Dear Mr. Editor,

Having been the recipient of much diplomatic correspondence over the years, you become accustomed to those concise but meaningful and very carefully choreographed messages. For diplomats speak in a foreign tongue of meaning whilst  remaining on their guard. To try to decode the message from  The  State Department spokesman  of The United States government......P.J.Crowley challenges experience.

Speaking in a stern manner about the conviction and imprisonment of The Gambia's finest independent Journalists....

He exclaims this as...." Outrageous and a Travesty"

 Further he alludes;

"The United States, along with other responsible countries, have and will continue to protest this action until the Journalists are released.

In this day and age, any government that is afraid of ideas and tries to suppress the truth, will isolate itself and fall further behind responsible countries that embrace universal principals."

Of course, to those convicted and to their families, the message contained within may appear unhelpful and somewhat sparse of directness and understanding. There is no direct threat or message of direct intervention.

 Some commentators have urged Secretary of State Clinton to divert to Banjul during her fact finding tour to Africa, presently commenced.

 I do not believe this will happen ....or that it should.

 The important words in this statement are; Outrageous..... this is a form of contempt to the judgment.

Travesty.......... this bemoans the validity of the verdict.  

Protest......They the US and others have and continue to engage through strong written protest to The Gambian government. This will continue until the Journalists are released. Though it does not give a deadline or an ultimatum. Idea's.....progressive inclusion of thought from all concerned parties..being denied.

Truth....It suggests that the truth is being suppressed.

 Isolate... very interesting word to use and may imply that exchange between governments

is minimal and may continue or further decline.

 Fall further behind... comments of an opinion that the Gambia is under performing.

Embrace Universal principals.....possible reference to International declarations of intent and aspiration of which The Gambia is party...but relinquishing.

 All in all, I would take great comfort from this statement as it aspires to acknowledge that Secretary of State Clinton has been fully briefed on the deteriorating situation in The Gambia. No doubt The British government would have co-operated and been party to the position of The US and joint intelligence would have been updated.

The question now is how The Gambian government would respond. There are financial incentives available to The Gambia..such as the Millennium Challenge {MDG's} and the recent debt relief package that was concluded.

Taking the financial report  to The National Assembly in January 2009, by recently sacked Finance Minister, Musa Balla Gaye, He indicated that the Global financial crisis hit The Gambia around July last year. { I predicted this  exactly on these pages in February 2008}

 He further suggested that The Gambia had lost 25% of its foreign currency reserves from that time and that 2009 was going to be a very difficult year for the economy. The general tone was somewhat gloomy and low key. Myself, I see President Jammeh as someone who does not like bad news or would have been too "chuffed" at Balla Gaye's report of candidness.

I have read several reports from Balla Gaye and believe he is a very experienced and able Finance Minister. I would go further to say that he would have had a lot to do with the intelligent control of The Gambia's economy and that his hand on achieving qualification for the conditions of debt relief would have been immeasurable. I was shocked that he was sacked, especially after his recent award of a Doctorate {Professor}

There was some joy for The President in the fact that The Gambia has turned around production of Groundnuts from a low of only 3,900 tons to a staggering delivery of 22,500 tons, in a comparatively short space of time. However, I have noted that the Banks have entered that market and some have recorded record profits. There is no indication of the Nett benefit to the overall economy and the public purse, that this bounty has delivered.

Further, the second largest contributor to the economy is tourism..overwhelmingly underpinned by British tourists. {16% of GDP}

The Gambia enjoyed over 80,000 British tourists in 1999. Today that number has dwindled to just under 55,000. This includes other Europeans {some 2000 approx} and is ever increasingly underpinned by resident U.K> Gambian's returning for holidays and visits to families. As someone who flew 19 times to The Gambia, I accounted that around 33% of passengers were in fact Gambian. 33% were frequent visitors {British} and 34% were first time holiday makers. This means that only some 27,000 new visitors a year were presented to the benefit of The Gambian economy. The cross section of visitors were composed of low paid, working class visitors, on prepaid package holidays. I also noted that many of these were dissatisfied at the high cost of food and out of pocket expenses incurred. Most sat by the swimming pool day after day and waited for the free cup of tea at 4 pm.

In my humble opinion....The Gambia will see a further decline of British visitors, affected by increasing bad publicity for their safety and intended pre-selection by The policies publicly purveyed by the jailing of British and European visitors on spurious charges. The detention of British engineer Mr. Charles Northfield. accompanied by the open opinion of The British High Commissioner, that he believed Mr. Northfield was a "Scapegoat". Was given much publicity here in the U.K. Some newspapers compared it to a terrorist attack. Mr.Northfield, undertook a very dangerous and perilous journey as he fled The Gambia's legal Jurisdiction.

The following conviction of British couple Mr David Fulton and wife and the long and unresolved murder trial of an elderly British  citizen has sent all the wrong signals to prospective Gambian U.K. visitors.The President intimated on Gambian T.V. recently that The NIA beats some retuning Gambian's. I find this an astonishing admission.

The much hyped view, {strenuously denied by The Department of Foreign Affairs in an urgent fax to The Freedom Newspaper} that The President of The Gambia would decapitate Gay's was another poor public relations blunder, that defies belief in this, the 21st century. The Gambia must become tolerant to International culture, if it is not to be left behind in current and progressive Western societies. If discrimination is to be banished forever, this requires an atitundal and systemic change towards modern  humanitarian thinking. British people enjoy human rights and unprecedented freedom, underpinned by strenuous and robust Laws. If you want our patronage and respect..you must at least offer the same.

It would appear....?

The only safe visitor to The Gambia should be at least 80 years of age accompanied by their parents {???}

Taken as a whole, a responsible government facing so many financial challenges in the immediate future, cannot afford to isolate itself from world opinion, that has damaged its reputation and its merits for further International financial assistance.

I therefore conclude that The Statement By Mr. Crowley to be of great intelligence and is in my further humble opinion, likely to yield some accommodation from The African Union and The government of President Jammeh. For not to moderate by action, will see The Gambia increasingly in risk of Debt stress, and isolation....leading up to the next General Election in 2011.

Millions of tongues record thee, and anew,

Their children's lips shall record them and say....

Here, where the sword, United Nations drew,

Our countrymen were warring on that day.

And this is much..... and all which will not pass.

        Lord Byron.

                                                                                                           I remain Michael..U.K.