Former PM urges balanced approach to US radar request in Grenada

Former Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas says he believes the Dickon Mitchell administration will make the “right decision” as it considers a request from the United States to temporarily install a radar system at Maurice Bishop International Airport and deploy military assets on or near the island.

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Thomas, who led a National Democratic Congress government from 2008 to 2013, said the region should remain a “zone of peace,” but the proposal deserves discussion rather than a flat rejection.

“I don’t think it should be an outright no; there might be some areas where they could compromise on something,” he said Friday, while noting he does not have “all the facts” surrounding the request. “The government in its wisdom will reach the right decision.”

His comments follow Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell’s acknowledgment earlier this week that the government is still reviewing the US proposal and awaiting technical assessments before determining a position. “Nothing much has changed… We are still doing so,” Mitchell said during his “DM with the PM” program, adding that he would address the nation once more information is available.

Public debate has intensified in recent days. On Thursday, protesters led by the Grenada Coalition Zone of Peace and Concerned Citizens marched through the streets, urging the government to reject the request. Former foreign affairs minister Peter David, now an independent MP, told the crowd the issue goes beyond political lines.

“We are here fighting to maintain peace… This is not a partisan issue, this is an issue of sovereignty and integrity for the people of Grenada,” he said.

Regional leaders have also expressed unease. A group of 10 former Caribbean heads of government, including Thomas, issued a joint statement warning that increased military activity in the region risks pulling the Caribbean into conflicts “not of our making.” The statement referenced the long-held principle of the Caribbean as a zone of peace, a concept endorsed by leaders since the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1972.

The United States has pointed to counternarcotics efforts to justify heightened activity in the Caribbean Sea. Washington has confirmed operations in which vessels have been bombed, leaving only two survivors in recent months.

CARICOM leaders discussed the matter during a recent meeting, though Trinidad and Tobago did not endorse a unified position, according to the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat.

As the government continues to weigh the request, Thomas encouraged dialogue. “We should negotiate, if possible,” he said. “I really feel we should be a zone of peace in the region.”