ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday June 18, 2015 sports | page 15 hong Kong TilT is sevens heaven Ruggers qualify for elite tournament High of 89 Low of 78 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. editorial | page 4 Public healTh: cayman’s dire case of ‘bad debT’ Premier Health BritCay has one word to describe policy holders. People. People, not policy holders BritCay prioritises the needs of patients with efficient access to benefits. That’s why we settled 209,003 health insurance claims in 2014, 96% in 5 working days. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD. BritCay House, 236 Eastern Avenue, George Town, P.O. Box 74, KY1-1102 Tel. 949-8699 www.britcay.ky A member of Colonial Group International: insurance, health, pensions, life Call 949-8699 www.britcay.ky swiss open new fifa probe Authorities say they’re reviewing 53 possible money laundering cases charles duncan cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber has opened an investigation into FIFA and the selection of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournament sites, including connections to numerous bank accounts. The Swiss investigation is separate from the U.S. charges that resulted in seven arrests, including Caymanian Jeffrey Webb, in Zurich at the end of May. In a press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Lauber said he was looking into 53 suspicious activity reports from Swiss banks, pointing to potential money laundering. In his statement, released on the Swiss government’s website, he said police recovered 9 terabytes of data from FIFA’s computer systems and had al- ready discovered more than 100 banking rela- tionships to investigate. “We are faced with a complex investiga- tion with many international implications. The prosecution is ongoing and will take time,” the Swiss attorney general said. Mr. Lauber said FIFA president Sepp Blatter and secretary general Jerome Valcke could be interviewed as part of the investiga- tion into awarding the 2018 World Cup tour- nament to Russia and the 2022 games to Qatar. Days after being elected to a fifth term, Mr. Blatter announced his resignation the week after the Zurich arrests, stepping down from the post he has held since 1998. FIFA officials have said in recent weeks that the association could hold a new vote on awarding World Cup tournaments to Russia and Qatar if it turns out bribery was involved in the votes. The charges by federal authorities in the United States allege that FIFA offi- cials, including Cayman Islands Football Civil servants left in limbo on retirement Change brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Opposition members of the Legislative Assembly said last week that some civil ser- vants are being forced out of their jobs after reaching age 60, despite government’s stated intention to raise the public sector retirement age later this year. The legal change required to increase the retirement age from 60 to 65 for public sector workers is expected as government seeks to reduce pension and healthcare liabilities in its annual budget. In practice, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson said the civil service for a number of years has allowed Caymanian workers over age 60 to continue working on fixed-term con- tracts as long as they are healthy and job per- formance has not been affected. “The policy we have in place now is that unless there are serious performance issues, you will continue to work until age 65,” Mr. Manderson said. However, East End MLA Arden McLean said he was aware of two public works de- partment employees who were forced to retire in April prior to reaching age 65. “In certain cases you are forced to retire? Encouraged? Pushed out?” Mr. McLean asked. Mr. Manderson said he was not aware of the specific instances referred to by Mr. McLean, but that new contracts would not be issued for government workers over age 60 if they were not performing ade- quately in their jobs. Since the Progressives-led government Petitioners oPPose Cruise Pier Petition against dock garners 1,000 signatures James WhiTTaKer jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Protesters have gathered more than 1,000 signatures for a petition to prevent construc- tion of a $150 million cruise pier in George Town Harbor. The petition, organized by photographer Courtney Platt, urges government to drop the plan following the findings of an environ- mental impact assessment which concluded that a large area of coral reef would be de- stroyed as a result of the project. Mr. Platt said it would be a “fiasco” if gov- ernment went ahead with the cruise pier given the level of destruction outlined in the report. Mr. Platt acknowledged that a petition alone may not be enough to sway government against the plan, which is supported by some local businesses, including Kirk Freeport and Tortuga Rum Company, whose owners believe jobs depend on a new dock being built. He believes a people’s referendum may ultimately be required to stop the project. Protesters would need to gather signatures from 25 percent of registered voters in the Cayman Islands to trigger a referendum. Mr. Platt said, “There has to be another so- lution beyond destroying the reef and the vis- ibility in the harbor.” He believes the quaintness of a tender op- eration and the clarity of the water in the harbor actually add to the experience for cruise tourism visitors. The petition states, “We truly respect the great deal of good intentions, expense in time and resources that have gone into preparing turtle saved from poachers Poachers who flipped a 400-pound nesting turtle on its back in their efforts to remove it from a West Bay beach were interrupted by a fisherman and his dog early Wednesday morning. Police officers and Department of Environment staff, including intern Lucy Collyer, pictured above, came to the scene and helped get the turtle back into the sea after the poachers fled. For more, see page 5. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday June 18, 2015 • Cayman Compass www. REGmovies.com SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - $8.00 JURASSIC WORLD 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 1:30 2D I 3:45 I 4:15 2D I 7:00 2D I 9:45 2D SAN ANDREAS 3D (PG13) 12:45 I 3:25 2D I 7:15 I 9:55 2D SPY (R) 1:00 I 3:55 I 7:10 I 9:55 ALOHA (PG13) 1:20 I 4:00 I 7:20 I 10:05 SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — The Dominican Republic gave people a few more hours to apply for legal residency as a Wednesday deadline caused long lines to form at offices handling the paperwork. Hundreds of people, mostly low-wage workers from neighboring Haiti, waited in line all night to submit residency applica- tions under a registration ini- tiative that began last June. The Interior Ministry an- nounced Wednesday it will accept the applications until midnight, extending the ini- tial deadline by five hours. The Dominican Republic has said migrants who can prove they entered the country before October 2011 can qualify for legal resi- dency. Otherwise they could face deportation. Officials say only about 10,000 of the estimated 500,000 people who fall into this category have been able to provide sufficient docu- mentation to qualify. Earlier this week, Army General Ruben Paulino said his agency, with help from the military, will begin pa- trolling neighborhoods with large numbers of migrants Thursday, following the expi- ration of a deadline for non- citizens without legal resi- dency to register to adjust their status under an initia- tive begun last year. “If they aren’t reg- istered, they will be repatriated,” Paulino said. His remarks seemed to contradict a statement from Interior Minister Ramon Fadul, who had said there would be no mass deporta- tions or sweeps when the deadline for registration ex- pired Wednesday evening. Dominican Republic extends deadline to apply for residency Migrants, mostly Haitians, show officers their documents as they wait their turn to register for legal residency at the Interior Ministry in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. - PHOTO: AP Pines 5K run/walk event raises $3K The first Pines 5K Walk/ Run raised $3,000 for the retirement home, or- ganizers said. The event, held in May, attracted 117 participants. Jerry Harper, who for many years organized most of Grand Cayman’s run/walk events and who is now a resident of the Pines, served as timekeeper for the race. Paul Williams said he was happy to organize the event, which he plans to hold annually. “My unconditional love for the elderly and strong determination to be an ac- tive citizen has allowed me to start this initiative,” he said. “This initiative will be bigger and better next year.” Pines Manager Lynda Mitchell expressed grati- tude to Mr. Williams and his organizing team. “Mr. Williams is very compassionate about our residents and the success of this event revealed that,” she said. One of the partici- pants of the race was Mrs. Mitchell’s dog Taco, who she said crossed the finish line in 87th place. Paul Williams hands Pines Manager Lynda Mitchell a check for $3,000, the proceeds from the first Pines 5K Walk/Run. Exhibit showcases students’ artwork Student artwork from Walkers Art Clubs program is on display at the National Gallery through June 20. The exhibition, titled “Kaleidoscope,” includes more than 50 artworks, including drawings, prints, paintings, assemblage art and batik. It was curated by National Gallery Deutsche Bank intern Lyle Anderton. Mark Lewis, senior partner at Walkers, said the program also pro- vides activities for teens who are studying for their final exams and for young people with special needs. “It allows students from both public schools and the private schools to meet and interact over art [and] is something we at Walkers are very proud of.” In its 10th year, the pro- gram benefits approximately 120 students each week from various preschools, pri- mary and secondary schools on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac with a number of art programs. Mr. Lewis thanked the National Gallery for sup- porting the program, for pro- viding first-rate instruction to the students and for ex- hibiting the unique collection of children’s artwork, “which really does reflect the ar- tistic talent of children in the Cayman Islands,” he said. For more information about Walkers art clubs, contact the National Gallery at 945-8111 or email education@nationalgallery.org.ky. Local art students with Walkers representatives at the National Gallery. Tropical Storm Carlos pelts western Mexican coast MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Carlos brought rain and wind to the Pacific coast near the Mexican resort of Manzanillo on Wednesday, after losing its hurricane status overnight. On Wednesday, the center of the storm was about 10 miles south of Playa Perula in Jalisco state, and about 75 miles south-southeast of Cabo Corrientes. It had max- imum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving north- northwest at 9 mph. Forecasters with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm was ex- pected to continue weakening Wednesday into Thursday and likely would dissipate Friday. A tropical storm warning was in effect from Punta San Telmo to Cabo Corrientes. The hurricane center said the storm would cross over land somewhere in the warning area on Wednesday and then move over the western coast of Mexico. Rainfall of 1 inch to 3 inches is expected in some areas, with potential flash floods and slides. Forecasters also said swells would con- tinue to affect the south- western Mexican coast. Some coastal towns closed their schools and small boats were ordered off the sea near the popular beach resort of Puerto Vallarta. At least one cruise ship canceled a port call planned for Wednesday, port official Odilon Garcia Castillon said by phone from the Pacific Coast city.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday June 18, 2015 Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A West Bay man remained hospitalized in stable but se- rious condition Wednesday after his throat was cut during a midday fight in downtown George Town. Blake Barrell, 31, was assailed after leaving the courthouse just before noon Tuesday by a man who rammed his vehicle repeat- edly and who then chased him down in the midst of lunchtime traffic. Mr. Barrell’s throat was slashed when the two men fought in front of the Appleby building on Fort Street, about two blocks from the courthouse. The suspect in the attack, a 38-year-old George Town man, remained in police cus- tody Wednesday. Both the suspect, who is not being named because he had not been charged at press time, and Mr. Barrell, had direct connections to the recent murder trial of Jose Sanchez. Sanchez was recently re- leased after a judge deter- mined the Crown had not proved allegations that he shot and killed Solomon Webster in September 2014. Mr. Barrell was initially charged with being an ac- cessory after the fact to that killing in West Bay. The charges alleged that Mr. Barrell, knowing or be- lieving that Sanchez had murdered or unlawfully killed Mr. Webster, assisted Sanchez by providing him with a telephone handset and telephone calls, with in- tent to impede his apprehen- sion or prosecution. The accessory charges against Mr. Barrell were later dropped. The suspect in the attack on Mr. Barrell was accused of witness tampering during the Sanchez trial. Man ‘stable’ after downtown attack Crown’s decision follows dismissal in Jose Sanchez trial CArOl WInKer cwinker@pinnacemedialtd.com Graham David Lauer, ac- cused of being an accessory after the fact of murder, had the charge against him dis- continued following his ap- pearance in Grand Court on Wednesday. Mr. Lauer, 60, had been charged with providing ac- commodation for Jose Guadalupe Sanchez, 28, with intent to impede his appre- hension or prosecution after the fatal shooting of Solomon Webster in West Bay on Sept. 7, 2014. Mr. Sanchez was charged with the murder of Mr. Webster and possession of an unlicensed firearm. On June 4, 2015, after a month-long trial, Justice Charles Quin found there was no case for Mr. Sanchez to answer and he entered a formal verdict of not guilty. On Wednesday, Crown counsel Nicole Petit ad- vised Justice Quin that a formal declaration was being filed to show that the Crown would not proceed against Mr. Lauer. The judge said he thought that was a sensible course and the proper approach. Mr. Lauer was first brought to court on Sept. 12. He pleaded not guilty on Oct. 30 and elected trial by jury. His bail conditions in- cluded a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a requirement to advise authorities of his planned location when he went fishing. Justice Quin told Mr. Lauer that with proceedings discontinued, his bail con- ditions no longer applied. Further, “There is no stain on your character,” the judge emphasized. Defense attorney Nicholas Dixey thanked the Crown and the court for dealing with the matter expeditiously. A second man charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder had his charge discontinued in October. Blake Christopher Barrell had been accused of providing Jose Sanchez with a telephone set and telephone calls after Mr. Webster was shot. Mr. Barrell had his throat slashed Tuesday after leaving the courthouse following a hearing on an unrelated weapons charge, which was also withdrawn. The man arrested in the broad daylight attack has not been charged. Murder accessory charge dropped The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service will begin meeting next week with residents to hear their concerns and ad- vice about crime and community policing. The police service will host a number of “community clinics” at various loca- tions around Cayman during the week of June 22-27. The times and locations are as follows: George Town District ■■ Monday, June 22, at Cayman Islands Hospital – 9 a.m. to noon. ■■ Monday, June 22, at Foster’s Food Fair (Airport) – 1-4 p.m. ■■ Wednesday, June 24, at Kirk Market – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ■■ Wednesday, June 24, at Hurley’s, Grand Harbour – 4-7 p.m. ■■ Thursday, June 25, at Scotiabank – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. ■■ Saturday, June 27, at Foster’s Food Fair (Strand) – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. West Bay District ■■ Saturday, June 27 at Cost- U-Less – 9 a.m. to noon ■■ Saturday, June 27 at Fosters Food Fair (Republix) – 1-3 p.m. Eastern Districts ■■ Monday, June 22 at Foster’s Food Fair (Countryside) – Noon to 3 p.m. ■■ Thursday, June 25, at Clifton Hunter High School – 5-9 p.m. ■■ Saturday, June 27, at Fosters Food Fair (East End) – 2-6 p.m. Cayman Brac June 22-27 – 8:30 a.m. to noon and 6-8 p.m. ■■ Tibbetts Enterprises ■■ Kirkconnell’s Supermarket ■■ The Shoppe ■■ Cayman Brac Power and Light Co. ■■ Marketplace ■■ Billy’s Supermarket Locations for police ‘clinics’ announced RCIPS officers investigate in the wake of Tuesday’s violence. – Photo: Brent FullerThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. Thursday June 18, 2015 • Cayman COmpass Riffing on the topic of public libraries, which allow people to check out books, free of charge, on the promise that they’ll return them when they’re finished, comedian Jerry Seinfeld quipped: “It reminds me of like this pathetic friend that everybody had when they were a little kid who would let you borrow any of his stuff if you would just be his friend. “That’s what the library is. A government-funded pathetic friend. And that’s why everybody kind of bullies the library. I’ll bring it back on time ... I’ll bring it back late ... Oh, what are you going to do? Charge me a nickel?” The topic of the joke could just as well have been the Cayman Islands public health system. The butt of the joke is, of course, local taxpayers. During a span of five years, from mid-2011 to mid- 2016, officials project that Cayman’s public health system will have accumulated unpaid debts at a pace of $10 million per year, going from $30 million in past-due debts to $80 million (which works out to more than $1,300 for each of the roughly 58,000 resi- dents in our country). All of those debts will be at least one year overdue, which means, as anyone with experience in receivables knows, that it is highly unlikely they will ever be paid back, in the absence of coercion. But coercion is pre- cisely what has been missing from the government’s approach to debt collection. Indeed, Financial Secretary Ken Jefferson told law- makers last week that his staffers had received explicit instructions from policymakers years ago not to take legal action against people who owed money to gov- ernment for medical debts. (For the record, this would have happened during the UDP administration led by then-Premier McKeeva Bush.) “Perhaps as far back as 2010, a decision was made by the then-government that ... the unit was told not to pursue the collection of debts through the courts,” Mr. Jefferson told the Legislative Assembly’s Finance Committee. He added that the Treasury Department’s debt col- lection unit had done what it could within the confines of those parameters by sending reminders to debtors in the form of telephone calls and letters. This is not meant to denigrate the efforts of our Treasury officials, who have been effectively declawed and kenneled by higher-ups, but without the credible threat of legal action, even the most sternly toned phone call or strongly worded letter is, in a word, “pathetic.” The government’s conscious inaction and delib- erate passivity on the collection of healthcare debts has encouraged, even validated, the widespread belief in Cayman that, as Health Services Authority CEO Lizette Yearwood described it, “healthcare is free.” That’s because healthcare has been free, at least for those who would rather dodge phone calls and toss unopened letters into the waste bin. Mr. Jefferson said a significant portion of the $80 million in unpaid debts is because of expen- sive overseas medical treatment, which he estimated amounted to somewhere between $12 million and $15 million. Cayman taxpayers deserve to know how the other $65 million or more accumulated, and who owes it – indigents, deliberate non-payers, visitors who absconded, or insurance companies that have proven recalcitrant. If it is the case that most of the healthcare debts are owed by people who truly can’t pay, then Cayman officials should demonstrate honesty in accounting, and write off those “bad debts” as advised by the auditor general. If Cayman lawmakers don’t have the political will to force people (including likely voters) to pay their debts, then they should demonstrate honesty in government by formulating an explicit policy of who has to pay, and who doesn’t, that is in line with reality. If the government is serious about collecting unpaid healthcare debts from those who can, but won’t, pay, then they should allow the Treasury’s debt collection unit to do its job, and sue in court for the money that is owed to the people of Cayman. Public health: Cayman’s dire case of ‘bad debt’ From CaymanComPass.Com “New dock ‘critical’ to Cayman’s future,” June 16 Businesses can downsize, close and then re-open in the future. Once the coral is gone, it is gone forever. shannon Emslie And how many jobs will be lost when the coral is gone? Cruise ships will con- tinue to come, especially once Cuba opens up because Cayman is a logical stop be- fore/after Cuba. Building the pier is totally shortsighted; not in the best interests of Cayman long-term. susan mansfield Now that the government has produced an EIA and re- ceived public input, this data should be used to revisit the cruise port design so coral damage is minimized. Also consider removing the large area which can be used for upland retail in the future. This will reduce the cost of the project and coral damage. Whichever cruise com- pany is at the negotiating table may be asking for this, which will undercut George Town businesses. Robert Johnson What precisely is the di- rect financial benefit to gov- ernment from cruise ship visitors? Let’s take the hy- pothetical figure of $90 per head spent on T-shirts, “trips,” food/drink, etc. In the absence of a sales tax, pre- sumably Cayman’s govern- ment gets no benefit from this sales revenue. The only quantifiable rev- enue they appear to receive is the “landing fee” for passen- gers, or whatever is its offi- cial description, and perhaps a berthing fee from the cruise ship companies. What is the per capita charge? How, and by whom is it collected? Are fees receivable up to date? What is the actual amount of revenue generated annually? David Wheaton The Cayman Islands should be about quality, not quantity. The stay-over tourism product is the demo- graphic that would be more willing to purchase higher- end products, but they are chased away by the masses. When things do settle down in town, one would think a hurricane is coming, with the sound of shutters being pulled down and locks clamping down. Keith sahm With all due respect, I know most cruise passen- gers do not pin their entire Caribbean experience to a slice of rum cake or a duty- free watch; they want to see the beauty and uniqueness of each place. They want a clean and safe environment to explore on their own. They will prefer polite taxi drivers, clean sidewalks, and organized pedestrian cross- ings, easy-to-move-around town design, shaded walking areas, and easier access to the beaches, rather than just a cement dock. But overall they want to see the Cayman Islands in- stead of another cookie- cutter destination with the same T-shirt shops and jew- elry stores. We should worry less about Cuba opening up and more about taking care of what we have and offering a quality natural experience so cruise guests will request us as a destination. It will be a sad day if the only draw to visit us is because of a big cement dock. And that is where we seem to be headed. sergio Coni “MLA urges Caymanian business ownership rule,” June 16 What they are in essence saying is: We won’t fix the issues we’re supposed fix (which is Caymanian own- ership), so we will just make it entirely not attractive (or impossible) for foreign na- tionals to open commerce in the Cayman Islands. That’s your solution? This will fix our current unemployment in your view? This will fix the training is- sues, inexperience and un- derexposure to new modern businesses, markets and practices for Caymanians? Just when you think you heard the dumbest thing imaginable from these pseudo-intellects, you hear something like this … It’s em- barrassing that our leaders don’t have the slightest clue how the economy actually works in real life and result to political posturing to make it look like they are actually doing something meaningful. aJ Ebanks More proof, if it were needed, that economic illit- eracy is no bar to a political career in the Cayman Islands John Harris “Waste-to-energy study advised for landfill,” June 17 There we go again, let’s see if we, the government, can spend another million dollars on a study and get another report to put on the top shelf Ron Clair Ebanks The most expensive Us hospitals The New York Times ediTorial Board Two reports published this month provide fresh ev- idence of the hard-to-justify high prices that many hos- pitals charge for common procedures. The prices drive up premiums for many pri- vately insured patients and can be ruinously expen- sive for those who are un- insured or inadequately in- sured or who go to a hospital or doctor outside their insur- ance network. A study published in the June issue of Health Affairs, a policy journal, found that the 50 hospitals with the highest prices in 2012, the latest data avail- able, charged an average of 10 times what is allowed by Medicare, which was used as a baseline for cost. Although hospitals routinely complain that Medicare pays too little, the allowable charges under Medicare are what the government, after extensive analysis, considers the cost of the procedure plus a reasonable amount to invest in hospital improve- ments and keep up with medical inflation. Of the 50 highest-charging hospitals, 49 were for-profit institutions, most of them operated by big chains like Community Health Systems and Hospital Corporation of America. Under the Affordable Care Act, non- profit hospitals are required to provide charity care or dis- counts to low-income people but that mandate does not apply to for-profit hospitals. Some for-profit hospi- tals offer discounts volun- tarily, and several states have laws or regulations requiring all hospitals, including for- profit hospitals, to offer price discounts to eligible uninsured patients. No fed- eral law regulates what hos- pitals can charge; only two states, Maryland and West Virginia, have such laws. The highest-charging hospi- tals were in 13 states, mostly in the south. Prices varied greatly depending on the spe- cialty. Anesthesiology and di- agnostic radiology had very high markups, nursery ser- vices were much lower. The typical response from the hospitals is that their list prices are not relevant to most patients because they don’t pay the full price. The two big government insur- ance programs, Medicare and Medicaid, pay far less than the list prices; private in- surers typically bargain for discounts. Even so, high list prices raise the ceiling from which discounts are negoti- ated and thus drive up pre- miums for many privately in- sured patients. High prices will hit mil- lions of people who will re- main uninsured in coming years for one reason or an- other despite passage of the Affordable Care Act, ac- cording to the Health Affairs study. Patients with private insurance who receive care out-of-network don’t gener- ally benefit from their insur- er’s negotiated discounts, and may have to pay a high pro- portion of the full charges. A second report, released on June 1 by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, showed a similar pattern. For a major joint replacement, the most common reason for hospitalization, the average hospital charged more than US$54,000 in 2013 while Medicare on average paid less than US$15,000. In ad- dition, the list prices that hospitals asked traditional Medicare patients to pay rose by more than 10 per- cent between 2011 and 2013, more than double the rate of inflation. Market forces are often not powerful enough to re- strain very high prices in areas where dominant hos- pitals and chains can pretty much charge what they please. The best remedy might be legislation, at the federal and state levels, to limit hospital prices that have no connection to the cost of delivering the services. © 2015, new york Times Printed and Published by: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town send us yOur VieWs Or neWs: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com adVertise With us: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS daVid r. legge and Vicki l. legge EdITOR-In-CHIEf daVid r. legge A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway”5 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday June 18, 2015 WIN $3,000 in KitchenAid appliances Your Home Store F L AVA MAGAZINE HAS PARTNERED WITH A . L . THOMPSON ’ S TO OFFER READERS THE OPP ORTUNIT Y TO WIN MORE THAN $3,000 WORTH OF KITCHENAID APPLIANCES [[ THE KITCHENAID PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES: Maximum Extraction Juicer in Cobalt Blue Espresso Maker Pro Line 7-qt. Bowl Lift Stand Mixer in Candy Apple Red Pro Line Electric Kettle in Candy Apple Red Pro Line 2-Slice Automatic Toaster Pro Line 16-Cup Food Processor with Commercial Style Dicing in Candy Apple Red HOW TO ENTER Enter at the drop box display inside A. L. Thompson’s, George Town or online at caymancompass.com/competitions Terms and conditions apply. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Deadline: July 7, 2015 Cayman coral study published in global research journal An article based on the re- sults of a study conducted in the Cayman Islands that fo- cused on optimizing the pro- ductivity of staghorn coral in artificial coral nurseries has been published in the sci- entific journal Endangered Species Research. The study was conducted by scientists from the Central Caribbean Marine Institute and the University of Miami. Coral nurseries are a method of re-establishing threatened populations of staghorn and other coral spe- cies. To create a nursery, live coral samples are collected from wild donor colonies, and then cut into smaller frag- ments and attached to under- water lines and PVC “trees.” Once the fragments grow large enough, they can be re-fragmented to increase the number of colonies in the nursery or out-planted to the wild. CCMI and the Department of Environment established the coral nursery, the first of its kind in the Cayman Islands, on Little Cayman. The published study was conducted in 2013 during the initial propagation stage at the Little Cayman nursery in an effort to determine the amount of coral that may be clipped from a nursery- reared colony for propagation purposes without causing mortality or decreasing growth of the nursery-reared donor colony. “We anticipate that our ob- servations will have practical applications for maximizing propagation of staghorn coral within nurseries throughout the wider Caribbean,” said Kathryn Lohr, lead author of the article and former CCMI Conservation Scientist who is now pursuing her doctorate at the University of Florida with a focus on coral restoration. The study found that up to 75 percent of a nursery-reared donor coral may be clipped to create new fragments without negatively affecting the col- ony’s survivorship, growth, or rate of addition of new branches. However, fragmen- tation can increase a parent colony’s susceptibility to stressors such as storms and disease outbreaks. To avoid this problem, nursery best practices include avoiding fragmentation during hur- ricane season, which in the Atlantic Basin runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. The researchers hope their study may be used to plan nursery development and expansion throughout the Caribbean in an effort to facilitate the restoration and conservation efforts for the staghorn coral. However, they caution that similar strate- gies may not be appropriate for coral species less adapted to natural fragmentation. “Preservation is key,” said Dr. Carrie Manfrino, presi- dent and research director of CCMI, “While coral nurs- eries are a viable solution, we should expand our efforts to minimise negative impacts on wild populations.” The Little Cayman coral nursery project is funded in part by the Darwin Initiative, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, and Cayman Consolidated Water. Turtle rescued from poachers James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Poachers were disturbed in the act as they attempted to drag a 400 pound nesting green sea turtle off a West Bay beach. The three men fled the area, leaving the turtle lying on its back, after they were interrupted by a fisherman, out with his dog, at around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Police and Department of Environment officials were called to the scene and the turtle was helped safely back to the sea. Department of Environment enforcement officer Mark Orr said it had taken four people to lift the turtle over the ironshore and back to the water. “We took some DNA sam- ples and measurements and carried her about 100 feet to get back to the water. She wouldn’t have been able to make it back on her own from where we found her,” Mr. Orr said. He said Department of Environment patrols, which monitor the beaches and tag nesting turtles, do their best to protect the animals and prevent poaching, but inci- dents continue to occur. “The usual thing is that they cut [the turtles] up and sell the meat. Unfortunately, they would not have had much trouble going door to door and selling it. We are still fighting this idea that it is traditional and people have a right to catch them. “We don’t have the num- bers to support that any- more. We have to keep bat- tling against it.” A 400 pound turtle could have made the men more than $1,000 on the black market, Mr. Orr believes. He said turtles were a “target of opportunity” for poachers. The Department of Environment typically sees around two to three incidents of turtle poaching every year. During nesting season, volunteers patrol the beaches to count the number of nests and ensure the safety of the turtles and their nests. A student takes notes as she observes the artificial coral reef off Little Cayman.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 Community Calendar ■ Community Calendar is published Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is available to charitable or nonprofit organizations. Items should be submitted at least three working days before publication. Information must include name of sender, signature and contact number. ■ Items may be faxed to 949-2662, brought to the Cayman Compass office on Shedden Rd. or emailed to cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com at least three days in advance of publication. Thursday June 18, 2015 • Cayman Compass THURSDAY, JUNE 18 NCU ALUMNI: The Cayman chapter of the Northern Caribbean University Alumni Association hosts an association re-launch, open to alumni and to all friends of the university. 6:30 p.m. at the Cayman Academy on Walkers Road. VISUAL ARTS AGM: The Visual Arts Society holds its annual general meeting and social at the Watler House, Pedro Castle grounds, 7-9 p.m. Members are invited to bring a guest. Only members may vote. Refreshments follow meeting. Contact VAS if planning to vote by proxy. visualartcayman.yahoo.com. FRIDAY, JUNE 19 YOUNG IMAGE MAKERS: Short Films Red Carpet Premier and awards ceremony. Harquail Theatre. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is free. See all the YIM finalist films on a big screen. Winners announced. Special appearance by Miss Cayman Islands 2014/15 Tonie Chisholm. For more information, call 949-5477. SATURDAY, JUNE 20 CAYMAN NATIONAL CHOIR: The National Choir is in concert 7:30 p.m. at Cayman Prep Hall on Smith Road. Concert program features the full choir and the Singrays. All proceeds benefit Cayman HospiceCare. Tickets are available at the door, $10 for adults, $5 for children. Contact info@ caymanchoir.com. GARAGE SALE: At St. Alban’s Church, 461 Shedden Road opposite Bodden Place. From 7 a.m. Clothes, household items, books, toys and more. Phone 949-2757. FATHERS DAY: The Central Scranton Community and the Department of Children and Family Services celebrate fathers, 6 p.m. at Central Scranton Park. Entertainment, fashion show, karaoke competition, prizes and surprises. All are invited. BRAC GRADUATION: Layman Scott High School Graduation, 7 p.m. Aston Rutty Centre. LITTLE LEAGUE: Little League annual fundraiser (rescheduled because of weather), 6 p.m. $10,000 grand prize. $10 tickets available from players, parents, outside supermarkets, and at the Field of Dreams. Phone 916-5643 for further details. SUNDAY, JUNE 21 GRADUATES SERVICE: Boatswain Bay Presbyterian Church invites everyone to the annual Graduates Service at 7 p.m. FREE DOG VACCINES: Due to the parvo virus outbreak, Island Veterinary Services holds a free vaccine clinic for all unvaccinated puppies and dogs. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The clinic is for owners who cannot afford to vaccinate their dogs. Clinics will run every two weeks until the dog has had five vaccines. The dog will not be protected without all five vaccines. TUESDAY, JUNE 23 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “Mamma Mia!” (PG- 13). Families are invited to Gardenia Court in Camana Bay to set up a picnic on the grass, or just bring a blanket, relax and enjoy the show on the outdoor big screen. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 FOOD HANDLERS: Certification course in basic food hygiene offered by the Department of Environmental Health; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DEH conference room in the Environmental Centre, 580 North Sound Road. $15 per person covers all materials and fees; pay at DEH headquarters, 580 North Sound Road, between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Call 949-6696. THURSDAY, JUNE 25 BRAC COURT: Summary Court is held at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre from 10 a.m. today and tomorrow. FRIDAY, JUNE 26 SCHOOL REGISTRATION: Registration of students enrolling in or transferring to government schools for the 2015/2016 school year is open through today at the Department of Education Services and the Cayman Brac Teachers Centre. Registration forms available at government schools, the Department of Education Services at 130 Thomas Russell Way, George Town, or the Brac Teachers Centre. Registration for reception classes is open for qualifying children who are age 4 before Sept. 1. SATURDAY. JUNE 27 ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY: Members and potential new members are invited to an Astro Barbecue. Email for more information: cpcooke@aol.com. TUESDAY, JUNE 30 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “How to Train Your Dragon 2” (PG). Families are invited to Gardenia Court in Camana Bay to set up a picnic on the grass, or just bring a blanket, relax and enjoy the show on the outdoor big screen. SUMMER CAMPS SUMMER ARTS CAMp: Organized by the Cayman National Cultural Foundation. Last date to register is June 30. The camp is for 6-16-year-olds only. Visit www.artscayman. org for a registration form. CREATIVE CAMpERS: In session from July 1-Aug. 28, for ages 3-13. Runs 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Elmslie Memorial Church Hall. $80 per week includes camp fee, field trips, snacks and lunch. Activities include arts and craft, sports, science, talent show, Bible study. Contact 324-8707 or creativecampers@live.com. FEARLESS EXTREME: Leadership and Prevention Camp. Organized by Cayman Islands Youth Development Consortium. July 13-24 for ages 7-9 and 10-14. Mary Miller Hall, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. $75 per week, includes transportation. Contact sylviawilks@ caribbeanyouthassets.com or 917-3885. ART AND CRAFT: Organized by the Visual Arts Society. July 20-Aug. 12. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 a.m.-noon. $45 per session or $120 per week, or $485 for the month. Camp takes place on grounds of Pedro Castle at the Watler House Art Studio. Contact visualartcayman@ yahoo.com. GENERAL INTEREST VISUAL ARTS SOCIETY: Life and Still Life drawing sessions, June 20, 23, 27. Painting Open Studio, June 18, 25. All sessions at Watler House on the grounds of Pedro Castle. Contact 546- 9422 or visualartcayman@ yahoo.com. ARTISANS MARKET: Camana Bay Artisans Market every Wednesday. Visual Arts Society has artists displaying arts, crafts, paintings, prints, hand-crafted jewelry and ceramics for sale between noon and 8 p.m. near KARoo. For more information about being a displaying artist, contact info@visualartcayman.com or 546-9422. REEF RESTORATION: Certified divers are invited to work on the Cayman Magic Reef restoration in George Town. A schedule of work dates and times is posted on Facebook under Cayman Magic Reef Recovery. Dates, times and places are listed under Events, for volunteers to check and sign up. DEMENTIA/ALzHEIMER’S SUppORT GROUp: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the catboat clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information please call 924-4170 or email info@ adacayman.com. SpECIAL OLYMpICS: Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:45 p.m. to assist with training athletes in track and field, bocce and football. Truman Bodden Sports Complex. Contact Penny McDowall, 516-2578, soci@candw.ky or pjmcdowall@gmail.com. pRESCHOOL FUNDING: The Ministry of Education offers funding to assist eligible young Caymanian children to attend an early childhood center (preschool). Application forms are available at the Government Administration Building on Elgin Avenue, at the Department of Education Services on Thomas Russell Way, and from early childhood center directors/operators. For further information, call 244-5735 or contact turnette.stewart@gov.ky or renee.barnes@gov.ky. HIV TESTING: Free HIV testing is available every Tuesday year-round at the Cayman Islands Red Cross on Thomas Russell Way. Anyone wishing to get tested should arrive by 9 a.m. Testing will be available every Tuesday, 9-10 a.m. Contact HIV/ AIDS Coordinator Laura Whitfield at 244-2631. MUSEUM TOURS: The National Museum provides guided tours for students and school groups free of cost. Students will gain an understanding of Cayman’s geological formation, flora and fauna, seafaring and rope-making heritage, political history and more. Contact the museum to book a tour in advance at 949-8368 or email info@ museum.ky. ART FOR STUDENTS: The National Gallery hosts free Active Learning Sessions for students of all ages. Part tour, part art activity, the tour takes students up-close with the National Collection – more than 50 years of Caymanian art history – providing links to literacy, mathematics, social studies and science. For information or to book a session, contact 945-8111 or education@nationalgallery. org.ky. FREE GALLERY TOURS: Free guided tours of the temporary exhibition “Plastic In paradise: Scenes of Real Life Fictions” by Heidi Bassett Blair are available for students of all ages at the National Gallery. Students will discuss the exhibition and get hands-on art activities that incorporate literacy and numeracy. Tours run until July 3. For information or to book a tour, contact 945-8111 or education@ nationalgallery.org.ky. THRIFT SHOp SEEKS CLOTHING: The Humane Society Thrift Shop is desperately low on stock. Clothing, accessories, toys, small appliances, shoes, bric-a-brac and pictures are needed. Please bring donations to the Humane Society building on North Sound Road. BETHESDA COUNSELING CENTRE: At 68 Mary St. Caters to all who seek help. Call 946-6575. Open Monday to Friday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments available Saturdays and late evenings. Center is owned and operated by the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. pINK LADIES: Coffee Shop at Cayman Islands Hospital is open Monday- Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for breakfast, lunch, drinks, snacks. Takeout orders welcome, call 244- 2661. Funds are donated back to the community. Contact pinkladiescayman@ gmail.com. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Thursday June 18, 2015 and CONCACAF president Webb and former CIFA sec- retary general and Webb’s CONCACAF attache Costas Takkas, solicited bribes to award media rights con- tracts for CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments. U.S. au- thorities also allege that former CONCACAF president Jack Warner was involved in taking bribes over many years, including in awarding the 2010 World Cup tourna- ment to South Africa. Webb took over as pres- ident of CONCACAF in 2012 after then-president Warner resigned amid allegations of corruption. The South African gov- ernment has said it never offered bribes to secure the World Cup. Russia and Qatar have also denied using bribes to win the World Cup spots. Webb, Takkas and five others arrested in Zurich are still in Switzerland awaiting extradition pro- ceedings before they can be sent to the U.S. to face the charges. Warner is in his na- tive Trinidad and Tobago. He has been arrested but is out on bail and said he plans to fight extradition. Mr. Lauber said the Swiss investigation is in- dependent of the one being carried out by U.S. authori- ties, but the two countries are sharing some informa- tion. “Documents and data of our Swiss investigation will not be shared automatically with the U.S. counterpart,” he said. He commended Swiss banks for reporting sus- picious activity. “We note positively that banks in Switzerland did fulfill their duties to file suspicious ac- tivity reports,” he said. “The procedure is huge and complex on many levels. I am well aware of that and will act accordingly. The risk of loss of evidence is obvious. Any kind of infor- mation on the ongoing in- vestigation provided to the public can boost the danger of suppression of evidence,” Mr. Lauber said in the press statement. Money laundering through the Cayman Islands and other jurisdictions fig- ures prominently in the U.S. cases. Former CONCACAF general secretary Charles Blazer admitted to using a Cayman company to launder money through an account at FirstCaribbean International (Cayman) Bank. Blazer, who secretly pleaded guilty in 2013, helped authorities in the U.S. build cases against the other defendants. proposed increasing the re- tirement age for public sector workers last year, there has been some uncertainty in the civil service about how workers between ages 60 and 65 would be treated. Mr. Manderson said, generally, government workers would be given an option. “If I am 62 and I am re- ceiving my pension … and the law changes tomorrow, I will have the option on my next contract renewal to say … ‘thank you I’m retiring’ or ‘I want to work until I’m 65,’” the deputy governor said. If the latter option is chosen, the civil servant would stop receiving pension payments and resume making contri- butions to the pension fund until age 65. Just because a worker reaches age 65 does not mean he or she will be forced to leave the service, Mr. Manderson said. “If they are fit and ready to do the work, then they … can stay on for a while longer,” he said. Employment beyond age 65 would be on a fixed-term contract basis, he said. The government ex- pects a significant impact on the jobs market as a re- sult of increasing the public sector retirement age. The government Economics and Statistics Office recently re- ported that overall unem- ployment fell from 6.3 per- cent in 2013 to 4.7 percent in 2014. Caymanian unemploy- ment fell during the same period from 9.4 percent to 7.9 percent. Government projections for the 2015/16 budget year were that overall unemploy- ment would remain at 4.7 percent during the period that runs through June 30, 2016 “because of an expected increase in the labor force.” “If you increase the retire- ment age from 60 to 65, you increase the working popu- lation, so your labor force grows,” Finance Minister Marco Archer said. “The [worker] pool from which you are drawing will get bigger.” The Cayman Islands Civil Service Association has not opposed the change, but has sought to obtain fur- ther details about how the retirement age would af- fect workers’ pensions and healthcare payments. this long-awaited proposal, but we believe the long-term cost to the environment is too great for the relatively short-term gain. “The environmental im- pact assessment indicates that dredging and its silt plume will destroy much of the unique, thousands-of- years-old reefs that we cur- rently earn over $9 million/ year from and upon which numerous water sports op- erations are primarily depen- dent. Soto’s South will cer- tainly perish, but the deadly silt plume will likely affect all of the reefs in the harbor to various extents, including Soto’s Central, Soto’s North and Eden Rock.” The environmental impact assessment appears to have galvanized opposition to the project. Around 200 people at- tended a presentation last week by government’s marine engi- neering consultants Baird, with the vast majority speaking in opposition to the plan. Mr. Platt, who also spoke at the meeting, said the level of impact detailed in the re- port was starting to make people, including non-divers, pay attention. The petition adds, “The view from town will be dominated by the ships and murky water emanating from their thrusters. The silt cloud will spoil the wreck of the Cali as one of our most accessible and fishiest snorkeling experiences.” It concludes, “Please, please, please, do not dredge.” Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell has said that Cabinet will assess the find- ings from the report and public consultations before making a final decision on whether to proceed. Devil’s Grotto off George Town is among the dive sites under threat from the port development. - PHOTO: ELLEN CUYLAERTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Civil servants left in limbo on retirement change Petitioners oppose cruise pier CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Swiss open new FIFA probe AT&T hit with record $100M fine WASHINGTON (AP) – AT&T Mobility LLC has been slapped with a record $100 million fine for offering con- sumers “unlimited” data, but then slowing their Internet speeds after they reached a certain amount. The company says it will fight the charges. The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday that the company misled con- sumers into buying plans they believed would give them un- limited ability to send and re- ceive data, including Web browsing, GPS navigation and streaming videos. But once the consumer hit a certain level, the data on unlimited plans would be slowed down significantly, at speeds lower than advertised, the FCC said. AT&T said it would “vigor- ously dispute” the fine, which was the largest proposed in FCC history. If AT&T can pro- vide evidence that the FCC al- legations are wrong, the fine could be reduced. Otherwise, if AT&T refuses to pay, it’s possible the two sides will wind up in court. “The FCC has specifically identified this practice as a legitimate and reasonable way to manage network re- sources for the benefit of all customers, and has known for years that all of the major carriers use it,” the company said in a statement released to reporters. “We have been fully transparent with our customers, providing notice in multiple ways and going well beyond the FCC’s dis- closure requirements.” Former judge called to the Bar Attorney Alexander Henderson will not appear in court CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former Grand Court judge Alexander Henderson was called to the Bar of the Cayman Islands on Wednesday morning in a tra- ditional admission ceremony before Justice Charles Quin. Mr. Henderson’s creden- tials and eligibility require- ments were submitted by attorney David Dinner of Dinner Martin law firm. Mr. Henderson, 70, said he had given an undertaking not to appear as an advocate in court. He also noted that this new phase in his career was somewhat inaccurately de- scribed as consulting. Chief Justice Anthony Smellie had publicly an- nounced Justice Henderson’s retirement at the opening of Grand Court in January. He paid tribute at the time to Mr. Henderson’s “un- flinching and uncompro- mising sense of purpose and professionalism.” Mr. Henderson, who was called to the Bar in Canada in 1970, served as judge on the Supreme Court in British Columbia before coming to Cayman in 2000. He was an acting judge on several oc- casions before he was ap- pointed full time in 2003, dealing with both criminal and civil matters. In 2009, Justice Henderson was awarded $1.275 mil- lion in an out-of-court settle- ment following his unlawful arrest and the unlawful search of his home and of- fice by a police team that had been wrongly advised by a U.K. attorney who was not a member of the Cayman Bar. In addition to the nu- merous judgments he has written that are noted as precedents in the Cayman Islands Law Reports, Mr. Henderson is the co-author of “The Business of Crime: A Report on Organized Crime and Money Laundering.” He is also co-editor of the book “Criminal Jury Instructions.” Cayman’s 2009 Constitution sets the re- tirement age for judges at 65, but allows the gov- ernor the discretion to re- ject or accept applications for a five-year extension. Mr. Henderson had continued as judge until last month so that hearings and judgments he was already dealing with could be concluded. He is not the first judge to move from the bench to the bar. Former Senior Magistrate and Grand Court judge Kipling Douglas was admitted to practice as an at- torney several years ago. He also made an undertaking not to appear in court, and subsequently accepted em- ployment with a law firm. Mr. Henderson, 70, said he had given an undertaking not to appear as an advocate in court. He also noted that this new phase in his career was somewhat inaccurately described as consulting.The islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday June 18, 2015 • Cayman Compass Muslims to mark start of Ramadan Muslims around the world will mark the start of Ramadan on Thursday, a month of intense prayer, dawn-to-dusk fasting and nightly feasts. WE THINK IT'S TIME TO CHANGE. New documentary alleges British collusion during the Troubles This week British Prime Minister David Cameron will meet his Irish counter- part, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, in London to discuss matters such as the current political deadlock in Ireland and the potential British exit from the European Union. Yet the talk may not only deal with the future or the present: “Legacy issues” are also due to be discussed by the pair. According to the Irish Times, this is currently un- derstood to refer to British government documents about the 1974 bombings in Dublin and Monaghan that left 34 dead. The Ulster Volunteer Force, a loyalist paramilitary group from Northern Ireland, claimed responsibility for that at- tack in the 1990s, but there have long been suspi- cions that British security forces had also colluded in the plot. There are many that hope, however, that the discussion of alleged British state col- lusion with loyalist paramil- itaries during the Troubles that raged in Northern Ireland from the late 1960s to the late 1990s will go much further than that. And a damning new documen- tary, aired on Monday eve- ning by semi-state broad- caster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE), has only added further to that. RTE’s “Collusion” contains a remarkable number of al- legations, including that the Royal Ulster Constabulary (the police force in Northern Ireland until it was dis- solved in 2001) had a unit that worked with various loyalist paramilitary groups to attack Nationalist and Republican leaders, and that sections of the British Army were passing on weapons, expertise and intelligence on to groups who then used it for attacks. “If ordinary Catholics were shot, nobody was too worried about it,” John Weir, a former RUC sergeant, says at the start of the documen- tary. Weir later says that “security services, army in- telligence, special branch” were linked to the Dublin- Monaghan bombings and that many were fearful (or perhaps hopeful) of an all-out civil war breaking out. Remarkably, the accusa- tions of collusion included in the documentary go right up to the 1990s. “Collusion” even reveals how official concerns about the links be- tween the British state and paramilitary groups were raised with British Prime Minister Edward Heath and his successor Margaret Thatcher, but they were dis- missed. However, declassi- fied documents “now show the British government was well-aware of collusion,” the documentary says. As shocking as “Collusion” is, these allegations aren’t to- tally new. Some of Weir’s al- legations were included in a 2003 report by former Irish Supreme Court judge Henry Barron. That report investigated the Dublin- Monaghan bombing and concluded that “there are grounds for suspecting that the bombers may have had assistance from members of the security forces.” A 2013 book by Anna Cadwallader, “Lethal Allies,” took a detailed look at the links the RUC and the British army had with loy- alist paramilitary forces. “It can be demonstrated be- yond a reasonable doubt that there was systemic collusion in these cases,” Cadwallader said in an in- terview with The Guardian. And just earlier this year, the BBC’s Panorama pub- lished its own investigation into alleged collusion. “They were running informants and their argument was that they were saving lives, but hundreds and hundreds of people died because these people were not brought to justice,” Baroness Nuala O’Loan, Northern Ireland’s first police ombudsman, told Panorama, adding that this practice allowed impu- nity for “killers” and even “serial killers.” Even so, RTE’s docu- mentary caused a huge stir on Twitter, with many sur- prised it had taken this long for the documentary to be made. Now the Pat Finucane Center, named after a human rights lawyer killed by a loyalist group acting with the help of British se- curity forces, and others have publicly called for an independent inquiry into British collusion. “We must ensure that there is adequate accountability for the past so that these dirty tactics are never utilised again,” Yasmine Ahmed, di- rector of Rights Watch UK, said in a statement. Whether this will happen is anyone’s guess – Ireland and Britain may well want to focus on the economic mat- ters of the present and the future rather than the more troubling past. And given the huge cost and slow progress of Britain’s Chillcot Inquiry, which looked into the British role in the Iraq war and still has not had its findings re- leased, Cameron may hesi- tate to look even deeper into the murkier moments of Britain’s history. © 2015, The Washington Post Remarkably, the accusations of collusion included in the documentary go right up to the 1990s. Iraqi training goal to fall short, US defense chief says WASHINGTON (AP) — The ef- fort to train Iraqi forces to fight Islamic State mili- tants has been slowed by a lack of recruits and the U.S. will not meet its goal to train 24,000 by this fall, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday. Carter told the House Armed Services Committee that the U.S. had initially envisioned training 24,000 Iraqi security forces at four sites by this fall. But he said the U.S. has received only enough recruits to be able to train about 7,000 – in addi- tion to about 2,000 counter- terrorism service personnel. “Our training efforts in Iraq have thus far been slowed by a lack of trainees. We simply haven’t received enough recruits,” Carter said at a hearing about U.S. policy in the Middle East. So far, the U.S. is advising local Iraqi forces and is not engaging in combat against IS militants who have seized territory throughout Iraq and Syria. The White House an- nounced last week that it was sending up to 450 more U.S. troops to a new base in Anbar province of western Iraq, mainly to advise the Iraqis on planning and exe- cution of a counteroffensive to retain Ramadi, the pro- vincial capital. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that more such U.S. hubs could be opened else- where in Iraq as the cam- paign advances. Asked whether the 450 extra troops will make a dif- ference in the fight against IS, Carter said the numbers are not as significant as the location, which is in the heart of Sunni territory. The U.S. is pushing for a more inclusive government in Baghdad that is repre- sentative of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds, Iraq’s three major ethnic groups. “As I’ve told Iraqi leaders, while the United States is open to supporting Iraq more than we already are, we must see a greater com- mitment from all parts of the Iraqi government,” Carter said, adding that the Iraqi leaders understand the need to empower a multisectarian Iraqi force as well as ad- dressing organizational and leadership failures. Carter testified along with Dempsey, who is fin- ishing a four-year stint as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dempsey has expressed the view that the U.S. needs to be patient and not give up on the Iraqi government’s ability to fight IS. Many Republicans in Congress, however, are leery and say the U.S. should not rely on the Iraqis. “There is a sense that we are at a particularly perilous time and that U.S. policy and strategy are inadequate,” said committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. Rep. Adam Smith, the committee’s ranking Democrat, cautioned that U.S. military might alone will not defeat IS. “We can drop 200,000 U.S. troops in the middle of this. It won’t solve the problem,” Smith said. Carter’s testimony was interrupted by an anti-war protester who shouted “We need a political solution.” Carter told the House Armed Services Committee that the U.S. had initially envisioned training 24,000 Iraqi security forces at four sites by this fall. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, left, followed by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey, as they arrive on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify before the House Armed Services Committee. - Photo: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Thursday June 18, 2015 US, Cuba still wrangling on embassies after six months HAVANA (AP) — Six months ago Wednesday, Presidents Barack Obama and Raul Castro stunned the world by announcing an end to their nations’ half-century of offi- cial hostility. U.S. travelers, politicians and executives flew to Cuba as if a Caribbean Berlin Wall had crumbled. Some business- backed interest groups lob- bied Congress to end a more than 50-year trade embargo. American soccer and basket- ball stars played for excited crowds in Havana. The web- site Airbnb expanded to the island, listing thousands of private homes available for rent across the country. U.S. and Cuban diplomats went hunting for additional office space, readied flag- poles and ordered office sup- plies that say “embassy” in- stead of “interests section.” Yet, even as observers say a deal is imminent, a half-year later the two governments have not taken the important but symbolic step of turning their “interests” offices into formal embassies in Havana and Washington. “It shows you the com- plexity of this process,” said Jesus Arboleya, a political scientist and former Cuban diplomat in Washington. “If the first step has taken this much time, imagine the con- flicts that can develop after it gets started.” No embassy deal has been announced despite four rounds of wrangling over U.S. diplomats’ freedom to travel around Cuba and im- port supplies. The issues on the table after the embas- sies open are far more com- plicated. They include talks on human rights; demands for compensation for confis- cated American properties in Havana and damages to Cuba from the embargo; and possible cooperation on law enforcement that includes the touchy topic of U.S. fugi- tives sheltering in Havana. Plenty of people and groups oppose any U.S.-Cuba warming, including some dis- sidents on the island, anti- Castro Cuban-Americans and some members of Congress who believe the new policy es- sentially rewards Communist leaders for decades of human rights abuses. Presidential Republican candidates like Sen. Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immi- grants, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida have both come out firmly against rapprochement. But polls say detente has strong public backing in both countries, leading many to believe the process is irreversible. “Even if it takes a while, for whatever reason, the em- bassy will open and relations will be re-established,” said David Fuentes, a parking lot attendant in Havana. “It just seems inevitable to me.” Sen. Jeff Flake, a key Republican advocate of better ties, met with Cuba’s foreign minister and first vice president over the weekend and told The Associated Press that an embassy opening date is “imminent.” But some advocates fear the broader process is moving too slowly to guar- antee that a future U.S. pres- ident won’t be able to re- verse Obama’s loosening of the trade embargo on Cuba, just as Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush did after openings by Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Robert Muse, a Washington attorney spe- cializing in U.S. law on Cuba, said Obama deserves credit for his bold and unex- pected opening with Cuba in December, but is also justly criticized for letting the rela- tionship get bogged down in the minutiae of negotiations over embassy operations. “I would like to see the president maintain a pace of normalization that will get him to his goal. The goal is the legacy of normalized relations between the U.S. and Cuba,” Muse said. “You can’t nego- tiate your way to normaliza- tion with Cuba in the time that Obama has to get this done.” Advocates of normaliza- tion face powerful brakes on progress in both countries. In Washington, anti- Castro lawmakers have at- tached riders to appropria- tions bills that would roll back Obama’s loosening of trade and travel. In Cuba, aging leaders fear swift, uncontrolled change that would cost them power and spawn disorder in a country that dreads the violence and inequality scar- ring some regional neighbors. That fear is heightened by the United States’ long history of trying to topple Castro and his brother Fidel. “I think we’re just real- izing the degree to which they spent 40-plus years with this being as deep into their DNA as imaginable,” said James Williams, head of Engage Cuba, a corporate- backed bipartisan group that launched pro-engagement lobbying efforts Tuesday. “We’re not just going to turn the lights on and it’s going to be fixed overnight.” A few real links between the U.S. and Cuba have none- theless been forged since the announcement by Obama and Castro. U.S. travelers can book lodging in Cubans’ homes through Airbnb; the cost of calls to Cuba dropped after a new international tele- communications deal; and a New York research center will run a clinical trial of a Cuban lung-cancer treatment. The U.S. has approved new ferry services from Florida to Cuba and opened the door to direct air service between the two countries. Hungary considers border fence to keep out migrants BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The Hungarian government is considering building a 13-foot-high fence along the border with Serbia to stop the flow of migrants reaching the country, the foreign min- ister said Wednesday. The government has asked Interior Minister Sandor Pinter to present preparations for the plan by next Wednesday. “The pressure of migra- tion which presents serious difficulties for Europe af- fects Hungary the most among EU member coun- tries,” Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. “Hungary cannot allow itself to wait any longer. Naturally, we hope there will be a joint European solution.” Szijjarto said the fence along the 109-mile southern border with Serbia wouldn’t contravene any of Hungary’s international legal obliga- tions. He said that the govern- ments of Hungary and Serbia would hold a summit on July 1, when “we will inform our Serb friends … in detail of the Hungarian measures.” The foreign minister also said that, in line with a bill presented last week by law- makers from the governing Fidesz party, the government was taking legal preliminary steps to designate all EU member and candidate coun- tries as safe countries. This step would allow Hungary, for example, to stop receiving asylum seekers from Serbia or Greece, countries not considered by the EU to have the infrastructure neces- sary to guarantee their safety. “The Hungarian govern- ment is committed to de- fending Hungary and de- fending the Hungarian people from the immigration pres- sure,” Szijjarto said, naming the Greek-Turkish and the Bulgarian-Turkish borders as locations where similar fences have been built with the pur- pose of stopping migrants. Since the second half of 2014, the number of migrants and asylum seekers entering Hungary, mostly across the southern border with Serbia, has risen markedly. So far this year, more than 53,000 people have requested asylum in Hungary, up from under 43,000 in 2014 and 2,150 in 2012. More than 70 percent of asylum seekers over the past three months are from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, though the vast ma- jority move further west to destinations like Germany and Sweden shortly after filing their asylum requests. “The pressure of migration which presents serious difficulties for Europe affects Hungary the most among EU member countries.” Peter Szijjarto, foreign minister A palm reader in Havana shows a picture of New York Cosmos soccer player Raul. Members of the team gave her the picture. Soccer and basketball stars from the U.S. recently played for excited crowds in Havana. - Photo: AP Mounted police patrol in the vicinity of Morahalom, 111 miles southeast of Budapest, Hungary, next to the Serbian border. - Photo: APNext >