The materials in FOIA 2010-1845-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA 2010-1845-F contains materials related to Grenada which is a Caribbean island nation located about 100 miles north of Venezuela. It gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1974....Read more
The materials in FOIA 2010-1845-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA 2010-1845-F contains materials related to Grenada which is a Caribbean island nation located about 100 miles north of Venezuela. It gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1974. General elections were held two years later and Sir Eric Gairy, head of the Grenada United Labour Party, took 2010-1845-F 2 office as prime minister. Because some factions never accepted the election results, civil strife resulted and government opponents formed the New Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education, and Liberation (Jewel) Movement. On March 13, 1979, while Gairy was out of the country, left wing rebels led by Maurice Bishop seized power in a coup and overthrew the government. They established the People's Revolutionary Government, headed by Bishop who became the next prime minister. His Marxist-Leninist government established close ties with Cuba, the Soviet Union, and other communist-bloc countries. In October 1983, an internal power struggle ensued which led to the deposition, arrest, and subsequent execution of Bishop and several members of his cabinet by soldiers of the people's revolutionary army. Following the breakdown in civil order, the governor general and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) appealed to the United States for assistance in ousting the People's Revolutionary Government, protecting U.S. citizens, and restoring the lawful government. As a result, on October 25, U.S.-led forces invaded Grenada and defeated the resistance, deposing the military government. This invasion, code-named "Operation Urgent Fury", was deemed controversial due to charges of American "˜imperialism' and was considered a "flagrant violation of international law" by the United Nations General Assembly later that year. U.S. officials cited the murder of Bishop and the general political instability in a country near U.S. borders, as well as the presence of U.S. medical students studying at St. George's University as justification for the military action. Another perceived threat was a new international airport under construction near St. George's at the time of Bishop's deposition and arrest. The U.S. government accused Grenada of constructing facilities to aid a Soviet-Cuban military build-up in the Caribbean and to assist transmission of weapons to Central American insurgents. Bishop's government contended the airport was built to accommodate commercial aircraft carrying tourists because the existing airport on the island's north side could not be expanded because of its location. The material in this collection consists of routine government forms, letters, memos, newspaper clippings, reports, notes, schedules, speeches, and a list. A large portion of the responsive material is housed in the WHORM Subject Files and the National Security Affairs Office. The George Bush Vice Presidential WHORM Subject Files contain routine government forms such as White House Correspondence Tracking Worksheets, Schedule File Tracking Sheets, and Vice Presidential Gifts logs. These forms track and summarize actions taken on correspondence sent to and from the White House, Vice Presidential event details, and specifics about gifts given to the Vice President. There are letters present between Vice President Bush and a private citizen regarding U.S. policy towards Grenada and its effect on the private sector there. Related letters between private citizens and a Grenada Chamber of Industry and Commerce report on the same topic are present. Correspondence between Vice President Bush and a private citizen about German newspaper articles supporting President Reagan and the U.S.' actions in Grenada is also present. There is also an exchange between Vice President Bush and Representative Charles B. Rangel concerning the deployment of Coast Guard boats and personnel to Grenada. Because the press was not given unrestricted access during Operation Urgent Fury, a newspaper publishing advocate wrote to Vice President Bush giving suggestions on how and why the press should have had more access during the invasion. Marlin Fitzwater wrote a memo to Vice President Bush updating him on the "20/20" television segment on Grenada which aired the week of June 2, 1985. Copies of several German language newspaper clippings are present in addition to an op-ed retrospective, with Vice President Bush's byline, that appeared in "USA Today" and discussed the Grenada rescue mission from the administration's point of view. Lastly, Mary Eugenia Charles, prime minister of Dominica, sent Vice President Bush a report which described the economic situation of the eastern Caribbean region of the world in the year following the rescue mission. The George Bush Vice Presidential Staff and Office Files contain routine government forms, reports, letters and memos, notes, schedules, speeches and draft remarks, newspaper clippings, press releases, and a list. Many scheduling requests are present which contain pertinent information regarding ceremonies commemorating the Grenadian rescue and a speaking request for briefing ethnic leaders on Grenada. Copies of President Reagan's War Powers reports to the speaker of the House and president pro-tempore of the Senate are housed in this collection. Numerous letters, memos, and notes are 2010-1845-F 3 present which cover topics such as a successful book drive for Grenada libraries, the effect of U.S. policy towards Grenada's private sector, Operation Urgent Fury, "˜The Lessons of Grenada Week' and House Joint Resolution 313, Prime Minister Blaize's hospitalization at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for tests, the treatment of reporters during the Grenadian invasion, anniversary celebrations of the rescue mission, a request for Vice President Bush to meet with Grenadian teachers visiting Washington, DC for training, and a Grenadian-based husband and wife journalist team. Schedules focus on commemoration ceremonies for the Grenadian rescue mission and the Washington, DC program for the visiting husband and wife journalism team from Grenada. The draft remarks and speeches were related to a trip Vice President Bush took to Grenada, Brazil, and Honduras in March 1985. These comments were made at arrival ceremonies, a rally, an address to military police forces, and departure ceremonies. Three topics were covered by newspaper articles in this FOIA: documents left behind by the Grenadian Marxist government following the U.S. invasion, op-ed pieces submitted to "USA Today" explaining the government's reasons for the invasion, and the announcement of prizewinners of Latin-Affairs journalistic prizes awarded by Columbia University to a Grenadian-based couple. Press releases from the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Agency for International Development address the Grenadian coup and private sector business initiatives for Grenada. Lastly, a list of invitees to a ceremony for the anniversary of the Grenadian rescue is present in this collection. Read less