The Caribbean Responds to the Repercussions of Sept. 11

Author’s note: This was written in the immediate aftermath of the infamous attack by Osama bin Laden’s al-Queda Muslim extremists in 2001. It was published in The Caribbean Express, a newsmagazine that is no longer in existence. I find it appropriate now because we are approaching the anniversary of this terrible event.

The cliché “it’s a small world” was confirmed in a terrible way by the Sept. 11 tragedy because people from many different countries around the world were murdered in the horrendous attacks on American soil. The Caribbean, so close geographically and linked in many ways to the US, lost many to the attacks although the exact number is still unclear. Diplomats and community leaders from English-speaking West Indian nations have estimated their collective dead as low as 55 to as high as 125.

Moreover, there is probably not a country on this entire planet that has been unaffected by the vicious attack the United States suffered on Sept. 11. Certainly the Caribbean countries, being just to the east of us and sharing our Northern Hemisphere, have felt tremendous repercussions from this horrible event. However, like America itself, they are determined to bounce back from this grave crisis.

Arley Sobers is the Director of Information, Management and Research for the Caribbean Tourism Organization. How has tourism to the West Indies been affected by the attacks of Sept. 11? “In a word,” he replies, “severely. The attack on the Twin Towers was an attack on the air industry. It struck a devastating blow against airlines and, therefore, tourism. The Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region in the world so clearly the impact is great.”

It is difficult to precisely quantify the degree of adverse affect upon the Caribbean tourist industry for a variety of reasons. For one thing, the Caribbean represents some thirty-three countries. “Some, like the Bahamas, depend far more heavily on the US market than other countries, say Barbados, do.” Since the falloff in air travel has naturally been greatest from America, where the attacks took place, the falloff in tourism has correspondingly been worst in those countries that usually get the bulk of their visitors from the US. Countries that get most of their travelers from Europe have also been negatively affected but not to the same extent.

Another reason it is hard to assess the impact on the West Indies at this point, Sobers continues, is that “the dust hasn’t finally settled. For example, in the week of the 12th, the number of visitors arriving in Jamaica dropped by 41% as compared to the same week in 2000. In the week after the event, the falloff was 22%. The next week, it was down 15%. It is settling down some.”

The West Indies has long enjoyed a reputation in the US as “a zone of peace,” Sobers elaborates. He acknowledges that there is really no other event that parallels the recent horror suffered by America but says that it is possible to gauge how travelers from the US behave in times of crisis by looking at their behavior during the Gulf War. “During the Gulf War,” he says, “travel by US visitors declines by 9.2%. Travel to Europe fell by 22%. Travel to the Caribbean actually increased slightly.” He adds that he does not expect visits to the West Indies to go up after the recent disaster. “The cake is going to be smaller,” he remarks, “but we will be getting our part of it. US travel is down here and will remain down for some time. However, during a time of crisis, Americans, if they travel overseas at all, will tend to look more favorably at the Caribbean than other parts of the world.”

Of particular interest to readers of The Caribbean Express is Sobers’ beliefs about the role of West Indians abroad in helping to shore up the economies in their home countries during periods of calamity. “The Caribbean community overseas can do much to help us at a time like this,” he says, “because they are all our ambassadors.”

In a display of sympathy for Americans and solidarity with them, Air Jamaica recently named a new aircraft the Spirit of America. As Butch Gordon, Chairman of Air Jamaica, says, “When people are in trouble, it’s nice for others to come out and say ‘we’re with you.’”

Bookings on Air Jamaica are sharply down due to the Sept. 11 assault on the United States. “Every airline in the world, even those flying to Europe and the Far East has been severely affected,” Gordon comments. “System wide, the US carriers are running about 35%, which is a real calamity. We are breaking about 50%, so it could be worse.”

How is Air Jamaica dealing with the financial repercussions? “We are running a tight ship,” Gordon replies. “We have reduced flights and some of the senior staff have taken pay cuts.”

There are, at the present time, no massive layoffs at the airline or plans for one. “While it would be easy to lay off fifty or one hundred people right now,” he says, “that would affect our services when we need our services to be at their best. We are so fragmented, with stations in Houston, Miami, Chicago, Montego Bay, Jamaica, the Caymans, etc., etc., that we need all of our people.”

Gordon believes that Air Jamaica will weather the current trial just fine. “We have tremendous support in South Florida, for example,” he claims. “And we have the best food and new airplanes that are faster, safer, and more comfortable.”

Jamaican Consul to Atlanta Vin Martin says the ramifications for his country from the Sept. 11 attack are many. “Remember that when the aircraft were grounded, Air Jamaica had some three planes in different [American] cities. That has a revenue impact. Reportedly, the airline lost about $11 million.”

For a brief time, Martin continues, Air Jamaica’s private insurance company pulled out. The government of Jamaica “stepped in to provide insurance coverage to Air Jamaica until it could find a private insurer,” Martin relates.

Many Jamaicans living in the United States have returned home due to the WTC tragedy. “About seven hundred Jamaicans who work in the hospitality industry, that is, hotels and related services,” Martin elaborates, “have lost their jobs because of the economic downturn.”

Jamaica itself is suffering an economic downturn. “Tourism is our largest source of revenue,” Martin says, “and over half our visitors come from the US. We hope there will be a reversal in the willingness of people to fly.”

The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has suspended the weekly docking of one of its vessels, the Veedham, because so much business has evaporated due to the reluctance of people to fly from US cities to the Florida ports of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale.

Throughout the West Indies, many events are planned to discuss and plan ways for the Caribbean nations to cope with the problems caused by the recent horror in America and several Caribbean leaders have spoken out strongly on the need to combat terrorism.

On Monday, Oct. 1st, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, called for all the nations in this hemisphere to unite in the fight against terrorism.

Prime Minister Lester Bird of Antigua and Barbuda has announced that his government is planning to introduce legislation to make terrorism a specific crime.

In Grenada, Prime Minister Keith Mitchell convened a consultation with his Cabinet colleagues the morning of Oct. 2 to discuss the impact of the Sept. 11 disaster in the US on Grenada’s economy. Such discussions are planned to continue for the next two weeks between officials from the Ministry of Finance and all social partners, including the banking sector and members of the Multi-partite Committee comprising representatives of the business sector, the trade unions and the non-governmental community.

St. Kitts and Nevis is offering free or discounted vacations to thousands of the rescue workers who went to the aid of the victims of the Sept. 11 disaster.

The government of Bermuda is making a similar offer to the World Trade Center rescue workers. David Allen, the island’s tourism minister held a press conference announcing that he had written a letter to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani offering one hundred free vacations to the Twin Towers heroes. This generous offer is motivated, at least in part, by Bermudian gratitude because several people from the country were in the Twin Towers when they were hit and some were helped to escape. Allen relates, “Between the hotels, the government, [and] restaurants, we are going to work with tourism so that when they do come to Bermuda, we will show them a good time.” One need not be at all cynical about the good impulse behind this gift to realize that it will also be good for Bermuda since anyone who visits is likely to be most favorably impressed by the lovely white beaches and the many gorgeous sights on the island.

In the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy, America received a certain moral support, albeit lukewarm and indirect, from an unexpected source: Cuba. The US does not have diplomatic relations with the country and the American State Department lists it as a nation that supports terrorism, a charge denied by Cuba. However, in a letter to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan shortly after Sept. 11, President Fidel Castro said, “The government of the Republic of Cuba has made the decision to adhere, as you have requested, to the existing 12 international instruments related to terrorism.” Cuba had already signed three of the dozen legal documents relating to terrorism and its National Assembly soon ratified the remaining nine.

However, Castro also took this occasion to lash out at what it called the USA’s “double standard” in the fight against terrorism. On Oct. 6, 1976, bombs exploded in a Cuban passenger plane near Barbados, killing 73 people. Cuba believes two Cuban Americans were behind that attack: Orlando Bosch, who now lives in Florida, and Luis Carriles who is in a Panamanian jail for an alleged attempt to murder Castro. The Cuban leader reiterated the demand that the two be extradited to Cuba to face trial.

The week of October 15th will see a series of special meetings in the Bahamas organized by the Secretariat of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) to work out a strategy for emergency responses to the implications for the Caribbean of the Sept. 11 attack. Subjects to be gone over are wide-ranging, says Arley Sobers. “They will look at all the issues raised,” he says, “tourism issues, air safety, security concerns and all the ramifications as we wage a financial war on terrorism.”

In New York city, site of the worst of the worst of the assaults, the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) and the Minority Business Relief Task Force held a “Special Prayer Vigil” at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College. Speakers urged caution before retaliation.

Brooklyn Councilwoman Una Clarke, who is of Jamaican background, told those assembled that Sept. 11 re-opened an old, personal wound in her family. Her husband, architect Leslie Clarks, was in the WTC during the 1993 attack and had to be hospitalized for trauma. Nevertheless, she urged people to regain their calm. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth will leave us all without eye and tooth,” she asserted. “So I am dealing with the issue of forgiveness and of faith.”

CACCI President and CEO Grenadian Roy Hastick, said, “As we honor the victims, salute the heroes and pray for the families, we must reflect and look toward healing during this process. It is not a time to rush to judgment but a time to work together to rebuild our great nation.”

Minister Kevin Mohammed of Harlem’s Mosque #7 was there as a representative of Louis Farrakhan. He was unequivocal in condemning the attacks as “an Act of a Wild Beast.” Then he prayed to Allah: “We ask that You will exalt our leaders, exalt our President and give us strength.”

When a horrible act is perpetrated against human beings by other humans, it is tempting to become cynical about our species. However, as Stephen Jay Gould has pointed out, since it takes very few people to destroy and a great many to build, the evil minority can wreak destruction that is far disproportionate to their numbers. The pool of good people who rescued, donated their blood, and gave of their time, money and energy to aid the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks is much greater than that of the wicked people who masterminded and committed these atrocities.

Moreover, the attacks on America led Americans, who are usually a fractious people since the freedom in our country permits us to express so many divergent viewpoints, to unite as rarely before and determine to keep our nation safe. Most of the people of the West Indies have similar traditions of freedom as well as a stick-to-it spirit and sense of family unity that will lead them to heal the wounds opened in the Caribbean by the assault on their powerful and friendly neighbor.