We’re not signing over sovereignty to US, says Chang - Security minister signs Air Marshals Services Agreement
Published:Saturday | November 23, 2019 | 12:16 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The practice of federal Air Marshals travelling on passenger aircraft to and from Jamaica under a revised agreement between the Holness administration and the United States is not about signing over our sovereignty, National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has said.
According to Chang, the Air Marshals Services Agreement is a critical part of the long-standing partnership that Jamaica and the Unites States share on regional security.
“It’s not about handing over sovereignty, as some people would like to think when we enter into relations,” said Chang, before signing the revised 11-year-old authorisation process for foreign in-flight security officers on overnight flights or grounded emergencies at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay yesterday.
ADDITIONAL SECURITY
Chang also noted that the amended arrangement is good for Jamaica, as it added another layer of safety and security. The pact offers added insurance, allowing for air marshals to respond quickly to on-board incidents.
He also said that the Government was seeking to strengthen all areas of national security and its capacity to patrol the country’s borders.
“The Government is not entering a situation where we are being mendicants. We are seeking to act as partners,” said the minister.
“It’s not just saying to the Americans, come in here and protect your citizens, and protect Jamaicans, it’s about building capacity,” he said.
Meanwhile, Donald Tapia, US ambassador to Jamaica, underscored the importance of the revised authorisation, saying the agreement was critical for the deployment of air marshals on short notice.
“These highly trained law-enforcement professionals are dedicated to safeguarding the aviation transportation infrastructure from criminal and terrorist acts 365 days a year around the globe,” said Tapia.
The ambassador said that the agreement was important to the US government because 73 per cent of the 4.3 million visitors who travelled to Jamaica in 2018 were Americans.