Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | N | NotiCen: Central American & Caribbean Affairs

REGION PLANS COMBINED MILITARY FORCE; SEEKS U.S. SPONSORSHIP.

Article Excerpt
Defense ministers of the isthmus met in Miami Oct. 12-13 with US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for a conference on the broad topic of security and investment opportunities. The focus was on the creation of a rapid-response force that would combine the militaries, or in the case of Costa Rica, which has no military, security forces that could rush to the scene of an event thought to imperil the region.

Central American defense ministers were reported to have requested the meeting with Rumsfeld in August, when the issues were narcotrafficking, international terrorism, and international youth gangs, but the subject grew to include natural disasters after the remnants of Hurricane Stan struck and caused horrific damage in several countries of the isthmus (see NotiCen, 2005-10-06, 2005-10-13).

Nicaragua's Defense Minister Avil Ramirez described the Fuerza de Repuesta Rapida (FRR) in August, telling reporters, "We have to join forces, and what Central America needs for this FRR is that the US provide us patrol boats, radar, communication equipment, interceptor airplanes, and helicopters, and this is what we will present to Secretary Rumsfeld."

Although the US has been advocating and encouraging combining the region's militaries in just this way, and on just these issues, Ramirez denied that this was anything but a homegrown decision and a "coincidence between the interests of the US [and those of] Central America." He said the decision was formalized among the ministers of defense,...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!