ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – Thursday July 23, 2015 sports | page 15 purple dragons grab medals Karate kids excel at worlds High of 91 Low of 79 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. editorial | page 4 Cayman’s remiT: end of money Transfers impaCTs Thousands HomeOptions Shop around and pay less for more insurance! $250 gift certificate can be used to purchase BritCay motor insurance Home Insurance with BritCay offers convenient, interest-free monthly payments, flexible cover, fast claims, competitive premiums and deductibles. Ask for a quote. BRITISH CAYMANIAN INSURANCE CO. 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 $250* CERTIFICATE WITH BUILDINGS INSURANCE *applies to new buildings policies cgigrp Webb bail: Homes, cars and jewels brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Strict bail conditions were set by a U.S. fed- eral court after former FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb and several members of his family put up millions of dollars in “real property” to secure his release from custody, pending trial. To meet the US$10 million bond to secure his release, 10 “real properties,” were put up, court records indicate. If Webb violates any conditions of his supervised release, those properties could be forfeited. Four of the properties are owned either by Webb or jointly by Webb and his wife, Atlanta- area doctor Kendra Gamble-Webb, according to court records. A fifth property is owned by Mrs. Gamble-Webb alone. Three of the remaining five properties are owned by Delroy Webb, one is owned by John Bodden and the other is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Jones Jr. The court records do not list locations or approximate values for any of the properties. Other assets posted as part of the bond in- clude the Webbs’ 2014 Range Rover, a 2015 Ferrari and a 2003 Mercedes. In addition, Mrs. Gamble-Webb put up her 401k retirement sav- ings account, an unidentified partnership eq- uity interest and her diamond wedding ring. Also, nearly 20 pieces of jewelry and luxury watches, value unlisted, were posted to secure the bond. The conditions for Webb’s release also re- quire him to pay for his own electronic moni- toring, provide his own around-the-clock se- curity using a security firm approved by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and fed- eral prosecutors, and to live within 20 miles of the Eastern District federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York. The residence requirement may be varied when bail conditions are reviewed by the court next month. “The defendant [Webb] may leave his res- idence only upon approval in writing by the FBI and [pre-trial services],” states the court order, which was made public Monday. “A pri- vate security service, approved by the U.S. at- torney’s office and the FBI, will monitor the Jamaican workers increase by 12% brenT fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com After their numbers declined for the better part of the last decade, Jamaican work permit holders in the Cayman Islands have increased markedly in the past year, an examination of Immigration Department statistics shows. As of early July, the Immigration Department recorded 9,100 Jamaicans here on work permits – about a 12 percent increase from the same time a year ago when the de- partment noted about 8,100 Jamaican work permit holders on island. Since July 2007, when there were nearly 12,000 Jamaican permit holders in the Cayman Islands, the numbers had steadily decreased, bottoming out in mid-2012, when about 8,000 Jamaicans held work permits here. During 2013-2014, the numbers fluctuated, rising and falling slightly, but this year marks the first time since 2009 that the number of Jamaican work permit holders in the Cayman Islands has exceeded 9,000. The numbers may just represent a natural progression due to an overall increase in work permit holders in Cayman within the past year. According to department records, there are now more than 22,000 non-Caymanians on work permits here. However, honorary Jamaican consul Dr. Joe Marzouca believes there is more to it. “[Cayman has] been using a lot of people from further lands,” Dr. Marzouca said. “It’s al- ways easier to hire people that are closer.” Dr. Marzouca said simple fact-of-life issues might make it more sensible for local em- ployers to hire skilled Jamaican workers, who are close by, rather than going halfway around PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » Planning authority approves airport expansion James WhiTTaker jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A $50 million expansion of Owen Roberts International Airport has been ap- proved by the Central Planning Authority. Phase one of the project, which is ex- pected to be completed over three years, will break ground within the next six weeks, according to the Cayman Islands Airports Authority. The overall plans, which involve almost tripling the size of the terminal, were re- viewed by the Central Planning Authority at its July 8 meeting. Albert Anderson, CEO of the Cayman Islands Airports Authority, con- firmed the plans had been approved. “The Airports Authority is extremely excited about receiving this planning ap- proval, and we are keen to get started as quickly as possible,” he said. “In the interim we will do everything we can to make the travel experience at Owen Roberts International Airport as comfort- able as possible for our passengers.” Construction firms have until Friday to submit bids for the first phase of the project – a two-story baggage-sorting area, luggage screening room and mechanical PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » An architect’s rendering of the revamped airport terminal.2 LOCAL&REGIONAL Thursday July 23, 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. ANT MAN 3D (PG13) 1:40 I 4:30 2D I 7:20 I 10:00 2D MINIONS 3D (PG) 1:20 I 4:10 2D I 7:10 I 9:30 2D TERMINATOR GENISYS (PG13) 12:50 I 3:40 I 6:55 I 9:40 TRAINWRECK (R) 1:30 I 4:20 I 7:10 I 10:05 INSIDE OUT (PG) 1:10 I 3:40 I 7:15 I 9:50 JURASSIC WORLD (PG13) 1:00 I 3:45 I 6:30 I 9:15 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - THURSDAY - $8.00 www.tonymosleylifeinsurance.com Puerto Rico adrift as bankruptcy bills stall As California risked being locked out of the credit mar- kets during the recession, of- ficials sought federal loan guarantees to avert deep spending cuts that threat- ened to cascade through the biggest U.S. state. Washington turned them away. Six years later, as a Puerto Rico agency veers toward a default as soon as Aug. 1, federal offi- cials in the nation’s capital have echoed a refrain heard during recent state and local fiscal crises: Fix the problem on your own. President Barack Obama’s administration and the Federal Reserve have said it’s up to Congress to de- cide how to assist the island as it struggles with $72 bil- lion of debt. Yet on Capitol Hill, Puerto Rico’s push to allow some agencies to file for bankruptcy has stalled. Efforts to find a Republican to co-sponsor the legislation haven’t borne fruit. “Federal authorities seem to be taking the position that the only possible options are the extremes of a bailout or nothing at all,” said Arturo Estrella, formerly an econo- mist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Puerto Rico has been moving toward the largest restructuring ever in the $3.6 trillion municipal- bond market since Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla said last month the com- monwealth can’t afford to pay its debts. The securities have tumbled amid specula- tion over how much inves- tors stand to lose as his ad- ministration moves to draw up a restructuring proposal by Sept. 1. © 2015, Bloomberg News Electronics stolen from summer camp Brent Fuller bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A local summer camp program housed in the same building as the Meals on Wheels charity was hit by burglars overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. According to Rehoboth Summer Camps Program Director Beulah McField, the burglar, or burglars, broke in through a window and took two desktop computers be- longing to the camp. Also taken was a Nintendo Wii game system that was used by the summer camp pro- gram attendees to play video games or watch Netflix. Ms. McField said the desktop computers were sev- eral years old and the Wii system was older than that. “The monetary value [taken in the burglary] wasn’t that great, but [the computers] meant a lot to our operation,” she said. The desktop computers were used by the George Town area summer school and its associated after- school program to keep track of administrative records, but no financial details were kept on those computers, Ms. McField said. Meals on Wheels, a charity that provides home- bound elderly residents with food, was hit by bur- glars several years ago, and they entered the same way this week. “We put up plyboard to block the window they came in the last time and they broke through the board,” Ms. McField said. The summer camp re- ported the incident to police, who were on scene investi- gating early Wednesday, Ms. McField said. Rape trial was fair, Crown contends Main issue is how judge dealt with pre-trial publicity CArOl WInKer cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Arguments concluded on Wednesday in the appeal of Jeffrey Barnes against a rape conviction following a jury trial in which a unanimous guilty verdict was delivered in April 2013. Michael Wood, lead counsel for Barnes, gave as his main ground for ap- peal the prejudicial publicity ahead of the trial and the judge’s failure to instruct the jury not to search the Internet for information about Barnes or the case. In response, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards provided a time- line regarding publicity after a report of a rape on Oct. 29, 2011, prompted police to issue a press release naming Barnes as a suspect and providing his photo, along with a description of Barnes as violent and dangerous. Barnes’s trial, which resulted in the April 2013 guilty ver- dict, was in relation to a dif- ferent rape report. Ms. Richards said the im- pact of the publicity was not so overwhelming or so fresh that it was not possible to have an impartial jury. She noted that the web- site ieyenews.com pub- lished 12 articles about the matter, 10 in 2011 and the last one in November 2012 – four months before the trial started. The last ar- ticle on the Cayman News Service website was Oct. 13, 2012. The last article on the Cayman Compass website was in February 2012. The last news article on Cayman 27’s website was three weeks before the trial, and it was removed by the tele- vision station after she re- quested it do so. Ms. Richards detailed the steps taken by Justice Charles Quin to ensure a fair trial. When potential jurors re- ported for duty and before they were selected, he told them he wanted them to consider whether they were able to have an open and independent mind in light of the publicity and dis- cussion in the community about the case. One person was excused from selection on the basis that such pub- licity would have made it difficult to be impartial, Ms. Richards indicated. Then, after jurors were sworn in and before the Crown began its case, Justice Quin told the panel of seven jurors to “just focus entirely on the evidence.” He ex- plained that the evidence was what they heard from the witness box, any exhibits, any facts or statements agreed to by both Crown and defense. There could have been no misapprehension, Ms. Richards submitted: ju- rors knew they were to dis- regard anything outside the courtroom. She pointed out that the jurors swore or af- firmed that they would give “a true verdict according to the evidence.” After all the evidence for both sides, Justice Quin summed up the case and in- structed the jury, she con- tinued. She said there were repeated and strong warn- ings not to pay attention to anything seen or heard in the newspaper, on TV or radio. Jurors were instructed to cast aside any sympathy or prejudice toward the com- plainant or the defendant. Despite the fact that there was no reference to the Internet, the cumula- tive effect of these warn- ings would have been such that a juror following direc- tions would have been in no doubt that they could not consider anything but the evidence presented in court, she concluded. The second ground of ap- peal argued by Mr. Wood was that the trial judge had failed to adequately explain to the jury the elements of aggravated burglary – en- tering as a trespasser with intent to rape and having an offensive weapon at the time of entry. Considerations include whether entry was permitted, when the knife came into his possession, what the intent was and when was it formed. Ms. Richards agreed that the judge’s directions could have been more fulsome, but she argued that it was not significant in the context of this case because the defense was one of alibi – that Barnes was elsewhere the night of the incident. The third ground of ap- peal had to do with a com- ment by the judge during his summing up. Justice Quin had told jurors, “You might think an innocent man would give his re- sponse as soon as pos- sible,” – referring to Barnes’s reply of “no comment” when police interviewed him. Ms. Richards said the judge was doing no more than putting in layman’s terms what a juror might think or actually conclude. But the remark alone was out of context, she argued. Justice Quin had gone on to give directions as to all of the factors the jury had to consider, including Barnes’s reason for remaining silent – he had given evidence that his lawyer had told him to re- main silent. She confirmed that the ju- rors had a copy of his inter- view, including when police asked him, “Where were you on the night in question?” The president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Elliott Mottley, said he, Justices Sir Richard Field and Dennis Morrison hoped to give their decision on Friday morning, the last day of this session. However, they would not hand down their reasons at that time. Barnes’s appeal against the sentence of life imprison- ment has been adjourned. Ms. Richards detailed the steps taken by Justice Charles Quin to ensure a fair trial. CORRECTION An editorial published on Page 4 of Tuesday’s Compass, titled, “Cruise statement: Tourism association’s self- inflicted harm,” and a story published on the front page of Tuesday’s Compass, titled, “Mixed Reactions to CITA cruise dock opposition,” re- ferred to an email and survey sent by the Cayman Islands Tourism Association to its members on June 17. While the email was sent by CITA to its members, the attached survey was a questionnaire from the Department of Environment, not from CITA. On July 10, CITA sent out a separate email and survey of its own to its members, which later resulted in the issuance of a statement from CITA on July 16 saying the group “cannot at this time support the current pro- posal to establish Cruise Berthing Facilities.” The Cayman Compass strives for accuracy and is committed to correcting errors that appear in the newspaper. Those interested in contacting the paper for that purpose can email the editor at newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com.3 LOCAL NEWS Cayman Compass • Thursday July 23, 2015 School of hoSpitality StudieS holdS awardS ceremony for StudentS AshAni FrAncis-collins afrancis-collins@pinnaclemedialtd.com The first graduates of the School of Hospitality Studies at the University College of the Cayman Islands celebrated at an awards ceremony last week at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell presented the young Caymanian gradu- ates with awards and cer- tificates for their success in the program. The event, on July 16, was the inaugural awards and recognition ceremony for the program, which began last September. Eighteen of the 25 students who entered the program graduated. In the program, students shadowed professionals in their chosen industries for a short period of time to gain some firsthand knowledge of the workplace. During the course, the students learned about sev- eral aspects of the hospi- tality industry, including food and beverage, lodging, spa and wellness, water sports, and more. “It was an absolute suc- cess. When it was actually executed we learned a lot of things from the students and how they learn and ac- tually take on the program. The first year is a learning exercise for the students, teachers, and leaders alike,” said Markus Mueri, co- owner of Deckers, Karoo, and Abacus restaurants. “I would say about 80 per- cent right now is spot-on and 20 percent needs to be tweaked, so we will be doing an even better job next year.” Mr. Mueri was closely in- volved with the program as an advisory board member and looks forward to being involved again next year. “The applications are in and at this present time we have 14 students [accepted]. We are taking some more interviews because we have quite a few applications, but we would love to see more,” Mr. Mueri said. The application process is open until July 31. Prospective students may apply at www.ucci.edu.ky. Students receive Duke of Edinburgh Awards Eighty teens and young adults have been awarded for their efforts after two years of work in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program. The group earned 45 bronze, 28 silver, and seven gold awards. Three of the gold awards are members of the Cadet Corps: Lance Cpl. Joseph Burey, Sgt. Antanika Ebanks, and 2nd Lt. Natalie Williams. The four re- maining gold awards went to Marc Reid, Adam Jackson, Samantha Mascarenhas and David Terry. Pins and certificates were presented by Governor Helen Kilpatrick at a ceremony at Government House in May. Outstanding presentations were made at the Queen’s Birthday celebrations in June. The recipients, ages 14 to 25, are studying either overseas at tertiary institu- tions or locally at Cayman International School, St. Ignatius Catholic School, Grace Christian Academy, Cayman Prep and High School, the Girls Brigade and the Cadet Corps. The Duke of Edinburgh program requires partici- pants to broaden their hori- zons by participating in ex- tracurricular activities, said Katherine Jackson, chairman of the Cayman Islands National Award Authority. Ms. Jackson said the ac- tivities cover four main areas of development: service, skills, physical recreation and adventurous journeys. Completing the activities, which are mentally and phys- ically demanding, can take up to six months in the bronze category, between six months and a year in the silver cat- egory, and around two years in the gold category. Times may be extended if the stu- dent is studying abroad. To satisfy the adven- turous journey requirement, candidates participate in a camping exercise. Bronze candidates attend a weekend exploration in Grand Cayman and silver candidates partici- pate in a three-day event held in Cayman Brac. Gold members attend a summer camp hosted by the Caribbean Award Sub- Regional Council, comprising 14 member countries that take turns hosting the event. The camp is attended by gold par- ticipants from the Caribbean and Central and South America. Ms. Jackson empha- sized the program’s focus on highlighting personal growth over competition. “The award is simply a balanced program of activi- ties which can run parallel to any other youth program, thus allowing the young people to achieve high stan- dards and build their self- confidence and leadership skills,” she said. Currently, the Cayman is home to 64 gold award holders. Preschool closed by government solicits financial help to reopen Jewel levy jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The owner of a preschool that was shut down by gov- ernment says she hopes to raise more than $160,000 to get the building out of foreclosure and make the improvements required in order for it to reopen. Sunny Smiles Preschool on Walkers Road, George Town, which has operated for 33 years, was closed down by government last October because it did not meet standards introduced for preschools. Owner Marion Webster says she wants to keep it open, but the bank has fore- closed on the building and she needs to raise $160,000 just to keep the property. She says she also needs to raise cash to pay for the im- provements required by the Ministry of Education. “We are appealing to the public for financial help to save the school building from being sold and to do the necessary repairs to up- grade and reopen as soon as possible,” said Ms. Webster. Sunny Smiles Preschool was one of two Cayman Islands preschools closed by government as a result of new measures aimed at raising standards in early childhood care and educa- tion centers. The govern- ment declined to name the preschools that had been closed at the time. According to Ms. Webster, the preschool was closed in October for eight issues that she said could have been easily rectified, adding that her school had met seven of the require- ments by Oct. 14. According to a document outlining the deficiencies at the school, presented to Ms. Webster by the Ministry of Education, other concerns about the preschool detailed in an earlier Department of Child and Family Service were still outstanding. Ms. Webster said she had not seen that report. “We have been waiting and calling for that report from February 2014, but up until today we have not re- ceived the report,” she said. Some issues govern- ment identified as not being satisfactory at the pre- school were: no evidence of a fire alarm system; classroom space used as storage; safety of play area; only one teacher trained in first aid and CPR; old and unsafe play equip- ment; no evidence presented upon request of plans for learning activities or a daily schedule; and no de- velopmentally appropriate learning activities consis- tent with the Early Years Curriculum Framework. Also, some former em- ployees of Sunny Smiles had sought assistance from the Department of Labour to gain outstanding salary and pension pay. Ms. Webster claimed the classroom was not needed for a summer camp, so it was used as a storage area for toys at the time. She says the national curriculum was being followed and that the play area was being up- graded, but inspectors none- theless closed the school. “We are praying that we can raise the funds needed to pay for the building to pre- vent it from being sold be- cause we would like to re- open, … not just a preschool but as a multi-function school with after[-school] and weekend programs for chil- dren and teens,” she said. “The school has always had children from the com- munity whose parents could not pay but [we] accommo- dated them nevertheless,” Ms. Webster added. Early childcare and ed- ucation centers that did not meet the registration criteria were given three months to make the neces- sary changes. If they were still not in compliance, they were sent a cancellation no- tice, with a further three- month limit before they were shut down. Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell, fifth from left, with the first graduating class of the School of Hospitality Studies, from left, Shanet Crawford, Antony McKenzie, Stevyn Lynch, Hillary Frederick, Jykali Swaby, Alecia Davis, Jayne Williams, Ashleigh Whittaker, Addie Christian, Brianna Watler, Laurent Bodden, Jasmine Smith, Catherine Bodden, Ana Olson, Briana Whittaker and Naija Chung. Missing from the lineup are Tre O’Neil and Tennillieanai Rankin-Gray. Governor Helen Kilpatrick presents a Duke of Edinburgh gold award to Cadet Corps Lance Cpl. Joseph Burey at the Queen’s Birthday parade and celebrations last month. Sunny Smiles Preschool has been closed since October. - photo: Jewel leVyThe 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 JuLy 23, 2015 • Cayman COmpass The sudden closure of money-transfer services in the Cayman Islands threatens to render thousands of people here, and thousands more of their family members across the world, in immediate and intrac- table financial straits. Last Thursday, the board of directors of Bahamas- based Fidelity Bank decided to stop all Western Union money transfers in Cayman. On Friday, cus- tomers wishing to send remittances at any of the eight Western Union branches in Cayman encountered empty kiosks and “closed” signs. Now, our reporters have been hearing rumblings that other remittance companies in Cayman may soon have to follow suit. Please note that the Compass does not find fault with the business decisions being made by Fidelity or anyone else. As we reported in the August 2014 edition of The Cayman Islands Journal, a series of money laundering scandals and increasingly onerous U.S. regulations have, over a period of years, escalated the risk and eroded already razor-thin profit margins of the remittance business in general. At the time, a number of major U.S. banks had pulled out of remittances, or were looking to divest themselves of their money-transfer operations. In addition to downward pressure from fines and regulations, the remittance industry is also facing outside threats from alternative services enabled by new technology, such as online- or cellphone–based payment systems. The abrupt closure of money-transfer services in Cayman has stranded thousands of workers and their dependents with no clear alternative solutions. Many of those erstwhile loyal customers will, no doubt, suffer real personal financial consequences as a result of not knowing how to get money from Point A (Cayman) to Point B (Jamaica, the Philippines, Honduras, etc.) in a manner that is reliable, secure, swift and reasonably priced. While the individual transfer amounts are, as a rule, relatively small — more than 90 percent of the 682,000 remittances sent from Cayman last year were for $500 or less — in the aggregate the amount is quite large: In 2014, nearly US$180 million in remit- tances was sent from Cayman, with US$110 million going to Jamaica, US$24 million to the Philippines, US$13 million to Honduras and US$12 million to the U.S., for example. For those who would seize this opportunity to casti- gate Cayman’s work permit holders for sending money out of this country in the first place, we remind them that our territory’s status as an international finan- cial center is predicated upon the mobility and fun- gibility of currency. In other words, “easy come, easy go.” Looking at the balance sheet, and weighing expa- triates’ internal contributions to Cayman (even in the barest measures of work permit fees, duties paid and living expenses) against the amount of outbound remittances, it is readily apparent that these workers have a net positive, even vital, place in our country. It remains to be seen how quickly and effec- tively new players or alternative methods will fill the vacuum created by the departure of cash-only remit- tances, whose chief advantage is they require neither sender nor receiver to have a bank account. However, if the new transfer services are less convenient or more expensive, they will constitute in effect a further increase in Cayman’s sky-high “cost of living and doing business,” and make our country a less attractive des- tination for the expatriates upon whom so much in Cayman depends. Ultimately, in economic terms, the market will decide. However, in human terms, our empathy extends to those who may suffer as a result of these developments. Cayman’s remit: End of money transfers impacts thousands From CaymanCompass.Com “Western Union counters close in Cayman,” June 21 Am I the only person that thinks that it is somewhat strange for the Western Union business to close so abruptly? Anyway, based on what has been said in this article, we need to get a better under- standing of the position of the other remittance services as they must have to deal with the same issues that have im- pacted Western Union. mack Boland The total revenue in work permit fees for the Cayman Islands government is most certainly a known number by the Finance Ministry and if it does not match or [surpass] the US$180 million being siphoned off the Cayman economy to support the econ- omies of the work permit holders, then there is only one real loser here … and I’ll let our readers figure out who that loser is. When coupled with the fact that the average work-permit holder spends a minimum of their disposable income on local services, more than likely only the bare essentials, and sends the rest home to their countries of origin … It makes one wonder whom the cur- rent economic model of the Cayman Islands is actually working to benefit more? Ricardo Tatum Those people who send money home are typically those who are only allowed to stay here for a few years before being sent away. They can never qualify for permanent residence. So why would they invest money in a home or permanent life here? They must prepare for a fu- ture that doesn’t involve the Cayman Islands. norman Linton People need to stop faulting those who send money home to support their families by coming to Cayman and doing jobs for salaries that pay even less than wel- fare, knowing that they will be kicked out in a matter of years. And to think the gov- ernment actually wants you to believe a $6 an hour salary is going to change this. michael Davis 1. Why does it matter what a person does with their money that is earned by the sweat of their brow, and spent/transferred legally? 2. Isn’t it a loss to other countries/jurisdictions when their citizens wire money to offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands? Isn’t Cayman benefitting then? 3. If work permit holders are such a burden to your so- ciety, why not do your own housekeeping, gardening, construction, accounting, etc., instead of depending on someone else from another country to do it? Where were you all after Hurricane Ivan struck and Cayman was left in a mess? Who cleaned up the mess in 2004? 4. On what basis have you deduced that work permit holders spend a minimum of their disposable income on local services when all work permit holders pay astronom- ical real estate rental rates (to Caymanians), pay permit fees and buy food and clothes like everyone else – locally? 5. Who does more damage? A work permit holder sending remittances to family mem- bers or a Caymanian going to Miami to shop for food sup- plies every month’s end? 6. If work permit holders have no vision of long-term residency in Cayman, why should they withhold their money and invest there? The regulatory bodies are free to calculate the value that work permit holders bring to Cayman. You might be sur- prised to find out that they contribute a lot more than those born there. Before you rant about what others earn and save, as against spending and living frivolously like others do, you need to focus on what Cayman would be like without these same people (work permit holders) who [come here] to work and make lives better. Forest anda Western Union in the Cayman Islands closed Friday after Fidelity Bank directors decided to stop handling the payments for the money-transfer service. - Photo: Jewel levy new Harper Lee book demonstrates print’s continuing relevance Anniston stAr EditoriAl BoArd Books are dead, right? The Internet is where it’s at, powered by iPhones and iPads and Kindles and PCs and anything else bright, shiny and laden with tech- nology. Wifi and Starbucks are better than serenity and the printed-on-paper word. Lattes work with either. Printed books – not the downloaded kind – are so yesterday. Well … Not so fast. “Go Set a Watchman,” Harper Lee’s increasingly contro- versial second novel, hit the shelves last Tuesday. Its first- week sales total: more than 1.1 million (printed and dig- ital) copies sold in the United States and Canada, becoming the fastest-selling book in the history of its publisher, HarperCollins. Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble each set sales records with the book. A Spanish-language version of the book has already sold more than 150,000 copies. So popular is the hardcover edi- tion of the book that it is out- selling the digital version 2 to 1, HarperCollins chief ex- ecutive Brian Murray told the Wall Street Journal. “Watchman” provided booksellers with a heralded, reclusive Pulitzer Prize–win- ning author, a decades-long gap between Lee’s published works, and the painful ques- tions concerning Lee’s health and her desire to ever have her second novel released. That combination has reso- nated with readers. Like it or not, “Watchman” is a work of literary art and hasn’t escaped its share of uncomfortable reviews. In Detroit, the Free Press re- viewer wrote, “In the end, ‘Watchman’ falls apart.” The Houston Chronicle car- ried this headline: “Harper Lee’s ‘Watchman’ won’t ruin ‘Mockingbird.’” Even Connie Schultz, the Cleveland columnist whose work graces The Star’s pages each week, admitted over the weekend to her Facebook fol- lowers that she is “giving up” on “Watchman.” She wrote, “I won’t speculate on Lee’s mental capacity now, as that feels unkind and disre- spectful, particularly from strangers who do not know her. However, knowing that this book was written so many years ago, and now seeing how editors failed to do their job and edit be- fore publishing it, I feel ab- solved of the guilt that usu- ally plagues me when I give up on a novel, which is rare. I am sorry for Harper Lee that this book ever saw the light of day.” It may take a generation before “Watchman’s” true place in literary history is known, but this much is clear: printed books, and our in- terest in them, are not dead. © 2015, anniston (alabama) star 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 find their own way”The islands’ most-trusted news source 5 Cayman Compass • Thursday July 23, 2015 Get Involved! Yes, we need it No, it will harm the environment No, it’s too expensive Yes, it will create jobs Only if it includes . . . P RES ENTED BY SPECI AL REPORT DOCK DEBATE Constructing cruise ship berthing piers in George Town has been discussed for more than a decade and is one of the most controversial projects of our time. Merchants and environmentalists have expressed strong opinions, but the matter is one of signi cant complexity that will a ect our economy and our lifestyle. In a comprehensive exploration that examines where Grand Cayman has been, where it is and where it might be heading in terms of cruise tourism, the Cayman Compass Special Report “DOCK DEBATE” o ers residents and businesses the opportunity to be heard on this important topic, whether they support or oppose the project. DEADLINES Ad Space Reservation: Monday, July 27 at Noon For advertising call 949-5111 or email sales@pinnaclemedialtd.comThe 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 July 23, 2015 • Cayman Compass THURSDAY, JULY 23 LABOUR RELATIONS BILL: The public is invited to a discussion of the bill, at the East End Civic Centre, 8 p.m. BRAC COURT: Summary Court is held today and tomorrow at the Aston Rutty Civic Centre from 10 a.m. SPECIAL NEEDS FOUNDATION: The Special Needs Foundation of Cayman holds its next Parent Support Meeting 6-7 p.m. at the Discovery Centre, Camana Bay. Contact 321- 2957 or email susie@ specialneedsfoundation.ky for further details, or visit www. specialneedsfoundation.ky. GRAND CAYMAN TOASTMASTERS CLUB: Meets this evening, George Town Public Library, 3rd floor, 6-7 p.m. Guests are welcome. SATURDAY, JULY 25 BUSINESSMEN’S FELLOWSHIP: The Grand Cayman chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International holds its monthly breakfast meeting 7:30 a.m. at Upper Crust Restaurant, Camana Bay. Guest speaker is Pastor Hassakari of the Safe Harbour Lutheran Church. For more information, call Harold at 949-5720. TUESDAY, JULY 28 MOONLIGHT & MOVIES: Tonight’s free film at 7 p.m. is “Field of Dreams” (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. FRIDAY, JULY 31 IMMIGRATION OFFICE CLOSED: The Department of Immigration headquarters, including Passport & Corporate Services, Visa Office and front counter is closed to the public for all but essential services today. Only work permit and permanent residence applications, including applications for permission to continue to work that must be submitted prior to Aug. 1 in order to allow continued employment, will be accepted. Time sensitive applications for visitor extensions will also be accepted. The Passport & Corporate Services Office will not accept any applications, but passports and visa waivers may be collected at the Immigration main counter location. The department will remain open until 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday, July 30, resuming normal operations on Monday, Aug. 3. HARBOUR NIGHTS: A free George Town revitalization music and entertainment event, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Harbour Drive, South Church Street (street closure from Bayshore Mall to Guy Harvey’s). Performances by local musicians, teen disco, fire eaters, acrobats and street dancers and food vendors. MONDAY, AUGUST 3 NATIONAL PENSIONS: The public is invited to a discussion of the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill in North Side at the North Side Civic Centre, 8 p.m. THURSDAY, AUGUST 6 GALLERY COLLECTIONS: Lecture by Natalie Urquhart, National Gallery curator and director, 6 to 7:30 p.m. She will discuss the history of the National Gallery collections and how the current collection was acquired over the years. Other topics include collections policy, future plans, conditions and requirements for long-term care. For more information or to RSVP, email info@ nationalgallery.org.ky or call 945-8111. NATIONAL PENSIONS: The public is invited to a discussion of the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill in the Bodden Town district. The meeting will be in the Savannah Primary School Hall, 7:30 p.m. SUMMER CAMPS SUMMER PROGRAM: Light of the World after-school extends its program to all day, until July 31. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., for children from Years 1 to 7. Special emphasis on literacy and numeracy, directed by qualified and experienced teachers. Arts and crafts, inside and outside games; field trips to parks, historic places and Camana Bay. Venue is 65 Smith Road. For more information, call 926-1541 or 326-0871. Registration open now. NATIONAL GALLERY SESSIONS: Summer sessions of art-related activities for kids every Thursday till Aug. 20, 2-4 p.m. Free, but space is limited. Register at education@nationalgallery. org or 945-8111. CREATIVE CAMPERS: In session through 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 crafts, sports, science, talent show, Bible study. Contact 324-8707 or creativecampers@live.com. ART AND CRAFT: Organized by the Visual Arts Society. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, until Aug. 12, 8 a.m. to noon. $45 per session or $120 per week, or $485 for the month. Camp takes place on the grounds of Pedro Castle at the Watler House Art Studio. visualartcayman@ yahoo.com. GENERAL INTEREST FAMILY SUPPORT UNIT: The Family Support Unit has temporarily relocated to Elizabethan Square. Officers are available to meet those with inquiries or reports regarding domestic violence, child abuse, or other sensitive family-related issues. Individuals wishing to meet with the FSU should inform reception at police headquarters, in Elizabethan Square, 4th floor, Amerigo House. A representative from the FSU will meet with them in a separate office. FSU can be reached at 946- 9185, but any emergencies should be reported to 911. NATIONAL GALLERY: The gallery has extended hours for the summer: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the exhibition halls is free and open to the public. Current exhibition is the gallery’s permanent collection. A 20-minute documentary film, “Caymanian Art – A New Frontier,” by Jacob Olde VI will be screened on a loop throughout the exhibition “All Access.” 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. PUBLIC FEEDBACK: The Ministry of Education, Employment & Gender Affairs and the Department of Labour & Pensions has released the Labour Relations Bill, 2015 and the National Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2015 for public consultation. These bills can be accessed on the Ministry’s website, www.education.gov.ky/ labourpensions. In addition to participation at district meetings, the public can email their feedback on the bills to the Ministry and Department at lpl@gov.ky. SUMMER BOOK SWAP: Every Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until the end of August, at the Learning Tree, Cassia Court in Camana Bay. Book lovers can find titles for all ages and interests. Browse the selection, take your pick and replace it with one of your favorites to help spread the joy of reading. 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. 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 CENTER: 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. 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. DEMENTIA/ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP: This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month at the Catboat Club clubhouse, North Church Street. All are invited to attend. For more information, 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. 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. 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. HUMANE SOCIETY BOOK LOFT: North Sound Road. Open Monday 12:30-4 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also, Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Volunteers needed for front desk a few hours per week. Contact humanesocietybookloft@ candw.ky or 946-8053. Donations of books, games, CDs, stationery, DVDs, cards etc. in good condition always needed. OPEN CANVAS: Wednesdays from 7 p.m. at KARoo restaurant in Camana Bay. No fee, easels provided. Artists of all levels invited. KARoo offers two complimentary tickets for wine or beer. For more information contact visualartcayman@ yahoo.com or jr@cib.ky or 546-9422. LOST DOGS: The Department of Agriculture and veterinary students of St. Matthew’s University provide an online list of dogs housed at the Department of Agriculture Animal Rescue Shelter in Lower Valley. Anyone missing a dog can check www.smustudents.webs.com. RED CROSS THRIFT SHOP: Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at RC headquarters on Thomas Russell Way. Book bargain every Thursday and Friday, a bagful for $5. WAITING FOR JOSEPHINE: This is an ongoing appeal for second-hand magazines for the waiting rooms at the Cayman Islands Hospital. Please take magazine donations to Books & Books at Camana Bay or deposit them in the big bin outside the Cancer Society on Maple Road (opposite the hospital). For more information, contact Carol Hay at 526-6932. SPECIAL NEEDS FOUNDATION OF CAYMAN: For anyone who is a parent, relative, friend or carer of a special needs child. Also for professionals interested in special needs. SNFC is a nonprofit organization providing information, resources, education and support with meetings, social events and newsletters. Contact www. specialneedsfoundation.ky. PAWS THRIFT SHOP: Bodden Town Shopping Plaza, opposite Bodden Town Post Office. Open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Please don’t leave donations outside shop. Call Sharon, 324-9760; or Susanna, 916-3957 for more information. All proceeds for animal welfare. For more Community Calendar events, visit www.compasscayman. com/caycompass/portal/ community-calendar.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 Cayman Compass • Thursday July 23, 2015 Virginia’s Beauty Salon Open from 9am until 6:00pm/7:00pm Sundays by Appt. Phone: 345-949-2025 * Over 15 years experience in Cosmetology and specializes in all aspects of the Nail industry * Specializes in Gel Nails * Gel Polish * Deluxe Spa Manicure * “No-Drill’ Acrylic Nails $29.99 * Detox Pedicure & Deluxe, Spa Pedicure * Ingrown toenail Removal * Diabetic Pedicure * Professional/Ear-Piercing Services COMING SOON: Facials & Massages / Gift Certificates available Welcome Ketloy (Terry) 15% Discount room, along with external paved areas. That relatively minor part of the development has been scheduled first to facil- itate the smooth operation of the airport while more major works take place. The design stage of phase two of the project – the much larger expansion of the terminal – will be com- pleted in October, following a competitive bid process for that job. Construction on phase two is scheduled to begin early 2016. A planning department analysis of the application, contained in the agenda for the July 8 meeting, in- dicates the plans con- sist of expanding the tick- eting area, arrival and departure areas, baggage screening area, baggage claim, greeters hall, VIP area, security check-in and screening area, concession areas in the departure and main entrance area, admin- istration offices and restau- rant on the second floor, as well as the addition of new space for domestic and in- ternational bag claim areas, customer and immigration areas, nine departure gates and an in-transit area on the second floor. It says the new design in- corporates the existing “A” shape into a new glass dome architectural feature. Solar panels are not part of the current design plan. CIAA officials expressed con- cern in the planning docu- ments about the impact of glare from panels on in- coming aircraft. the world to hire other na- tionalities for the same job. “Some workers, if they get sick and they have to fly back home, that’s a $2,000 plane ticket,” he said. “To Jamaica, it’s just a couple hundred dollars and they’re home.” However, Immigration Department statistics showed the number of workers from the Philippines – the second most popu- lous non-Caymanian nation- ality to hold work permits here – also increased sharply during 2015, from nearly 2,600 permit holders last year to about 2,850 in July of this year. The numbers released by the Immigration Department for work permit holders serve as a “snapshot” of what exists at that time in the Cayman Islands, but examination of the data over a certain period can reveal trends. For instance, it seems Cayman has seen an in- crease in the number of for- eign workers hired in skilled and unskilled laborer posi- tions so far in 2015. For instance, the number of masons hired on work per- mits as of this month was 450. Last year at the same time, that number was 329. Similarly, the number of gardeners and janitors has gone up by about 110- 120 positions overall from last year. Improving economy? Based on work permit numbers overall, and a declining unemployment rate during 2014, it would appear that the Cayman Islands economy is on the upswing. The Cayman Islands now has more than 22,000 for- eign workers employed on work permits, government contracts, special economic zone permits or awaiting the outcome of permanent residence applications. That high a number of non-Caymanian workers has not been seen since mid-2010, when the islands were in the midst of a rapid economic decline following the world economic reces- sion of 2008-2009. Non- Caymanian worker num- bers went from around 26,500 in mid-2008 to as low as 18,500 during 2011- 2012 before stabilizing in early 2013. In the past two years, the number of non-Cay- manian workers here has grown steadily, according to Immigration Department records, from approxi- mately 20,360 in July 2014, to 21,400 in January 2015 to 22,232 as of this month. Despite the rise in non- Caymanian labor, which makes up about 51 percent of the total local workforce, overall unemployment de- clined sharply in 2014, to 4.7 percent. defendant’s physical loca- tion and provide security 24 hours per day, seven days a week.” Webb’s attorney, Edward O’Callaghan of the Clifford Chance law firm, will be al- lowed to have private meet- ings with Webb while the security service remains in “sufficient proximity,” ac- cording to the court order. Mr. O’Callaghan’s office declined to make any state- ments when contacted for comment on Wednesday. Webb was released on bail Saturday after pleading not guilty to a 15- count U.S. federal indict- ment alleging that he en- gaged in an international racketeering and bribery scheme with more than a dozen other defendants. So far, Webb is the only one of seven FIFA defen- dants arrested on May 27 in Zurich, Switzerland, to have been extradited to the U.S. The other six, including former Cayman Islands res- ident Costas Takkas, are still in detention in Switzerland awaiting court proceedings. The U.S. investigation has so far targeted nine current or former FIFA of- ficials and five business executives of sports mar- keting companies which authorities allege paid bribes to the FIFA bosses in exchange for the award of lucrative commercial con- tracts for various football tournaments, including the World Cup. Aside from Webb, only one other defendant in the criminal investigation, Traffic USA chief executive Aaron Davidson, is in fed- eral custody. Davidson was also granted bail. Webb bail: Homes, cars and jewels Planning authority approves airport expansion “It’s alwa ys easier to hire people that are closer.” Dr. Joe Marzouca, honorary consul for Jamaica CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Jamaican workers increase by 12% CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Federal charges including hate crimes for accused shooter WASHINGTON (AP) – The man accused of killing nine black church members in Charleston, South Carolina, was motivated by racial ha- tred and a desire for “noto- riety” when he opened fire inside a historic house of wor- ship, according to a federal grand jury indictment issued Wednesday that makes him eligible for the death penalty. The 33-count federal in- dictment charges Dylann Roof, 21, with hate crimes, firearms violations and ob- structing the practice of re- ligion in the June 17 shoot- ings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The federal counts, an- nounced Wednesday by Attorney General Loretta Lynch, are in addition to state murder charges brought against Roof days after the shooting. The Justice Department has not decided whether it will seek the death penalty against Roof, nor whether its prosecution will come be- fore the state’s case. Because South Carolina has no state hate-crimes law, federal charges were needed to ade- quately address a motive that prosecutors believe was un- questionably rooted in racial hate, Lynch said. Roof, who is white, ap- peared in photos waving Confederate flags and burning or desecrating U.S. flags, and purportedly wrote of fomenting racial violence. The indictment confirms his use of a personal manuscript in which he decried integra- tion and used racial slurs to refer to blacks. Survivors told police that he used racial in- sults during the attack. Roof, Lynch said, had for several months prior to the shootings conceived a goal of “increasing racial tensions throughout the nation and seeking retribution for per- ceived wrongs he believed African-Americans had com- mitted against white people.” To carry out those goals, he “decided to seek out and murder African-Americans because of their race,” Lynch said, adding he had pur- posefully selected the his- toric church to “ensure the greatest notoriety and atten- tion to his actions.” He took advantage of his victims’ generosity when they welcomed Roof into their Bible-study group, she said. “The parishioners had Bibles. Dylann Roof had his .45-caliber Glock pistol, and eight magazines loaded with hollow-point bullets.” Hate crime cases are often challenging for the govern- ment because it must prove that a defendant was pri- marily motivated by a vic- tim’s race or religion as opposed to other factors fre- quently invoked by defense attorneys, such as drug ad- diction or mental illness. Last year, a federal ap- peals court in Ohio over- turned hate-crime convic- tions against Amish men and women accused in beard- and hair-cutting attacks against fellow Amish who were thought to have defied the community leader. The court held that the jury had received incorrect instructions about how to weigh the role of religion in the attacks and that pros- ecutors should have had to prove the assaults wouldn’t have happened but for religious motives. Dylann Roof appears via video before a judge in Charleston, South Carolina, last Friday. - Photo: AP Dozens of CubAn migrAnts sent home Cayman sent the vast majority of its remaining detained migrants home to Cuba, the Immigration Department reported. A total of 49 migrants, who had arrived on Grand Cayman or Cayman Brac in June, were flown back to Havana Tuesday under police and immigration officers’ supervision. The group consisted of migrants who arrived in four disparate groups be- tween June 10-20. Just three Cuban mi- grants remained in de- tention awaiting finaliza- tion of various processes with the Immigration Department. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Jeffrey WebbThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Thursday July 23, 2015 • Cayman Compass Tony Blair warns UK’s Labour Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is warning the Labour Party that adopting an ‘old-fashioned leftist platform’ of tax-and-spend policies will lead to electoral oblivion. Iraqi town resists Islamic State for 18 months, but food runs low Besieged city of Haditha is in desperate straits HADITHA, Iraq – One by one, the cities around this Iraqi town have fallen. Fallujah. Ramadi. The walled commu- nity of Hit. Islamic State fighters have slaughtered thousands of people as they have tight- ened their grip on Iraq’s western province of Anbar. But Haditha has remained an outpost of resistance. Its local tribes and the be- leaguered Iraqi army have fought doggedly in the face of persistent attacks. Perhaps even more important, the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi government have been deter- mined to prevent its large hy- droelectric dam from falling to the insurgents. The people of Haditha, though, are struggling to sur- vive in a town largely cut off from the outside world. Meanwhile, the Islamic State has singled it out as its next target. “It’s like we’re not living in Iraq,” said one resident, Israa Mohammed, 38, as she waited to receive a rare de- livery of food aid last week. “There’s no way in or out. It’s like we are an island in the desert.” The first group of re- porters to gain access to Haditha in more than a year found the besieged city in desperate straits. With gaso- line more than quadruple the national price, bicycles are a more common sight than cars on its winding streets. Doctors have fled, and medicines are hard to come by. Electricity flickers on for just three hours a day. For the Islamic State, Haditha is a valuable prize, with its nearly six-mile-long dam, the country’s second- biggest producer of hydro- electric power. In its latest audio message, the extremist group urged local Sunni tribesmen here to surrender, warning that the militants could enter “at any moment.” For the city’s defenders, the pressure is intense. At the army command center at the base of Haditha’s dam, Maj. Gen. Ali Daboun, the head of operations, described the most recent assault by Islamic State forces early this month. His voice cracked with emotion as he recalled how the group unleashed 37 suicide car bombs in the area during their offensive. “All the sectors in the country have a hard job, but we have an exceptionally hard job,” he said. Haditha lies deep in the Sunni-dominated province of Anbar, about 150 miles west of Baghdad, the cap- ital. Between the two cities sit a string of Islamic State conquests: the provincial capital of Ramadi; and the extremist group’s bastion, Fallujah. Hit, the nearest city, fell 10 months ago, cutting Haditha’s supply lines from government-held areas. To the west of Haditha, the desert stretches toward the Syrian border, now en- tirely under the control of the militant group. Mohammed, displaced from Fallujah a year a half ago, said she and her ex- tended family of 23 people have been trying to leave Haditha for three months. But usually the only way out is on military flights from the nearby Ayn al-Asad air- base – the town’s lifeline – and spaces on the planes are hard to come by. A group of journalists were granted ac- cess with an aid mission last week organized by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s office. About 96,000 people remain in Haditha, according to its mayor, Abdelhakim al-Jughaifi. “The people are suffering a lot because of the siege,” he said. “Then also Daesh are at- tacking all the time,” he said, using the Arabic acronym for the group. In April and May, the price of a 50-kilo (110-pound) sack of flour touched 1 mil- lion dinars, or about US$840. That’s the equivalent of about US$38 for a five-pound bag, around 50 times what it would cost in Baghdad, and roughly 10 times the amount paid in the United States. Local officials say prices have dropped recently as a few aid convoys have man- aged to reach Haditha. They are escorted by helicopter for the riskiest part of the route, which runs past Islamic State-held towns. Residents complain, though, that when aid has arrived escorted by tribal fighters or the army, it does not reach them and is, in- stead, distributed to certain local tribes or sold on the black market. For that reason, aid workers and Iraqi officials traveled along with a convoy bringing 21 tons of food to the town last week. © 2015, The Washington Post Royals celebrate Prince George’s 2nd birthday LONDON (AP) – Prince George celebrated his second birthday on Wednesday and while he’s just a toddler, he’s al- ready made an impres- sion as a doting elder brother, a magnet to cam- eras and even a budding fashion trendsetter. A new official photo- graph of George, the first child of Prince William and his wife Kate, has been released by Kensington Palace to mark the occa- sion. It shows George grin- ning in his father’s arms. The royal couple was expected to celebrate his birthday privately at Anmer Hall, their country home on Queen Elizabeth II’s Sandringham Estate. George, who is third in line to the throne, has at- tracted huge media atten- tion since his birth on July 22, 2013. Here’s a look at some of the future king’s memorable moments: Despite his tender age, George appears to be get- ting to grips with facing the media – something that will be a huge part of his life. When George visited his mother and newborn sister Princess Charlotte in May, he showed a few nerves and gestured for William to pick him up when he saw the crowd of photographers sta- tioned outside the hospital. But he soon regained his composure, mim- icking his father’s wave to the cameras. That mo- ment capturing father and son, dressed in matching blue sweaters, attracted al- most as much attention as baby Charlotte. George again stole the show at Charlotte’s chris- tening ceremony, delighting the gathered crowds as he strolled hand in hand with William to the church. He was pictured standing on tiptoes to take a peek at his sister in her baby carriage after her baptism. Official pictures released by the palace also show George growing into his role as elder brother. The toddler has been pictured cradling Charlotte in his lap, giving her a kiss on her forehead. His mother Kate is known as a fashion trend- setter – and George is now following in her footsteps. Britain’s newspapers have gushed about the “George effect.” Whatever he wears can sell out in hours. That includes a pair of navy dungarees he wore for one of his first public appearances, and the Crocs shoes he wore at a charity polo match. The toddler even made it into GQ magazine’s “50 best-dressed men in Britain” 2015, together with his granddad Prince Charles. George marked an early milestone in June when he made his first appear- ance at the queen’s official birthday parade, joining royal family members on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The gathering marked the first time the queen appeared on the bal- cony together with three future monarchs – her son Charles, grandson William and great-grandson George. Families in Haditha receive sacks of flour delivered by local charities this week. Prices have skyrocketed in the town during an Islamic State siege. – Photo: Washington Post/Loveday Morris To mark Prince George’s second birthday, Kensington Palace on Tuesday released this official photograph of Britain’s Prince William holding his young son following the christening of Princess Charlotte, in the grounds of Sandringham House, England, on July 5. - Photo: Mario testino/art Partner/Kensington PaLace via aP9 WORLD&REGIONAL Cayman Compass • Thursday July 23, 2015 Obama’s trip to Ethiopia alarms some human rights activists WASHINGTON – On Monday President Obama wel- comed Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to the White House, praising him for managing an unusual event in Africa: a peaceful transfer of power from a ruling party to Buhari’s op- position camp after its spring elections. But the Oval Office meeting occurred just days before Obama embarks on a trip to Africa that will in- clude a controversial stop in Ethiopia, a country whose government has come under sharp international criti- cism for its handling of po- litical dissent. The Ethiopia trip has raised hackles among human rights advocates who ques- tion the administration’s level of concern about human rights in Africa, as it seeks to advance new security and economic goals on a con- tinent where good gover- nance and democratic free- doms often do not top the priority list. “The decision to go to Ethiopia greatly undermines the stated goals and commit- ments of this administration when it comes to support for human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Africa and beyond,” said Sarah Margon, Human Rights Watch’s Washington director. “It shows that it ranks pri- orities and shows that secu- rity and development often trump human rights con- cerns, which is a very short- sighted policy approach.” Dozens of journalists left Ethiopia last year, saying they faced threats from the gov- ernment because of the work they do. In April 2014 the government charged seven bloggers known as Zone 9 and three reporters under the country’s anti-terrorism law; a few months later the owners of six private publi- cations were charged under Ethiopia’s criminal code. In early July the government released two bloggers and four journalists, though ac- cording to the Committee to Protect Journalists at least a dozen members of the media remain jailed on terrorism charges. Ethiopia’s ambassador to the United States, Girma Biru, described Obama’s decision to visit his country as “con- firmation of the strong rela- tionship that’s been built be- tween the two countries.” Biru said prosecuting journalists was not evidence of human rights violations. “If a journalist, or a teacher, or a professor, or a farmer is supporting these types of groups to instigate violence, then he should be charged,” he said. “But the fact that he is carrying the name of ‘journalist’ should not save him from being charged on this ground.” White House aides ac- knowledge that visits like the one to Ethiopia can bestow a measure of credibility to for- eign governments and often use the lure of a presiden- tial visit to win diplomatic concessions from non-demo- cratic and repressive regimes. Obama often meets with members of civil society during his overseas visits, as a way of encouraging in- dependent groups to pursue their goals in the face of gov- ernment opposition. Grant Harris, the senior director for Africa at the National Security Council, said in a statement that the United States and Ethiopia have “a relationship that spans many issues” and the administration has been “ex- ceedingly frank and candid” about its concerns about the government’s targeting of dissidents and reporters. And some experts say that Obama must weigh human rights against other impor- tant factors. Princeton Lyman, who served as U.S. special envoy for Sudan and South Sudan from 2011 to 2013 and did stints as the U.S. ambas- sador to Nigeria and South Africa, said that the United States must now consider the opportunity for investment in Africa even as the conti- nent has become increas- ingly important for national security reasons, in the fight against international terror- ists and other destabilizing regional forces. “The question for policy- makers is, how do you bal- ance these different inter- ests when they sometimes run up against each other?” Lyman said. The Obama trip will try to balance several of those interests: In Ethiopia he will visit the Addis Ababa headquarters of the African Union, which has played an increasingly ac- tive role in trying to main- tain regional and economic stability in the region. The Ethiopia stop will follow a visit to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which is being held this weekend in Kenya, where Obama’s father was born. But Samuel R. Berger, who served as President Bill Clinton’s national secu- rity adviser and is currently co-chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group, said one cannot view foreign policy through the single lens of human rights. “The world is too complicated right now, and too dangerous in this part of the world, to think of human rights as an ei- ther-or proposition.” When President George W. Bush was contemplating a trip to Vietnam in 2006, it set off similar questions in- side the White House, said Joseph Hagin, director of operations in the Bush White House. “The real key on any of these trips is, ‘What’s the de- liverable? What good would the visit do?’ “ Hagin said. “If you think you’re going to get a commitment to change behavior, and you think that’s valuable, that could be enough to go.” Obama is reportedly con- sidering a trip to Vietnam during a planned Asia tour this fall. Vietnam is one of the 11 nations negotiating with the United States on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an expansive free trade deal that Obama has placed high on his second-term agenda. But human rights advocates protested this month when the president played host to Communist Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the White House. Foreign policy experts said a Vietnam visit makes sense for a president who has already made history in Southeast Asia, becoming in 2012 the first U.S. pres- ident to visit Burma, also known as Myanmar. His stop in Malaysia in 2014 was the first by a sitting president since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. During his April 2014 visit, Obama pressed the Malaysian government, which is also part of the TPP deal, to improve its human rights record during a town hall-style appearance with young activists but declined to meet with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. “You can’t expect an American president to go solve Malaysia’s problems in Malaysia. Malays have to solve them,” said James Keith, who served as U.S. ambassador to Malaysia from 2007 to 2010. And presidential human rights advocacy has clear limits. Ahead of Obama’s historic visit to Yangon, Myanmar, in 2012, the na- tion’s ruling military junta released dozens of polit- ical prisoners, and President Thein Sein agreed to allow human rights advocates to inspect prisons. Obama met with democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been released two years earlier after 15 years of house ar- rest, and he gave a speech at Yangon University saying the “flickers of progress...must become a shining North Star for all this nation’s people.” But by the time Obama returned to Yangon – and to the capital of Naypyidaw – last fall, many of those polit- ical gains had been reversed. Thein Sein’s regime had jailed journalists and polit- ical activists, Suu Kyi was banned from running in this fall’s presidential election and violence was displacing tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingya in the countryside. “One has to recognize that more and more, ever since the Cold War ended, the value to foreigners of an American visit – our ability to influence change – has gone down,” Keith said. “It’s the rise of the rest. It’s not American decline. It’s just natural.” Once the Africa trip is over, the White House will have more difficult decisions to make regarding presiden- tial travel, such as whether Obama should visit Cuba now that the two countries have normalized relations. © 2015, The Washington Post “The decision to go to Ethiopia greatly undermines the stated goals and commitments of this administration when it comes to support for human rights, the rule of law and good governance in Africa and beyond.” Sarah Margon, Human Rights Watch For some Kenyans, Obama is coming home NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – Karibu Kenya, President Obama. Welcome to Kenya. For many Kenyans, the Swahili-language slogan will be more than just a polite greeting when the American president visits the country where his fa- ther was born, his first trip to Kenya since he was a U.S. senator in 2006. They see it as a homecoming for Obama, who has written with depth and emotion about his Kenyan roots but may not have much time to explore them this time, en- veloped as he will be by of- ficial duties and the White House security structure. Obama is scheduled to arrive in Kenya on Friday, the first stop on his two- nation African tour in which he will also visit Ethiopia. In Kenya, Obama is expected to address a meeting on international entrepreneurship. Ahead of the visit, U.S. and Kenyan flags line the road leading from Nairobi’s main airport. Some Kenyans have adopted an Obama speech segment as their cellphone ringtone. A vendor sells American flags at a weekend event attended by Sarah Obama, the step-grandmother of President Barack Obama, in her home town of Kogelo, Kenya, in advance of the president’s trip to the country. - Photo: AP Rights gRouP cAlls out gAmbiA PResident foR Abuses DAKAR, Senegal (AP) – Gambia’s leader on Wednesday marked the 21st anniversary of the military takeover that cat- apulted him into power amid a rising climate of fear, a rights group and the opposition said. Yahya Jammeh’s rule since 1994 in this West African country has been marred by accusations of rights violations. “For those who believe in human rights, democ- racy, there is nothing to cel- ebrate,” opposition leader Omar Amadou Jallow said. In a new report, Amnesty International said Wednesday the human rights situation has deterio- rated sharply this past year. “The climate of fear which has blighted the lives of Gambians for more than two decades worsened over the last 12 months with journalists, people perceived to be gay or les- bian, and those considered to be opponents of the re- gime and their families in- creasingly targeted,” said Amnesty’s West Africa re- searcher Sabrina Mahtani. Amnesty noted a spike in arrests, detentions and enforced disappearances since a failed coup attempt in December. “Those de- tained include women, el- derly people, and a child, and many are believed to be unwell,” it said.Next >