Prime Minister Bruce Golding blames US for guns coming to Jamaica

Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding made the claim yesterday, during a more than two-hour-long presentation in Parliament.

Golding said that a resolution was now before the United Nations (UN) for an international convention to restrict the illegal trafficking in small arms. The prime minister did not say who brought the resolution to the UN, nor did he hide his dismay about the flow of guns into Jamaica.

"The overwhelming majority of guns coming into Jamaica are of United States (US) manufacture," Golding said.

"The inflow of guns into Jamaica is what facilitates most of the murders that are committed. The security forces recover, on average, 600 guns each year. We suspect that a greater number enter the island each year, creating an ever-increasing arsenal of illegal weapons, snuffing out lives with callous brutality," the prime minister told Parliament.

Golding also said his Government intended to renew efforts to "strengthen bilateral cooperation with the US with a view to addressing the flow of illegal guns from the US to Jamaica with the same vigour that we seek to apply to the flow of illegal drugs from Jamaica to the US".

Bills to be tabled

But US-Jamaica relations were not all Golding spoke about on crime. He said the controversial anti-crime bills, as well as anti-gang legislation, would be tabled in Parliament soon.

He accused parliamentarians of spending "a considerable amount of time shouting at each other, un-willing to coalesce around any solu-tion, each one proffering his own and proffering blame".

"Crime-fighting strategies must be appropriate to the crime that has to be fought. For too long we have allow criminals to test our will and test our willingness to destroy theirs," the prime minister added.

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Comment by kitty c on April 26, 2010 at 9:53pm: Bruce knows best, he knows exactly how these guns are getting into the hands of these vicious gunmen. He need to clean up his house first, clean up the clutter. Yes the guns are coming in from the US but how do you all think they got into Jamaica. The MP's are to be blamed, the Govt, and who controls custom? The security forces. Who do you believe negotiate these gun deals? The same people oonu keep putting in power. BRUCE NEEDS TO CLEAN UP!

Comment by Hugh on April 25, 2010 at 2:17am: Will definitely be interesting.

Comment by Debbie Douglas on April 24, 2010 at 9:31pm: will be interesting to see how this all turn out

Comment by SERIOUSWOMAN on April 24, 2010 at 3:00pm: DAINJAMENTAL i am focusing on the fact of blaming something on someone else....America is the blame for many things not just the topic above, lol on guns thats old news that issue is all over and yes once Again America has they hand in it to...

Comment by eSavoy on April 23, 2010 at 1:28am: Its about time something is done. What took him so long

Comment by Tylah Cenci on April 22, 2010 at 8:12pm: So you mean to tell me customs serve no purpose?

Comment by DAINJAMENTAL on April 22, 2010 at 5:13pm: to serious woman good point but wat does hav to do wit the topic above do u blame the us for guns in jamaica

Comment by quashi on April 22, 2010 at 2:29pm: Let's be wise people... Bruce has to play politics as that is the game he is in. I feel he has it right by commenting- stop sending guns and we will stop sending drugs. This is what the UN. and USA wants to hear and see happen . Some form of bi partisan agreement that works for both sides. We know already that guns and drugs go hand in hand so it's another way of saying... FYou!!! You just do your part and we will do ours! But he says this in a political way. The US is not to blame but the have to also do thier part to keep guns out of JA. The pressure for drug dealers etc so we pressure for thie help on our soil with our problems... " if you want help from jamaica... Help Jamaica first!". Big up Bruce for standing up for Jamaica.