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A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale for suspending civil liberties. Such declarations usually come during a time of natural disaster, during periods of civil disorder, or following a declaration of war (in democratic countries, many call this martial law, mostly with non-critical intent). Justitium is its equivalent in Roman law.
In some countries, the state of emergency and its effects on civil liberties and governmental procedure are regulated by the constitution, or a law that limits the powers that may be invoked or rights that may be suspended during an emergency. In many countries, it is illegal to modify the emergency law or constitution during the emergency.
do you think the media is helping this war in jamaica to get worst?
http:// www.7newsbelize.com/index.php
THE ongoing violence in sections of West Kingston has forced former Prime Minister Edward Seaga to cancel his 80th birthday party which was scheduled to be held at Devon House in St Andrew on Saturday.
Seaga had invited popular artists Mavado and Etana to perform at his party but plans were thrown in a spin after violence broke out in sections of the Corporate Area and St Catherine since last week.
The violence is concentrated in the hotbed community of Tivoli Gardens which is under siege from a joint police/military team which has bombarded the area in search of reputed don, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
Tivoli Gardens was built by Seaga in the late 1960's. The area was originally a slum known as 'Back a Wall'.
The original residents were forced out and replaced them with Seaga's supporters.
Coke's father, Lester Coke, popularly called 'Jim Brown' was a main political activist in Seaga's bid for power in the 1980 elections which ended with more than 800 murders.
'Jim Brown' was mysteriously burnt to death in a cell at the General Penitentiary, now called the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre, days before he was to be extradited to the United States to face drug charges.
Seaga, the longest serving member of parliament, represented the constituency of West Kingston for more than 40 years. Tivoli Gardens is the seat of power for the constituency.
Current Prime Minister Bruce Golding is now the parliamentary representative for West Kingston.
DEAD BODIES DOWNTOWN......SO SAD........................
-- Edited by Dagga16 on Tuesday 25th of May 2010 01:24:08 PM
-- Edited by MZJ on Tuesday 25th of May 2010 03:10:10 PM
BREAKING NEWS!!! Security forces move on Tivoli Gardens!!!
HEAVY explosions are ringing out in West Kingston as a large contingent of police and soldiers have converged on the volatile community of Tivoli Gardens in an effort to bring in reputed don, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
Plumes of smoke can also be seen rising from the area.
Until now the security forces have taken a soft-handed approach even in the face of constant attacks by gunmen which resulted in the deaths of two cops and the injury of six others.
The cops were attacked as they attempted to clear a roadblock at Mountain View Avenue.
Stung by the deaths of their colleagues lawmen have launched on offensive on Tivoli Gardens, Coke's stomping ground and the power base of Prime Minister Bruce Golding's West Kingston constituency.
There were also reports that the violence had spread to sections of a community known as 'Southside' near to the Kingston Central Police station. Jamaica Defence Force soldiers and police have been deployed to that area to quell the disturbance.
Gunmen and police were also engaged in a running gunbattle in the Central Kingston community of Woodford Park.
So far there are no reports on injuries.
-- Edited by jubalson on Monday 24th of May 2010 01:15:22 PM
-- Edited by jubalson on Monday 24th of May 2010 05:41:29 PM
TWO policemen were killed yesterday in a violent confrontation with gunmen, who had launched an attack against the security forces in wake of the pending extradition of alleged Tivoli Gardens drug lord Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. Six other officers were injured in the attack.
The dead policemen were identified as Sgt Wayne Henriques and Constable Jason Davis, both of the Motorised Patrol Division.
The eight officers were responding to a distress call from a female motorist at the Rockfort Police Station, who reportedly came under fire from armed men on Mountain View Avenue at about 11:30 Sunday night along the volatile Mountain View Avenue in Kingston.
Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington, in condemning the murder of the policemen, advised members of the constabulary to take swift and decisive action to protect themselves in the face of orchestrated attacks on police personnel and facilities by gunmen supporting Coke.
"Do not hesitate to respond quickly and take decisive action when attacked by these criminals as it is now patently clear that they are hell bent on causing mayhem in the society by their calculated, vile and cold actions against police personnel.
"Police personnel have the full backing of the high command to take any response to protect themselves, their colleagues and the law abiding citizens of Jamaica ," Ellington told members of the Force while visiting various formations early yesterday morning.
The police commissioner, meanwhile, extended his profound sadness to the family, friends and colleagues of the two slain officers and the six nursing gunshot wounds in hospital.
"The loss of these two officers and the injury to the six, while difficult to deal with, will only serve as a rallying call for the police to remain strong, committed and firm as we continue to encounter brazen criminals," Ellington said.
Security Minister Dwight Nelson also extended sincere condolence to the family, friends and loved ones of the two policemen, noting that they made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in the pursuit of their duties to uphold law and order.
Minister Nelson, in a press statement, said that now is the time for the society to deal decisively with crime and violence once and for all. He urged all political parties and other well-meaning non-governmental organisations to unite in this effort and lend unstinting support for law enforcement agencies.
Opposition Spokesman on Security Peter Bunting also said it was time for all people of goodwill to support the security forces in their lawful response to the criminal organisations.
Meanwhile, Jamaicans For Justice (JFJ), which has over the years been critical of the operational tactics of the police, said yesterday that it was deeply disturbed and saddened by the tragic death of the two officers and the injury of six of their colleagues.
"Our deepest sympathies are extended to the families and colleagues of those law officers killed in the service of their country.
"The lawlessness displayed in some areas and by some persons, since the announcement that the extradition request for Christopher 'Dudus' Coke would be signed, are utterly deplorable and cannot be tolerated in a free and democratic society," said the rights organisation.
It added: "The professionalism and restraint displayed thus far by the Jamaica Constabulary Force is extremely commendable. It is also heartening for the signal it sends of a new, higher level of policing practice under the leadership of Commissioner Owen Ellington.
"JFJ hopes that the JCF can bring the situation under control in short order and with minimal further loss of life and injury."
It said, too, that it hoped that the approach taken by the police was the start of a new and better day for policing and the rule of law in Jamaica.
"All Jamaica and every Jamaican must ensure and show that our enduring support and loyalty is to the rule of law and for those who bravely risk and give their lives in its defence," said JFJ.
JAMAICA Defence Force soldiers used a bulldozer and trucks to clear blockages erected at various points on the busy thoroughfare of Red Hills Road this morning.
The road was blocked at various points between the Price Mart supermarket and the Emmanuel Gospel Assembly by thugs who have joined in the fight against security forces in defence of reputed Tivoli Gardens don, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
Roadblocks were also erected near the Sandy Gully Ford near a community known as 'Ackee Walk'. There the Observer roving team spotted women extorting money from motorists in order to allow them passage.
-- Edited by jubalson on Monday 24th of May 2010 02:20:30 PM
TIVOLI Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke is still at large despite a major security dragnet imposed on the volatile community of Tivoli Gardens during a two-day operation by the security forces.
National Security Minister Dwight Nelson made the announcement during a press briefing at Prime Minister Bruce Golding's official residence, Vale Royal, this afternoon.
"Up to the last briefing I got the answer is no," Nelson told journalists.
The security forces stormed the community in an attempt to serve an arrest warrant on Coke, who is wanted by United States authorities on gun and drug running charges.
Official police reports are that 26 civilians, two police officers and a soldier have been killed during the outbreak of violence. Seven cops and four Jamaica Defence Force soldiers were also injured.
Army fatigues, ballistic vests, binoculars and a cache of guns and ammunition were recovered during the operation.
Colonel Rocky Meade, head of communications of the Jamaica Defence Force shot down claims that soldiers were burning bodies inside Tivoli Gardens.
"Based on our training I would be very surprised if those reports were true," Meade said.
He said the security forces used the necessary force to repel the threat posed to the state.
"The JDF owns no fighter jets but I can assure you that we used no more force than was necessary to protect our troops," Meade said.
POLICE are reassuring the public that the violence remains limited to a "narrowly defined area of Kingston", despite gunshots ringing out across downtown and central Kingston all this morning.
By 'narrow' security forces mean the area of Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town where they have been battling gunmen trying to prevent the arrest of local don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. Police could also be seen stopping and searching motorcars heading in and out of the downtown area.
"The public is, however, being urged to cooperate with the security forces as we try to serve you in a very challenging environment. Our members have been instructed to be courteous and respectful to all in their interactions and that no act of indiscipline or abuse of power will be tolerated," said a release from the Police High Command.
Travelling down Slipe Pen Road this morning the situation was tense with a heavy police presence and the road empty further down as we turned onto Heroes' Circle. But it was on East Street that we heard the first significant volleys of gunshots and police dashing on foot from street to street.
Police vehicles, open pick-ups, patrol cars and armoured vehicles passed us frequently and many roads remained blocked, including bedside Parliament with an upturned motorcar on Charles Street blocking the way into West Kingston.
As a preventive measure security forces had blocked roads close to army headquarters at Up Park Camp. Meanwhile regular automatic gunfire could be heard coming from inside nearby Allman Town.
Individual soldiers were also manning roadblocks at the bottom of South Camp Road and by the harbour, preventing us from venturing closer to the operation in Tivoli Gardens.
Citizens may call 946-1248 to report acts of misconduct or other concerns.
LATEST UPDATE ON THE WAR RELATED TO THE EXTRADITION OF DUDUS
The recent outbreak of violence in Spanish Town St. Catherine over the past 12 hours has resulted in the reported deaths of at least 11 persons including an 8-year-old girl. The child identified as Lascelles Flint was among three persons shot and killed during a drive-by shooting along Corletts Avenue about 9:30 last night.
According to Gleaner/Power 106 St. Catherine correspondent, Rasbert Turner, there was also a shootout between the police and gunmen along March Pen Road shortly after 10 a.m. this morning.
Turner is also getting unconfirmed reports that "... this morning about 2:30 a.m. persons were shot and burned in the Corletts Avenue area off the March Pen Road community."
Over 26 killed in standoff to capture Christopher 'Dudus' Coke for extradition
The Jamaica Security Forces have provided a report on the number of casualties arising from the ongoing battle between criminal elements in Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town since yesterday.
The police say seven members of the security forces have been injured and one killed. They also say 26 civilians have been killed and 25 injured.
The police say those killed were mainly males whose bodies were recovered from areas close to barricades, building entrances and gullies running through Tivoli Gardens.
In addition to injuries and fatalities, 211 people including six women have been detained.
The Security Forces are also reporting seizures of firearms, ammunition, binoculars, army fatigues and ballistic vests. They say the operations which include building searches will continue and the public will be informed of the outcome.
Jamaica's opposition party condemn threats against media house
Jamaica's Opposition party, the People's National Party, has condemned the threat which was made on the RJR group yesterday.
The party says any threat to the countrys media houses or journalists is an assault on democracy and our right to freedom of speech.
Opposition Spokesperson on Information, Lisa Hanna says members of the press must at all times be permitted to do their jobs without fear and intimidation.
She says the freedom given to media practitioners over the years to present accurate and timely information on all matters including Governance, has helped to strengthen the democratic processes.
Ms Hanna says this freedom and access have allowed the citizenry channels for their voices to be heard and have information readily available to them.
Ms. Hanna says the crisis in the country underscores the need for journalists to be able to operate without fear.
Jamaica's riot squad headquarters under attack
The Jamaica Constabulary Force Mobile Reserve Unit, located at Up Park Camp is under heavy gunfire from heavily armed men.
Members of the Police High Command are now locked in a meeting to map out a response to a flare up of gunfire in sections of the Corporate Area.
Ombudsman To Visit Tivoli For Independent Assessment
Prime Minister Bruce Golding has instructed the Public Defender, Mr. Earle Witter and Political Ombudsman, Dr. Hero Blair, to visit Tivoli Gardens today to conduct an independent assessment of the operations being carried out by the Security Forces.
They have been instructed to ascertain the precise number of persons who have been killed or injured.
The Prime Minister has directed the Security Forces to make the necessary arrangements to facilitate this visit and to provide the necessary security to the Public Defender, the Political Ombudsman and those who accompany them.
The Red Cross will also provide support including ambulances to transport those who have been injured or are otherwise in need of medical attention
-- Edited by jubalson on Tuesday 25th of May 2010 01:14:15 PM
PRIME Minister Bruce Golding is sending the Public Defender Earl Witter and Political Ombudsman Dr Herro Blair, to visit Tivoli Gardens today, to conduct an independent assessment of the operations being carried out by the security forces.
They have been instructed to ascertain the precise number of persons who have been killed or injured, the Office of the Prime Minister indicated today.
Golding has directed the security forces to make the necessary arrangements to facilitate this visit and to provide the necessary security to the men and those who accompany them.
The Red Cross will also provide support including ambulances to transport those who have been injured or are otherwise in need of medical attention, Golding said.
THE Jamaica Constabulary Force is reporting that 26 civilians have been killed and 25 injured in the West Kingston operation. The report the first official confirmation from the police was issued this morning.
One member of the security forces was also killed and seven injured, the police said.
The police said those killed were mostly males and their bodies were recovered from areas close to barricades, building entrances and gullies running through Tivoli Gardens. In addition to injuries and fatalities, 211 people including six women were detained.
The security forces are also reporting seizures of firearms, ammunition, binoculars, army fatigues and ballistic vests.
The operations which include building searches will continue and the public will be informed of the outcome, the police said.
Norman Grindley - Barbara holds a feeding bottle that 50-year-old security guard Errol Mitchell had just used to feed his two sons before he was killed.
A family from Mark Lane in Fletcher's Land, west Kingston, is calling for an investigation into the fatal shooting of one of its breadwinners.
A family from Mark Lane in Fletcher's Land, west Kingston, is calling for an investigation into the fatal shooting of one of its breadwinners.
Fifty-year-old security guard Errol Mitchell was pronounced dead at hospital Sunday evening after he was shot in the neck at his gate in Mark Lane.
According to relatives, Mitchell, a single father had just fed his two sons, a two-year-old and a seven-year-old, at their aunt's house, also in Mark Lane, and was heading home.
explosion
"Then we hear an explosion and just see him running into the yard without the children," a family member told THE STAR.
When persons made their way into the house, Mitchell was seen bleeding from a bullet wound.
Relatives claim that policemen were seen at the entrance of the lane firing wildly at the time Mitchell was shot.
They alleged that no other shots were being fired at the time and are demanding an investigation by the Bureau of Special Investigations.
Police from the St Andrew South Division yesterday said that they have received word that criminals were planning to attack the Hunts Bay Police Station.
Up to press time last night, however, there were no reported attacks there.
Lawmen from the Hunts Bay Police Station told THE STAR that there was sporadic gunfire in various communities in the division on Sunday night. One officer from the CIB told THE STAR that there were reports of shootings in the Ashley Road area of Maxfield Avenue in Kingston 11.
The police also said a man had been shot in the Majestic Gardens community yesterday morning.
Residents of several communities near Washington Boulevard reported hearing gunshots late Sunday night. While not ruling out the possibility, the police said they had not heard those reports.
The police said that despite those cases most of the division remained quiet, with only a few isolated incidents of violence. They also said they had received no reports of looting.
The St Catherine North police are searching for a group of men who engaged them in a gun battle and shot up a police car in the process.
Reports from the police are that about 11 p.m. a group of police went into the Shelter Rock community in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
Gunmen pinned them down for more than an hour. The police summoned for assistance and a team from the nearby Spanish Town Police Station went to their aid.
Upon reaching near to the Spanish Town Health Centre, gunmen drove up and sprayed the car with bullets.
The lawmen miraculously escaped injuries and, in an effort to get away from the heavy gunfire, sought refuge at the Spanish Town Hospital.
"From I join the police force, is the first time gunmen ever fire so much shot at mi. Things really sticky pon us," a policeman said.
His views were echoed by other policemen, who said they hoped things would normalise soon.
Meanwhile, police and military personnel have been deployed throughout Spanish Town.
Residents of Tivoli Gardens in west Kingston yesterday painted a *lo**y picture of what was taking place as the security forces moved in on the community.
While talking to THE STAR via cellular phone, the residents literally cried for mercy as loud explosions, which they claimed were bombs, could be heard in the background.
"Yu nuh hear dat? Is a next bomb dat eno, dem a kill wi off, call Bruce fi wi nuh please. Please call Bruce, a him alone can mek dem stop," one resident said as other females around her screamed for murder.
She then added, "Please mek Bruce come dung yah, wi cyaa tek it no more."
The loud explosions helped to amplify the residents stories of what was taking place between the security forces and thugs from the community.
The residents were begging for the intervention of Prime Minister Bruce Golding, their member of parliament.
Even known gunmen admitted to THE STAR that the operation was much more than they bargained for.
One thug who claimed to have just gone to hide his gun and was taking a break said; "Mi naw lie, di bway dem a give it to wi ... A pure bomb dem a drop, dem a deal wid wi a way."
Another thug went on to claim that a decision was made to hide some of the weapons some time before the operation started and this led to the military getting into the community a bit easier.
"Dem a gwaan wicked, but pon a level a jus tru wi lock some a di ting dem ... Anyhow wi did decide fi keep out everything a woulda judgement, dem couldn't get in so easy," he told THE STAR. Some of the thugs also left the community.
In describing what he saw, another resident recalled, "Jah kno mi look out a Java (a section of the community) and a bout 50 man mi see lie dung ... Man face gone, some no have nuh foot, bone a push through dem ribs and all kinda tings."
He said that among the dead persons in the community were women and children. The residents claimed that rumours that Dudus was held, and a man said to be second-in-command of Tivoli was killed, were untrue.
They said that Dudus was not even in the community during the operation which began about midday. Up to press time last night, though an official number was not released, scores of residents were said to have been fatally wounded.
A release from the Constabulary Communication Network yesterday stated that during the operation seven members of the security forces were injured. Six of the seven were shot, one succumbed to his injuries. The other was injured in an accident.
The security forces had gone on the offensive as they tried to take control of the community, which was being overrun with lawlessness, as criminals there prepared for what they called a war by mounting blockades to entrances, setting traps and turning the place into a fortress.
The thugs and residents had said that they were prepared to die for their beloved leader, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke who is wanted in the United States to answer to gun and drug-running charges.
Police in Spanish Town, St Catherine are trying to ascertain the identity of a man whose body was found on a train line in Cromarty yesterday.
Reports are that about 9 a.m. residents stumbled on the body and called the police. When they arrived, the body was seen with its face blown off.
The killing is the fifth to have occurred in the St Catherine North Division within a 24-hour period. About 4:15 Sunday afternoon, Ricardo Powell, Stafford Dawkins, Kemar Brown and an unidentified man were shot dead by gunmen.
The police said the men were at a bar on Melissa Crescent in Crescent district, when three men approached, brandished guns and fired shots killing all four men.
St Catherine North has seen a spike in homicides with 96 murders up to Sunday. This is 35 more than the corresponding period last year.
The St Catherine North Homicide Unit are investigating the murders.
CRIMINAL gangs aligned to the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) in the Maxfield Avenue area of Whitfield Town are being paid up to $100,000 per day to join in the mounting unrest in the Corporate Area sparked by resistance to the security forces' attempt to arrest Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke.
According to men claiming to be members of the gangs, they are being paid by Coke, who is currently battling, in the Supreme Court, his pending extradition to the United States on drug- and gun-running charges.
Sections of the West Kingston area of the Jamaican capital have been plunged into unrest since last week Tuesday after it was announced that a warrant had been issued for Coke's arrest.
Barricades were immediately mounted around Coke's stronghold of Tivoli Gardens, followed later by a mass demonstration, by mostly female residents, appealing for the security forces to "leave Dudus alone".
Police officers with expertise on gang operations told the Observer in March, two months before the current violence erupted, that thugs aligned to the PNP would join forces with the Tivoli hoodlums, who are affiliated with the ruling Jamaica Labour Party, should an attempt be made to take Coke into custody.
Signs of that cross-party alliance emerged on Sunday when gunmen from the Jones Town area, close to Maxfield Avenue, blocked a section of Spanish Town Road in the vicinity of the St Andrew Technical High School, as the security forces surrounded Tivoli Gardens before launching their offensive to capture Coke.
Yesterday, as that operation was in full swing, heavily armed men were busy blocking sections of Maxfield Avenue, from Wellington Road. Heavy gunfire was reported in the vicinity of Fitzgerald Avenue and the lower section of Maxfield Avenue where a woman was shot and injured.
A house was reportedly torched along Whitfield Avenue.
"A whole heap a gunshot a fire down Whitfield Avenue," a resident told the Observer yesterday.
Residents have also reported that the heavily armed men are making no effort to conceal their weapons, as they walk around in broad daylight, ready to unleash mayhem, despite the imposition of a limited State of Emergency.
All out war - As Tivoli assault deepens, casualties rise
All out war - As Tivoli assault deepens, casualties rise
Published: Tuesday | May 25, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
Soldiers and police yesterday launched a *lo**y offensive on Tivoli Gardens where heavily armed thugs barricaded themselves to protect the mini-republic of a reputed crime overlord, causing street battles to ripple across Jamaica's capital.
At least three members of the security forces have been slain in gunfights and 14 others injured in two days of wide-scale violence that has swept western Kingston and other areas where rogue alliances exist.
Up to press time last night, the Constabulary Communication Network reported that seven law-enforcement personnel were injured in the latest phase of operations. Six of the seven were shot, one succumbing to his injuries. That fatality was a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier.
One soldier was reportedly injured in an undeclared accident. A soldier reportedly lost a leg, The Gleaner also learnt.
civilian casualties unknown
An undetermined number of civilians have been killed, with many of those believed to be among the gunmen who had engaged the security forces in fierce gun battles.
A source at Kingston Public Hospital said 23 persons had been admitted with gunshot wounds and three bodies delivered. A soldier told The Gleaner last night that many bodies were in Tivoli.
Hundreds of lawmen were yesterday hunting alleged drug kingpin Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who is wanted in the United States to answer to drug and gun charges. There have no reports whether Coke was nabbed or killed in the assault.
The security forces decided yesterday that the time to appeal to Coke supporters to clear the many barricades they had erected had expired.
But the armed thugs were not prepared to surrender, and police and soldiers had to take back the streets - barricade by barricade, block by block.
For most of the day, the sound of gunfire echoed across the south-eastern city where commercial activity had come to a standstill.
'Ground zero' was the area around Tivoli Gardens stretching from Darling Street in the east, Industrial Terrace in the west,
Spanish Town Road to the north and Marcus Garvey Drive in the south.
But other areas, including the Fletcher's Land neighbourhood beside The Gleaner's North Street offices, Denham Town, East Queen Street in the vicinity of the Central Police Station, and sections of Hannah Town also saw major gun battles.
The writing was on the wall from early yesterday morning when sources in the security forces told The Gleaner that the time for talk was over and efforts would be made to take back the streets.
By mid-morning when gunmen attempted to storm the Central Police Station, the order was issued for the police and soldiers to use deadly force to repel the criminals.
A short while later, a massive deployment from the JDF was seen on Harbour Street with soldiers taking up strategic positions.
"Time to take back the streets," said a motorist as he drove past the JDF team. And that was obviously the intention of the security forces.
Persons ran for cover - even those several metres away - as the sound of high-powered weapons rocked buildings in west Kingston.
The police and soldiers sealed the entrances and exits to Tivoli Gardens, Denham Town and Hannah Town, barring all non-essential personnel.
Even members of the media were firmly and politely told that they would not be allowed on to the battlefield.
From every possible vantage point, reporters struggled to get a peek at the firefight but most had to make do with a look at the thick, black smoke which billowed from inside the battleground - reportedly from the Coronation Market which had been set ablaze by gangsters.
Dwellings on Crooks Street and in Whitfield Town in the western end of the city were also razed.
Three persons were injured in the fire that destroyed two dwellings at Whitfield Town. No one sustained fire-related injuries at Crooks Street while the firefighters were unable to respond to the blaze at Coronation Market - Jamaica's main market - because of the wicked stand-off in the area.
But even those journalists several metres away at the intersection of Waltham Park and Spanish Town roads came face to face with the violence as random bullets struck at least one spectator.
Persons watching the drama from the neighbouring community of Rema also had to duck for cover as bullets whizzed by. Two bystanders were reportedly shot in the area.
As darkness descended over Jamaica's capital city, explosions were still being heard, sparking fears that the body count could be much higher when the tallying begins this morning.WITH the ongoing standoff between security forces and gunmen in West Kingston, life in the city is still not back to normal.
Travelling to work today people would have noticed levels of traffic still lower than normal. Meantime the Jamaica Urban Transport Service (JUTC) announced that its service to downtown is still not to resume.
Businesses, including Air Jamaica, have closed their premises downtown. Meantime all schools in Kingston remain closed until further notice.
The Observer has been touring the city all morning including the trouble spot of Red Hills Road in St Andrew where police and soldiers repeated yesterday's work of clearing roadblocks.
Similar actions had to be undertaken in Spanish Town, St Catherine where public transport was delayed until the roads could be cleared.
In sections of Tivoli Gardens residents who have been penned in the crossfire between security forces and gunmen have been calling the Observer reporting that they have gone almost a day without food and water.
"From early this morning soldiers have been firing at buildings when people have been attempting to come out of their homes," said one angry female caller.
She claimed that most of the gunmen were either dead or have fled the community after security forces began their assault yesterday.
She appealed for the authorities to render some assistance. Government has made available buses to evacuate residents from the communityDead and injured taken to KPH - Looters strip West Queen's Street businesses
CASUALTIES continue to roll in to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) this morning as the battle between the security forces and gunmen rages on in West Kingston.
Minutes ago, a male teenager as well as a police officer were taken into the Accident and Emergency unit with gunshot wounds.
The injured youngster was loaded onto a stretcher while the officer, apparently struck in his right leg, hopped onto a provided wheelchair.
Persons outside the hospital said as much as 30 bodies were earlier loaded from a police armoured truck. They said the persons were pronounced dead at KPH before being taken to the Maddens Funeral Home.
Meanwhile, gunshots continue to ring out in sections of West Kingston as well as near the intersection of Windward and South Camp roads
The Observer saw looters running amok on West Queens Street, completely clearing out stores on the roadway.
No looting was observed on King or Orange streets, where there are wholesales and other businesses. The Observer is unable to move to the other areas because of roadblocks.
Dead and injured taken to KPH
Looters strip West Queen's Street businesses
By COREY ROBINSON, Observer staff reporter robinsonc@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
CASUALTIES continue to roll in to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) this morning as the battle between the security forces and gunmen rages on in West Kingston.
Minutes ago, a male teenager as well as a police officer were taken into the Accident and Emergency unit with gunshot wounds.
The injured youngster was loaded onto a stretcher while the officer, apparently struck in his right leg, hopped onto a provided wheelchair.
Persons outside the hospital said as much as 30 bodies were earlier loaded from a police armoured truck. They said the persons were pronounced dead at KPH before being taken to the Maddens Funeral Home.
Meanwhile, gunshots continue to ring out in sections of West Kingston as well as near the intersection of Windward and South Camp roads
The Observer saw looters running amok on West Queens Street, completely clearing out stores on the roadway.
No looting was observed on King or Orange streets, where there are wholesales and other businesses. The Observer is unable to move to the other areas because of roadblocks.
Former Digicel Rising Star's contestant Christopher Martin is no longer rising, but has risen to become one of Jamaica's most notable entertainers through his melodic vocals and captivating songs; such as Take My Wings and more recently Come Where Your Going. This year he will be finishing his tenure at the University of Technology with a degree in Banking and Finance; something that will definitely come in handy when it comes to managing his assets.
While one stage in his life is complete, Chris is moving on with the other important aspect of his life; his musical career, which is currently making strides in the industry. With new single To The Top, a collaboration with German-born Reggae artiste Gentleman, that is featured on the latter's album Diversity, an upcoming self-titled album due to be released later this month in Japan on the Rockers Island label and a tour of Africa this summer, Chris Martin will no doubt have his hands full for the coming months.
While chatting with TEENage, he describes all these opportunities as a culmination of hard work and dedication aimed at maintaining his presence on the Jamaican music scene. He credits his ability to develop his musical talents to the equally talented people that he has around him.
Chris Martin is definitely an artiste to look out for this summer. After going to Germany in June to shoot the video for the sing To the Top he will be doing a promotional tour of the album in Japan in August after which he flies to Nairobi, Kenya for the beginning of the African tour. He encourages TEENs to "put God first, be true to yourself, be educated, expand your brain and utilise all the gifts that God has blessed you with to please yourself and benefit others.Us Spy Plane Name The "Big Look" Hovering Around The Kingston Area NOW !!!!!!!
There are more antennae in covered pods called 'canoes' on the aircraft's top and underside. They are capable of intercepting and analysing military and civilian radio, and other electronic communications including e-mails, faxes, and telephone conversations.
BEECHER TOWN, St Ann When 46-year-old police sergeant Wayne Henriques was called in off his day-off to work Sunday, he was a bit hesitant because he was celebrating his 17th wedding anniversary and had promised to spend the time with his wife and children.
Henriques family said the police force was the only job he knew, having spent the last 27 years policing mainly Kingston and St Andrew and that his love for the job and country caused him to report to work Sunday.
Henriques was assigned to the Motorised Patrol Division at Elleston Road and was among a police team who responded to a stranded female motorist along Mountain View Avenue Sunday night.
The police team reportedly came under heavy and sustained gunfire and was reportedly pinned down near the Excelsior High School by gunmen in a fierce firefight.
Henriques and another cop were killed while six others received gunshot wounds and were admitted to hospital as security forces took on brazen gunmen in separate parts of the capital city.
Yesterday, a cloud of darkness hung over Henriques' house here in Beecher Town, St Ann where his mother and other relatives reside. Pieces of black cloth hung on the gate and along the driveway to the house, eerie evidence that something had gone terribly wrong.
"I can't explain it, I'm hurt; I can't believe that he's gone; he was such a nice person, he was fun loving, kind, jovial, hardworking, he was everything to me," mother of the slain policeman, Daisy Henriques told the Observer. "He was only doing his job. I just can't explain it, he who feels it, knows it."
Henriques' relatives said he was in the Beecher Town community last weekend where he attended a funeral and visited with relatives and friends. The entire community was shocked at his death, describing it as untimely and gruesome.
"We had no idea that he would be next, we didn't know he would die at the hands of criminals," another relative said.
Henriques' brother, Devon, said the two had spoken Sunday morning and Henriques told him he was called in to work but didn't want his mother to know.
"He said I shouldn't tell her because he didn't want her to worry. He loved his job, he was dedicated to the force and that's why he went to work on his wedding anniversary when he should have been at home," the heart-broken Devon explained.
He said the family was traumatised by the tragic circumstances, describing the current outbreak of violence in the Corporate Area and St Catherine as senseless.
Superintendent of police assigned to Area II HQ, Patricia Coulbourne-White, who was among police in the parish who visited the family, said she was concerned about the level of lawlessness in the country.
"Every citizen must rise up and send a message to the criminals that we will not accept criminality," Coulbourne-White said.
Sergeant Debbie Bowen, another of Henriques' colleague who worked with him 20 years ago at the Central Police in Kingston, was saddened by Henriques' tragic death, saying: "To know that I know him for so long and to just hear about it is really sad, it's really devastating."
Henriques is survived by his wife, mother, four children, five siblings and other relatives.
Tivoli assault Security forces come under heavy fire Vaz, Nelson say Dudus not captured
Tivoli assault Security forces come under heavy fire
Vaz, Nelson say Dudus not captured
BY KIMMO MATTHEWS & COREY ROBINSON Observer staff reporters editorial@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
GOVERNMENT spokesmen last night insisted that Christopher 'Dudus' Coke was not caught in yesterday's police/military operation in Tivoli Gardens in which a soldier was shot dead and six members of the security forces were injured.
National Security Minister Dwight Nelson and Information Minister Daryl Vaz both denied widespread reports that Coke, who is wanted by US authorities, was captured by the security forces who fought pitch battles with gunmen in Tivoli for most of yesterday.
At nightfall, the police reported that the operation -- launched to execute an arrest warrant on Coke and restore stability to the West Kingston community which was barricaded by residents intent on preventing Coke's arrest -- was still ongoing.
"The security forces are resolute in bringing the area to stability so that law-abiding citizens of Western Kingston and its environs can get on with their lives in peace," the police said in a news release.
The security forces entered the community after gunmen ignored their appeals to remove the barricades and launched co-ordinated attacks on police patrols and on police stations on Sunday. During those attacks, the Hannah Town Police Station was torched by gunmen.
Later Sunday night, two policemen were shot dead on Mountain View Avenue as heavily armed gunmen continued their rein of terror in sections of the Corporate Area, forcing the Government to declare a limited State of Public Emergency in Kingston and St Andrew.
But even that measure did not stop gunmen yesterday from engaging police and soldiers on Red Hills Road, Mountain View Avenue, Arnett Gardens, Allman Town, Maxfield Avenue, Jones Town, Whitfield Town, Molynes Road, and in sections of Spanish Town, St Catherine.
Gunmen also reportedly opened fire on police in the vicinity of the Kingston Central Police Station on East Queen Street, and attacked the Rockfort Police Station on Windward Road.
At press time, the number of civilian casualties was unclear. However, one woman was shot in the abdomen at the intersection of Maxfield Avenue and Spanish Town Road when soldiers and gunmen exchanged fire.
She was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where her condition was listed as stable.
Throughout yesterday, loud explosions echoed across the Corporate Area as soldiers carried out co-ordinated attacks on Tivoli -- Coke's power base -- from a temporary military post set up in a section of downtown Kingston.
A military aircraft circled the city and JDF helicopters provided air support.
During the operation, persons who said they were living in Tivoli complained to Observer reporters about the heavy firing in the community.
The soldier who was killed was among four members of the JDF who were rushed to hospital after they were shot by gunmen in Tivoli.
One of the injured soldiers -- who was hit in his right arm and leg -- told the Observer that one of his colleagues was battling for life, while the other was in stable condition.
"I guess I am the luckiest of all of them," the soldier said as he watched a television newscast inside the hospital's waiting room.
"It is just a pity the media can't venture into the area so you can see what is going on; pure gunshots firing everywhere," he said.
-- Edited by +0p$h0++@ (Mod) on Tuesday 25th of May 2010 07:03:04 AM
-- Edited by +0p$h0++@ (Mod) on Tuesday 25th of May 2010 07:04:23 AM
Tivoli residents plead for helpTivoli residents plead for help
Residents of Tivoli Gardens took to the airwaves appealing for help yesterday afternoon as the security forces moved determinedly to take back the streets from thugs who had established defence positions across west Kingston for almost one week.
With the Jamaica Defence Force leading the push into the barricaded community, residents claimed that excessive force was being used against all and sundry.
"A nuff shot dem a fire and all bomb a drop from helicopter," said one caller to our news centre.
"Me hear say me daughter-in-law dead and all people house bomb down. Dem a go kill we off in yah and decent people live yah," another woman said, in tears.
"A true me neva have nowhere fi come out go. Me 'fraid, me 'fraid, me 'fraid," added the woman as she held her phone close to the window to allow the news team to listen to the explosions.
"Where is the prime minister? Him is we member of parliament and now that them a kill we, him not here. When them want votes, them come down here come party, but now that the police dem a kill we, nobody not here.
"Call Bruce for we, call Bruce for we," said the woman in reference to member of parliament for the area, Prime Minister Bruce Golding.
last call
The police had repeatedly appealed to women and children in Tivoli Gardens to leave the community as it became clear that militants were determined not to remove the blockades they had mounted.
On Sunday, as the criminals reinforced the blockades and attacked four police stations, the cops provided buses to transport women and children from Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town but residents told The Gleaner that they were unable to leave.
Some persons claimed that if they left, they would not be able to return to their community. Others pointed to the danger they would be exposed to if they were to attempt the more than 400-metre trek along Industrial Terrace to get to the buses.
Up to press time, the security forces did not reveal how many civilians - including insurgents - had been killed in Tivoli Gardens.THE Embassy of the United States in Kingston will be closed to the public today, in what is seen as a precautionary measure in the wake of the current tension in the Corporate Area sparked by gunbattles between the security forces and criminals bent on preventing the arrest of Tivoli Gardens don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who is facing extradition to the United States.
In a release yesterday, the embassy said "American citizens and other individuals with appointments to apply for passports, non-immigrant and immigrant visas, or other routine consular services should not come to the embassy" today.
"The Consular Section will contact these individuals to reschedule their appointments," the embassy said, adding that American citizens in Jamaica requiring emergency assistance today should contact the American Citizens Services Unit at 702-6450 or e-mail that office at KingstonACS@state.gov.
The suggestion is that the embassy is expecting normality to return to the capital city by tomorrow. Jamaican security forces yesterday entered Tivoli Gardens to flush out 'Dudus' supporters who had barricaded the community to prevent the arrest of Coke.
Just before that, the embassy announced increased visa fees, starting June 4 when it will introduce a multi-tiered system in which petition-based visas will cost more than non-petition based visas.
The additional revenue will come at a time when the number of Jamaicans applying for US non-immigrant visas has nose-dived, following fears that the embassy has been cancelling visas of certain Jamaicans, because of dissatisfaction with the drawn-out extradition process. The US has denied that it grants visas on a political basis.
The schedule for the new fees is as follows:
Non-petition-based visas
* Visitor (B1/B2) $140
* Crewmember (C1/D) $140
* Student visas (F1 and M1) $140
* Treaty Trader/Investor (E1 or E2) $390
Petition-based visas:
* Temporary skilled workers (H-1B) $150
* Temporary seasonal workers (H-2B) $150
* Intra-company transferees (L1) $150
* Performers (O and P) $150
* Fiance-based visas (K) $350
"Although the treaty trader (E1) and treaty investor (E2) visa classes are not petition-based, they will now be set at US$390. The new, higher fees for E and K visas will more accurately reflect the real cost of processing these document-intensive visa categories," the embassy said in a release last Friday.
It said applicants with interviews "scheduled for June 4 and who have already paid according to the old fee schedule will be required to return to NCB to pay the difference between the new and old fees in order for their cases to be processed."
All fees are in United States dollars.
THE Ministry of Education is closing all schools in the parish of Kingston all basic, infant, primary and high schools - until further notice. They include:
Denham Town Primary
St. Albans Primary
St. Andrew Primary
Greenwhich All-age
Boys Town All-age
Tavares Gardens Primary
Whitfield All-age
Trench Town Primary
St. Michaels Primary
St. Aloysious Primary
St. Georges Girls School
Mountain View Primary
Norman Gardens Primary and Junior High
Elletson Primary
Chetolah Park Primary
North Street Primary
St. Annes Primary
St. Annes Infant
Central Branch Primary
Central Branch Infant
St. Joseph Infant
Jones Town Primary
Windward Road Primary and Junior High
Calabar Primary and Junior High
Holy Family Primary
Holy Rosary Primary
Excelsior Primary
Vauxhall High
Trench Town High
Charlie Smith High
St Andrew Technical High
Excelsior High
Excelsior Community College
Kingston College
St George's College
Tivoli Gardens High
Denham Town High
Kingston High
Wolmers Boys, Wolmers Girls, Holy Childhood High, St Hugh's High and Ardenne High schools, which will serve as examination centres for students from the schools that will be closed, will not be opened for regular school tomorrow. These schools will only be opened to accommodate students that will sit examinations.
All other schools are to be opened for normal operations.
US being asked to help restore stability in J'ca Congresswoman
NEW YORK, USA Jamaican-born United States Congresswoman Yvette Clarke said yesterday she was seeking the help of the US State Department to restore peace and stability in Jamaica.
Clarke, in a statement expressing "deep concern about the civil unrest in Jamaica and the circumstances preceding the situation", did not spell out what form the assistance she is seeking would take.
The Observer was also unable to reach the State Department because yesterday was a national holiday in the States.
Clarke's mother is the famed Una Clarke in whose footsteps she has followed as representative of Brooklyn District in Congress, an area populated by thousands of Jamaican nationals. She is regarded as the Caribbean's staunchest ally in the US Congress.
She expressed hopes that the Jamaican Government "will do everything in its power to protect its citizens, and to ensure that order is restored in the shortest possible time".
Clarke said her office was "monitoring the situation very closely and will remain in close contact with the US State Department, and Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) to possible assist the Jamaican Government to restore peace and stability to the area affected by the unrest.
The Congresswoman was among large numbers of Jamaicans in the US who said they were worried about the developments in their homeland, as security forces faced brazen gunmen trying to prevent the arrest of Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who is wanted by the US on charges of alleged gun and drug running.
The Jamaican nationals were "gravely concerned about its effects on the country's image and the possibility of the long term damage" to the country.
Some nationals have cancelled planned visits, while others have put vacations on hold.
Observer interviews with influential and other Jamaican nationals here reveal a deep desire for an end to the 'Dudus' extradition saga which has gripped their country for the past nine months.
Claudia Pyke, who heads Generation 2000, an affiliate of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), described the situation as "frightening". She urged protesting residents to "allow due process to take place, given the decision of the Government concerning the extradition matter". Pyke also argued that the current unrest posed a great setback to the Government's economic programmes.
Newspaper publisher Patrick Maitland told the Observer that the situation in his homeland was a clear reflection that the Government will have to pursue measures that will grow the economy, so that those who depend on the so-called 'dons' will have no reason to do so.
Echoing similar sentiments, Attorney Marlon Hill who heads the Diaspora Board for the Southern United States, said the situation in his country required the joint effort of the Government, Opposition and private sector groups to be resolved.
"Jamaicans deserve the protection of the State. I urge Jamaican-Americans to be responsive to the need of their native land," said Hill, adding that Jamaicans here should reach out to their Congressional representatives for assistance to resolve the situation.
But, Horace Thomas, head of the People's National Party's affiliate, Jamaica National Movement believed the Jamaican security forces "are capable of handling the current situation". However, he disagreed with the strategy employed by the security forces, arguing that a longer wait on their part may have weakened the criminal elements.
In her reaction to the situation, Connecticut resident Ferris McLean-Edwards said she was "deeply troubled over the loss of life and the damage to my country's reputation".
And the Diaspora Boards for Canada and the North Eastern United States, which discussed the matter in a tele-conference yesterday, said stronger leadership on the part of the Jamaican authorities was needed in the current situation.
Patrick Beckford of the North East US Diaspora Board, told the Observer that the situation represents a watershed moment and that law-abiding Jamaicans need to stand up and demand a quick resolution of the matter.
Jamaican organisations in the southern United States have also called a meeting for tomorrow to discuss the situation in their homeland.
THE stand-off between security forces and 'Dudus' supporters in Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston, last week overshadowed a significant move towards peace in two other troubled Kingston communities.
Passers-by stood in amazement as residents from Big Yard and Cassava Piece, two long-standing rivals at the centre of a *lo**y feud, faced off in a busy parking lot off Mannings Hill Road.
But instead of trading bullets and harsh words which has been the norm between these warring factions, men, women and children bridged the long-standing divide with firm handshakes, hugs and a friendly smile.
Throngs of residents from both communities walked slowly towards each other, meeting on the imaginable half-way mark in the busy Super Value parking lot to broker the peace deal organised by the Rev Al Miller-led National Transformation Programme (NTP) and the Peace Management Initiative (PMI).
A week prior, members of the NTP and the PMI toured the Cassava Piece community which is aligned to dancehall entertainer, Mavado and Big Yard which has connections to rival deejay, Vybz Kartel. At both communities, residents who had expressed a deep desire to see an end to the constant *lo**-letting, sealed the deal with hearty handshakes and hugs.
Jennifer, a resident of Big Yard, was emotional as she hugged the young man from Cassava Piece who had threatened her son resulting in him being sent from the area to board elsewhere.
Overwhelmed at what was unfolding before her eyes, Jennifer said she had been praying for this peace for the longest while as the violence between both communities had made it impossible for her to even venture to night services at the nearby church.
"I feel joyous and good," she said with a big smile.
Not only was she forced to send away her fourth form son, but her six-year-old son and granddaughter had to take the longer route to get to school as they could not pass through Cassava Piece.
"Ah girl was carrying them through there one morning and someone shouted 'why you bring them through here'," she told the Observer.
An outward showing of this new peace commitment for both communities will be the staging of a Labour Day clean-up project followed by a peace dance scheduled for today.
They have also pledged to form a joint peace committee to ensure that dialogue continues before a situation escalates. In support, the PMI will establish an empowerment group for the women in both communities.
"You can't do anything about the past but you can do something about the future," Rev Miller told the peace meeting, stressing that without peace, prosperity and development could not come to their communities.
Following this persons were given the opportunity to air their grievances in bid to move forward,
"Me heart a bleed right now and me glad we all here to witness what a gwaan because me hear people ah say we fi kill off we one another and that is what them want fi see but it nah go happen," said one of the players from Big Yard.
Noting that anyone who attempted to break the peace would be removed from the community, he said his side was committed to maintaining the new found unity.
Ivan Shaw, a resident of Cassava Piece and a peace facilitator, said they were committed to controlling the schoolboys and women who play a great role in the beginning of conflicts often started over petty issues.
Deejay Mavado, one of the key persons behind the peace initiative, urged the men to put aside their differences, even as he denied claims that he had been behind the spate of violence.
"Ask them if me ever bring a rifle come give them, but at the same time me nah tell them not to defend themselves," he said. "We nuh deh here because we fear them or them fear we but is because we want bring back the love," Mavado told the gathering.
He noted that even if Vybz Kartel, who was absent because of an overseas engagement, did not make it on that day, it should not impact the peace.
"Even if Adi have a show then that nuh have nutten to do with it because me and Adi good," Mavado said.
US military plane lands @Norman Manley International Airport!!!!!!!
Coke, 41, is a major supporter of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the reputed leader of the Shower Posse gang, one of the most notorious criminal organisations in the Western Hemisphere.
United States law enforcement authorities had requested Cokes extradition since August last year, saying that he had been under surveillance since 1994.
They said so far nine co-conspirators have given information on Coke's alleged involvement in drug and gun-trafficking.
But Coke has failed to surrender to the authorities and is believed to be at a safe house in Tivoli Gardens in the JLP stronghold of West Kingston.
Residents of Tivoli Gardens have mounted barricades to block the security forces from entering the community.
On Friday the police high command issued two warnings to the residents that it was a breach of the law to erect the barricades.
Commentators have said that the warnings could be a sign that the security forces were moving to execute a warrant to arrest Coke.
The Government had in the past defended its decision not to extradite Coke, stating that it would not act hastily and violate the extradition treaty between Jamaica and the United States.
There had been mounting calls for the Prime Minister Bruce Goldings resignation following his admission in Parliament last week that he knew of attempts by the US-based law firm, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, to lobby the United States government to drop its request to extradite Coke, who faces life imprisonment if convicted on the charges.
Earlier this week, Golding, who asked for forgiveness over the entire matter, said he would not be stepping down as a result of the issue.
Golding acknowledged that he had sanctioned persons in the ruling JLP to approach the law firm knowing that such interventions have in the past proven to be of considerable value in dealing with issues involving the governments of both countries.
I made it absolutely, unmistakably clear, however, that this was an initiative to be undertaken by the party, not by or on behalf of the Government," Golding said.
-- Edited by SLICE BREAD on Sunday 23rd of May 2010 06:05:59 PM
FEMALE RAPPER KHIA GOES IN ON TRINA AFTER SEEING THE NEKKID PICS . . .
FEMALE RAPPER KHIA GOES IN ON TRINA AFTER SEEING THE NEKKID PICS . . . AND SHE GIVES HER OPINION OF WHAT CAUSED THAT MYSTERY RASH!!
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US sees window of opportunity to resolve Dudus dispute
PAUL Beswick, one of the lawyers representing Tivoli Gardens strongman, Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, yesterday met with the charge d'affaires Isiah Parnell at the US Embassy in an effort to reach an agreement on the contentious extradition matter.
Speaking on Nationwide last night, Beswick said a "window of opportunity" had opened up during the meeting which both he, on behalf of Coke, and the United States are pursuing to "peacefully resolve" the matter.
Unconfirmed reports are that both parties are likely to strike a deal that would see Coke waiving his rights to an extradition hearing in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court and head straight to the US where he would face trial on drugs and gun-running charges.
Such an agreement would avert widespread *lo**shed, should an attempt be made by the security forces to extract Coke from his heavily barricaded Tivoli Gardens stronghold.
The police had on Friday called for Coke's lawyer to turn him in. But Don Foote, the lead attorney in the matter, told the Observer then that this was not a consideration due to the fact that Coke had launched an effort in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne to commence extradition proceedings against him, after nine months of procrastination.
Yesterday Foote got defensive when asked by the Observer if his client was in the island and if he was in touch with him.
"I'm not going to answer that. Don't ask me that," Foote insisted.
Dudus owns a 1994 Nissan Bluebird...he can't be the President!
The police yesterday released their profile of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who is wanted in the United States to answer to drug and gun charges.
The profile came as the security forces issued an appeal for Coke to surrender.
The Gleaner reproduces the profile as released by the police.
Name: Michael Christopher Coke, otherwise called 'Dudus'
Alias: Omar Clark
Date of birth: 13/03/1969
Address: 33 Asquith Drive, Plantation Heights, Red Hills, St Andrew
Originally from Albert Street
Telephone: (876) 847-4573
School: Ardenne High
Mother: Patricia Halliburton
Address: Building 25, Seaga Boulevard
Girlfriend: Stephanie Gayle
Address: 33 Asquith Drive, Plantation Heights, Red Hills, St Andrew
(Born, grew up in Tivoli Gardens)
Vehicles: 1994 Blue Nissan Bluebird
2000 Silver Honda CR-V
Brothers: Omar Coke, Everton Jones, otherwise called 'Corn Pipe',
Andrew Coke, otherwise called 'Liviti'
Businesses: Incomparable Enterprise Limited
Address: 59 Spanish Town Road, Kingston
Type: Construction
Directors: Michael Christopher Coke, otherwise called 'Dudus',
Justin Ogilvie, Everton Russell
Trading company: Presidential Click - Entertainment Promotions
Passport expired: Passport will be obtained by the National Intelligence Bureau.
Driver's licence: He has no driver's licence. He said he had one in the name Omar Clark, but it was confiscated (he could not remember the date). His explanation for not having a driver's licence is that if he is stopped on the road by police and they see the name, he may be ha****ed.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner//20100524/lead/lead4.html
The police yesterday released their profile of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, who is wanted in the United States to answer to drug and gun charges.
The profile came as the security forces issued an appeal for Coke to surrender.
The Gleaner reproduces the profile as released by the police.
Name: Michael Christopher Coke, otherwise called 'Dudus'
Alias: Omar Clark
Date of birth: 13/03/1969
Address: 33 Asquith Drive, Plantation Heights, Red Hills, St Andrew
Originally from Albert Street
Telephone: (876) 847-4573
School: Ardenne High
Mother: Patricia Halliburton
Address: Building 25, Seaga Boulevard
Girlfriend: Stephanie Gayle
Address: 33 Asquith Drive, Plantation Heights, Red Hills, St Andrew
(Born, grew up in Tivoli Gardens)
Vehicles: 1994 Blue Nissan Bluebird
2000 Silver Honda CR-V
Brothers: Omar Coke, Everton Jones, otherwise called 'Corn Pipe',
Andrew Coke, otherwise called 'Liviti'
Businesses: Incomparable Enterprise Limited
Address: 59 Spanish Town Road, Kingston
Type: Construction
Directors: Michael Christopher Coke, otherwise called 'Dudus',
Justin Ogilvie, Everton Russell
Trading company: Presidential Click - Entertainment Promotions
Passport expired: Passport will be obtained by the National Intelligence Bureau.
Driver's licence: He has no driver's licence. He said he had one in the name Omar Clark, but it was confiscated (he could not remember the date). His explanation for not having a driver's licence is that if he is stopped on the road by police and they see the name, he may be ha****ed.Three members of Jamaica Defence Force killed!!! and 2 injured!!!
The soldiers were shot about an hour after the security forces launched their operation.
A short while ago, a resident of Tivoli Gardens called our newscentre apparently crying and appealing to the Prime Minister Bruce Golding for help.
TWO Jamaica Defence Force soldiers are nursing gunshot wounds after taking on gunmen during an offensive against the fortified West Kingston community of Tivoli Gardens, today.
The soldiers were rushed to a command post which the security forces have set up on the Kingston waterfront.
One of the soldiers was shot in the chest and was stabilised by a JDF medical team before he was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Since the security forces converged on the area early this afternoon there has been continuous gunfire and loud explosions.
The police are also engaged in a gun-battle with gunmen in the Woodford Park community in St Andrew.
Police say armed thugs aligned to Christopher Coke have amassed in Tivoli Gardens and have vowed to die fighting to defend him.
Last Monday, minutes after Prime Minister Bruce Golding announced that the extradition request for Coke would be signed, residents of Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town barricaded themselves in their community and have ignored pleas by the authorities to remove the barricades.
A large contingent of police personnel and soldiers is now in sections of Spanish Town St. Catherine, Jamaica following several shootings there.
Reports reaching our newscentre are that several shots were fired in McKoy land and Greendale in Spanish Town early this morning.
However our correspondent says swift action by police and military brought the situation under control shortly before midday.
-- Edited by jubalson on Monday 24th of May 2010 03:07:41 PM
Hospital officials have apologised after part of a new-born baby's finger was sliced off
-- Edited by littlemisslinkz on Monday 24th of May 2010 04:01:48 PM
A Jamaica Defence Force soldier was shot and killed while attempting to storm the community of Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston this afternoon.
He was among four soldiers who were rushed to hospital, after they were shot by gunmen in the community.
According to one of the soldiers who was hit in his right arm and leg another of his colleagues is now battling for life, while the other is in stable condition.
I guess I am the luckiest of all of them, said the soldier, who with bandages on his injuries, watched a television newscast inside the hospitals waiting room.
Asked approximately how many persons have lost their lives in the now hostile community, the soldier responded: I cant say; we could not see them from where I was.
He said gunmen have taken up cover in several buildings inside the area, and are firing at the security forces from all angles.
I got shot on Industrial Terrace; the second shot I got at the entrance to the Tivoli Gardens High school, and the other I got further up the road, said the officer, pointing to his leg and arm respectively.
Up to less than 15 minutes ago reports reached the Observer that another soldier was also shot and injured.
Since yesterday, at least two police officers and a soldier have been killed, while seven police officers and four soldiers have been injured.
Several civilian casualties have also been reported.
Woman shot and injured on Spanish Town Road
A curious bystander was a few minutes ago shot and injured as gunmen and the security forces traded bullets in a deadly standoff along sections of Spanish Town Road.
The woman, who is believed to be in her early 30s, was shot in the side.
The incident took place at the entrance to the community of Rose Town which is nestled between Maxfield Avenue and Spanish Town Road.
Frightened residents of the community were seen desperately trying to get the woman transported to hospital.
"Lord Jesus she just get shot bring her to the hospital," one woman bellowed.
Residents under siege in Tivoli Gardens
The callers say they are hearing several loud explosions followed by heavy tremors.
The women say they are caught in the cross fire involving the gunmen and the armed forces who have entered the area to restore order.
I can hear bombs and I can hear cans dropping on my roof. My house shook twice. I am at home with my kids, my son made me cry because he wants to come out. They say they sent buses for us yesterday but we could not come out in that shooting, there is no way I would leave my house to go on that bus and its getting worse, said a caller.
I never know that I would ever face this and I pray that somebody would find the love in their heart and stop this right now, it is just too much. We are good people, people are screaming, bombs dropping, oh my God!
-- Edited by jubalson on Monday 24th of May 2010 05:57:44 PM
AIR Jamaica today announced the cancellation of three flights scheduled for this evening due to the unrest in Kingston.
The flights affected are:
- JM 037, scheduled to depart Kingston at 5:35 pm for Fort Lauderdale
- JM 036, scheduled to depart Fort Lauderdale at 9:25 pm for Kingston and
- JM 017, scheduled to depart Kingston at 7:25 pm for New York.
Passengers should contact the Reservations Centre at 1-888-FLYAIRJ (1-888-359-2475) for updates and to revise their itineraries.
Operations continue as scheduled at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
Air Jamaica staff members in Kingston are advised to monitor media reports for updates on the situation.
International relations experts are divided on whether Prime Minister Bruce Golding can restore his image on the international stage after the damage done to it by his administration's handling of the Christopher 'Dudus' Coke extradition issue and the messy Manatt affair that ensued.
Professor Brian Meeks, director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, believes Golding's image is fatally wounded.
"I think his international credibility is even more shredded than it is in Jamaica. If you read the comments in overseas papers (and) blogs, they are making a direct connection between the Office of the Prime Minister and drug dons," Meeks stated in a written response from Barbados.
He continued: "At this moment, I don't see how he can recover his image."
Meeks, a former lecturer in the Department of Government at the UWI's Mona campus, argued that Prime Minister Golding is caught between a rock and a hard place. The professor advanced that the contradictory arguments being advanced by the US-based law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips and the prime minister about who the company represented is a critical matter on the international stage.
Manatt has maintained that it was representing the government while Golding has insisted that the company was retained by the Jamaica Labour Party to lobby the United States in a treaty dispute over the extradition request for Coke.
In his final analysis, Meeks said Golding cannot escape the scornful reproach of his international counterparts. "With either option he will receive the opprobrium of the international community," Meeks said.
On the other hand, John Rapley, president of the Caribbean Policy Research Institute, an independent research think tank affiliated with the UWI, Mona, thinks Golding's image on the international scene can be rebuilt, but it will take work.
"To do so, he will have to do the same things he needs to do to restore his image at home: act swiftly on the commitments he made in his apology speech; take responsibility for repairing the damage done by the episode, and bring full transparency (and thus closure) to the Manatt affair," noted Rapley.
He argued further that the widespread condemnation Golding received at home for his stance could serve him and the country well on the international stage.
goodwill
"If the Government's image was tarnished abroad, I believe Jamaica's, as a whole, stood the test, and he will now be able to draw upon that reservoir of goodwill towards the country to repair the damage done," Rapley stated.
However, Meeks still thinks that Golding would not be able to walk into a room full of his international counterparts and feel comfortable.
"He can't with a serious face feel comfortable after the events of the past weeks," Meeks said.
Like Rapley, Professor Norman Girvan, former secretary general of the Association of Caribbean States, also thinks Golding's image can be rebuilt. However, Girvan said success or failure depends on how the prime minister handles the Coke extradition from here on.
"He and his Government would have to recover the moral high ground in its future handling of the extradition process and show that it exercises moral and political authority in Jamaica, and commands the respect and support of the Jamaican public," Girvan said, adding that Golding's management of the matter so far does not inspire confidence in his ability to repair the damage.
no admirers
Girvan also advanced that the defiant posture assumed by the Golding administration in relation to the extradition request from its neighbourhood superpower did not earn Kingston many admirers.
"For a small country like Jamaica to secure international support for standing up to the powerful US, it needs to be on strong legal, political and moral grounds. Then the issue can be framed as one of 'might vs right'." Unfortunately that is not the situation in the present case," Girvan stated.
He explained that the circumstances, the government's inconsistencies and about-turns have created the perception that its differences with the US are motivated by political expediency rather than commitment to principles such as sovereignty or respect for international law.
"The nature of criminal charges, the political connections of the accused, and the wider implications in terms of personal and state security, mean that other countries are unlikely to be rushing to Jamaica's defence in this instance," noted Girvan.
And, the professor also thinks that even if the prime minister is successful in restoring his image, the proverbial (Dudus and Manatt) monkey will still be on his back for the duration of his tenure as Jamaica's head of Government.
"As long as he is prime minister his conduct will be closely scrutinised internationally in the light of his past actions, and conclusions will be drawn," he stated.
Four men were killed in a Spanish Town district yesterday as the wave of murder and mayhem sweeping Jamaica's former capital continued.
Those killed have been identified as Kemar Brown, Carlos Williams, Ricardo Powell and Stafford Dawkins, all of Angels addresses in St Catherine.
The St Catherine North police said about 4:15 p.m., the men were patrons of a bar along Melissa Crescent in Crescent district. Three men walked up to them and opened fire, hitting all four. They died on the spot.
The deaths bring to 95 the number of homicides in the division. This represents 35 more than the corresponding period last year.
Elsewhere in St Catherine, two men were shot and killed at Reids Pen in Braeton last night.
Police reported are that the killings were sparked by the painting of graffiti on a wall in section of the community.
A man who objected to the practice was then shot and killed. Persons connected to him allegedly retaliated, killing one man and injuring three others.TIVOLI GARDENS WOMAN CALLS INTO "GO JAMAICA" SPEAKS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING [AUDIO INSIDE]
-- Edited by SLICE BREAD on Monday 24th of May 2010 04:11:52 PM
The intersection of Spanish Town Road and Collie Smith Drive provided the perfect pavilion for scores of persons who wanted to watch the developments in west Kingston from a safe distance yesterday.
From just before 8 a.m., several young men were seen pushing debris on to Spanish Town Road just metres from the Denham Town Police Station.
As journalists and residents of the adjoining communities of Rema and Trench Town looked on, a group of about 10 armed men were seen making their way into the May Pen Cemetery as two police vehicles approached the roadblock.
Suddenly, gunfire sounded, causing the policemen to rush into the Denham Town Police Station.
With the police out of the way, the men resumed the mounting of their blockade in earnest.
A minivan - which was in a garage to be repaired - old refrigerators, washing machines, bathtubs and a garbage skip were quickly pulled into the usually busy roadway, forcing motorists to beat a hasty retreat.
constant watch
As if that were not enough, the militants piled sandbags at the two sides and dumped sand into the empty fridges and bathtubs.
At the same time, men on foot patrolled the area with what appeared to be high-powered weapons, while others stood guard atop nearby buildings.
While that was happening, several men from Rose Town and other communities aligned to Tivoli Gardens made their way in motor vehicles, bicycles and on foot to the barricade, where they were given a warm welcome.
"We affi go support di 'President' an' tek on dem police 'bout deh," said one man, reportedly from Spanish Town, St Catherine, as he smoked a big marijuana cigarette and made his way behind the barricade.
'President' refers to west Kingston strongman Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, whose warrant for arrest has sparked gun violence across sections of the capital.
Others looked determined as they passed the Collie Smith Drive and Spanish Town Road intersection without as much as a glance at the persons gathered there.
"Mek sure unnu get di story right or we a go turn pon unnu," one man said repeatedly, while pointing to journalists.
Others looked on threateningly whenever the cameras were pointed in their direction.
But through it all, residents of Rema and Trench Town welcomed the journalists with open arms as they made it clear that they were not involved in the dispute.
"Dem down deh so a do dem ting and we not involved, so a hope unnu see it and report say Rema man never involve," one particularly vocal man said, as he assured members of the media that they were welcome in the south St Andrew community.
But hours later, other men, reportedly from Rose Town, made it clear that media representatives had overstayed their welcome and suggested strongly that the cameras should not be pointed in their direction or, better yet, that journalists should leave as their safety was not guaranteed.
And even as media teams moved out, heavy gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the Denham Town Police Station where cops had been trapped for most of the day.RJR News has received reports that the police came under heavy fire in the vicinity of the Flat Bridge in St. Catherine as they move to keep the road clear of debris.
It is understood that criminal elements have tried several times since Monday morning to block the main road leading to the bridge, but have been successfully repelled by the police.
And one of the main corridors in Spanish Town-Brunswick Avenue has been blocked.
The Spanish Town Police told RJR News earlier that its personnel who were attempting to clear the blockades came under heavy gunfire.
Officers who went on an operation in Dempshire Pen on Sunday night were pinned down as they came under heavy and sustained gunfire and were unable to come out of the community until a support team came to withdraw them.
Several officers narrowly escaped injury during that incident and the RJR News team was shown one section of a firearm that was punctured by a very powerful bullet.
The policeman who was holding the weapon was not injured.
Residents in an area called McCoy Land near Brunswick Avenue were attacked earlier Monday morning.
Reports are that the two gates to the train line crossing were closed preventing traffic from flowing freely along Brunswick Avenue and gunmen fired wildly at the residents.
The police responded at the situation was brought under control.
Emergency appeal for *lo** donations - Emergency services only at hospitals
THE National *lo** Transfusion Service (*lo** Bank) is appealing to members of the public to donate *lo** to meet expected demand with the intensification of violence in downtown Kingston.
Meantime, Government has activated the Emergency Operations Centre to help coordinate the response of the health sector, including hospital security.
It is important that we address the welfare of patients and staff as best as possible while ensuring the continuing function of our major health facilities. We have therefore put a number of measures in place in an effort to continue to provide health care to the people of Jamaica in this difficult environment, said minister of health Rudyard Spencer.
As part of measures to be immediately implemented:
- Kingston Public, Victoria Jubilee, Spanish Town hospitals as well as the Bustamante Hospital for Children will only be offering emergency services;
- Elective surgeries have been suspended;
- All outpatient clinics have been suspended until further notice;
- Seven health centres in the Kingston and St Andrew region remain open at this time. They are Harbour View, Glen Vincent, Gordon Town, Bull Bay, Mavis Bank, Dallahs and Windward Road Health Centres.
Individuals can visit other *lo** collection centres across the island including University Hospital of the West Indies, National Chest, May Pen, Mandeville, Cornwall Regional, Savanna-La-Mar, Falmouth, St Anns Bay and Port Antonio Hospitals.
They are, however, advised to avoid the Central *lo** bank on Slipe Pen Road as no collection of *lo** will be done at that facility due to the current unrest in the area.
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