned drive-in movie theater here in the southeast part of the city. Organized by the Brooklyn D.I.Y. impresario Todd P in concert with the local promoters Yo Garage, it’s the first festival of its kind, with an emphasis on American indie-rock bands, to be held in this city of about four million, which last week saw an eruption of drug cartel violence and was recently mentioned in a State Department travel advisory.

[c-towns]

He may be referring to your general wind-bagged-ness.

[edger]

I consider myself to be fully responsible for anything that I have read.

[zero]

Ever heard of Narco Subs? You have now.

Narco Subs pose new challenges for Coast Guard

Edited June 3, 2010 by Guest

[elemeno]

Ever heard of Narco Subs?

yes we have. you mentioned the same subs with the same picture about a year ago asshole.

Link

[c-towns]

windbag'd

[The Chameleon]

I have travelled to Jamaica 7 times in 5 years and everytime has been amamazing. I have made many close personal friwends and never experienced any trouble.

I also stayed away from Kingston. The rest of the country is perfectly fine it is just one area of Kingston.

Negril is a jewel. I am gonna see if prices come down due to all of this. Could be a travellers deal.

One love.

[SaggyBalls]

...if you think about it, it's a scary thought how deeply interlaced government organizations and cartels are.

It's only a scary thought if you think about it, and think about it as such.

Otherwise it's a reality and the concept is only scary if you haven't come to terms with power and politics being bigger than you and your lone voice (using the Royal 'you') and as a reality, if that kind of power were to actually have a direct effect on you then it's doubtful you'd be typing about it on the internet.

Not to dismiss you as being insignificant, zero, but if this is to be any kind of discussion it's important to observe some sort of impartiality here. 'look at these cool boats filled with tonnes of blow' isn't going to move this forward (even though I think it's clever as heck too)

For one, I'm not scared and it's part of the reason that I see the War on Drugs as being an enormous joke. If that same war had an affect on me directly (if I were on either side as part of my life/livelihood) it would either be an inconvenient joke played on me from time to time or would cease to be a joke (and people like myself in this thread might piss the hell out of me).

My apologies - and condolences to anyone whose life is adversely effected by such an enormous line of bullshit.

[meggo]

I appreciate what you're saying, zero. I have a good friend from Mexico [from Monterrey, actually] - same guy Ms. Hux is referring to. He's been here in Ottawa for two years but his family is all in Monterrey. His dad got car-jacked a few months ago, his mom got mugged in a hospital corridor. He is deeply upset and concerned about what is happening in his country... don't know where I'm going with this except to say I hope the power goes back where it belongs ASAP, in Mexico and Jamaica. So sad.

as a PS - I think Felipe Calderon is a good guy. As he put it when he was being interviewed by Mansbridge last week when he was visiting Canada [Mansbridge threw him some hardballs, too] - it's tough to be the country south of the biggest drug consumers - in his words, the Americans are using his windows and doors to buy/sell their drugs. He is not turning a blind eye to corruption in the institutions as pretty much everyone seems to have until now and I say good on him.

and a PPS - we are lucky to have police that we [more or less] can trust. big time.

my 3 cents!

[SaggyBalls]

It's going to take us raiding the drug factories, taking them over, and making the product to sell in our own countries to put these cartels out.

Heroin Cocaine Factories, poppy fields (work with the farmers)...It is important to note the importance of the Coca plant to indiginous and local peoples as a food/ingredient. Cocaine is essentially only one part of that plant and it's the least beneficial part.