United States-Caribbean Relations: The Impact of 9/11

• Author: Dorith Grant-Wisdom
• Pages: 252-272

- 252 -

Caribbean Security in the Age of Terror

United States-Caribbean

Relations:

The Impact of 9/11

Dorith Grant-Wisdom

Introduction

The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September

11, 2001, were strongly condemned by practically every government in the

world, as was terrorism in a general sense. There were unwavering

denouncements of these acts by commentators from across the political

spectrum. In his Havana speech, Castro enunciated that ‘The unanimous

anger caused by the human and psychological damage inflicted on the

American people by the unexpected and shocking deaths of thousands of

innocent people, whose images have shaken the world, is perfectly

understandable.’ Other Caribbean leaders expressed similar sentiments as

the world bemoaned the tragedy. But beneath this basic agreement were

many differences of opinion as to how best to respond to this horrendous

disaster that has left an indelible mark on the thinking and practice of

international relations.

This chapter focuses on the nature of the response by the United States

since September 11 and the impact this is having on US-Caribbean relations.

It employs a conceptual and ontological approach to the goals, principles

and strategies that have been central to the hegemonic role the United States

has historically played in the Western Hemisphere. In so doing, the chapter

takes into consideration the history of US-Caribbean relations, the types and

forms of interactions at the policy level, and the nature of the worldview that

informs the context in which such interactions are generated. This enables

an understanding of the extent to which the US response represents a break

10

- 253 -

United States-Caribbean Relations

with earlier policies and, if so why, and the likely consequences for US-

Caribbean relations.

Overview of US-Caribbean Relations

It is impossible to recount here all of the history of United States-Caribbean

relations, but it is necessary to consider key threads of development over

time to aid an assessment of the impact of September 11. Beginning with the

1823 Monroe Doctrine, the history of the United States has been one of

territorial and economic expansionism that fits within the wider context of

the growth of colonialism, and the increasing struggle among powerful states

to secure a dominant position in the global political economy. So, despite

periods of isolationism, the United States has been able to influence the agenda

of issues that Caribbean nations face, as well as shape the context and contours

for choices and decisions made by the governments of the region.

As Gilderhus asserts, ‘The modern age in relations between the United

States and the countries of Latin America began in 1889 at the First

International American Conference’.1 Reflective of a paradigm shift in the

views and implementation of US foreign policy, diplomatic practice moved

away ‘from the reactive, improvisational style so characteristic of the

immediate post-Civil War era and toward a more systematic, expansive

approach’.2 Amidst the economic downturns, ‘social malaise’ and intense

global rivalry among the Great Powers, ‘the Old Diplomacy could not respond

to new realities coherently and effectively’.3 Change in foreign policy occurred

‘when anomalies and inconsistencies debilitated the traditional ways of doing

things and rendered them inadequate’.4

The Spanish-American War of 1898 marked the beginnings of US

involvement in the Caribbean. So, by 1913, the US had created protectorates,

practised intervention in the Caribbean region and established its hegemony

through affirmations of power expressed in policies such as the Roosevelt

corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, and ‘dollar diplomacy’. This rise to

regional dominance ‘required the subordination of Latin American sensibilities

to US preferences…’5 Consequent to the First World War, the United States

became the largest capitalist economy, displacing the European powers. In

light of its newly acquired economic status, the US began to consolidate its

advantage within the region in order to neutralise the European influence

and presence in the hemisphere and to promote the development of client

states. The scores of military interventions and occupations which took place

to keep ‘friendly’ governments in power, as well as seizures of land for United