The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

A recent Nassau Guardian report stated that the deputy Prime Minister, the honourable Philip Brave Davis expects a report in short order regarding the United States listening to all of our cell phone calls.

The twists and turns that have occurred since this story broke are remarkable.

I am of the view that the Bahamian people are being played on and taken as fools.

First of all, immediately after the story broke, one of the first things that came out of Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell’s mouth was that the former government may have questions to answer regarding the US spying on us. How could he have come to this revelation so quickly? What is he really not saying to the Bahamian people?

Secondly, Davis called for the Bahamian people to remain calm because he was making progress on the spying issue. I was shocked by this assertion because if your privacy has been evaded, how could you remain calm?

Now Davis assures us that the US explanation will be sent to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this week. Note that he did not say the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but he highlighted the permanent secretary.

In addition, the opposition leader Dr Hubert Minnis said that the former Free National Movement (FNM) government knew nothing of the US spying on the Bahamas and that if the present government had information that they should make it public.

In this statement, Minnis is being quite disingenuous. If he is so sure that the former administration knew nothing of the US spying then why would he then ask the government to produce a report to the contrary?

It would seem patently obvious that the FNM and the government are deceitfully collaborating and are again playing cat and mouse with the Bahamian people.

If the government is sure that the FNM knew of the spying then please ask them to answer the following questions?

(1) Where is the record of this in the Bahamas’ files?

(2) Is it constitutional for our leaders to knowingly allow another country to spy on the Bahamas? If any laws were broken, when will Mitchell and Davis do their civic duty and turn over all evidence to the Attorney General so that prosecution of the persons responsible can commence forthwith? I am not aware of the espionage laws in the country, but it does seem treasonous if this indeed happened.

(3) How come there hasn’t been a strong push to call out the former prime minister, Hubert Ingraham to answer questions regarding this issue if in fact this is an issue at the Bahamas government level? He would be the perfect individual to shed light on this issue.

There appears to be a well-oiled and organised propaganda machine being run in the country. Bahamians must know that the report that Davis awaits will never circulate in the public domain and in a few weeks all will be forgotten. Our politicians know what a forgetful and passive bunch we are.

I am sure everyone has an opinion of what actually happened. I believe that we had no idea that we were being spied upon and now the PLP and the FNM with the help of others have concocted the classic story of you against me. It’s sad but we are being played Bahamians. Again.

DEHAVILLAND MOSS

Nassau,

May 27, 2014.