Civilian Deaths Put at 44 in Jamaica Battles









Terence Neilan Contributor
AOL News



(May 26) -- The official civilian death toll rose to at least 44 today as Jamaican security forces in Kingston battled gunmen protecting an alleged drug lord sought by the U.S.

The Caribbean island's ombudsman, Bishop Herro Blair, said the number had been confirmed through independent evaluations, according to various media reports. At least five security force members are also believed to have been killed.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the wanted man, Christopher "Dudus" Coke, remained unknown as police tried to maintain their positions in Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston, where Coke set up his headquarters.

Many Jamaicans who live in the slums of West Kingston see Coke as a hero who helped them financially and gave them protection. Thousands have vowed to save him from security forces, leading to three days of gun battles.


Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who represents West Kingston in Parliament, told legislators on Tuesday that order would be restored.

"The government deeply regrets the loss of lives, especially those of members of the security forces and innocent, law-abiding citizens caught in the crossfire. The security forces were directed to take all practical steps to avoid casualties as much as possible," Golding said, according to The Associated Press.

Golding, who had been stalling Washington for months over Coke's extradition, agreed to the request last week after ties between the two countries became increasingly strained over the issue.

Coke supporters immediately barricaded the Tivoli Gardens area, and the unrest followed, with Golding declaring a month-long state of emergency in Kingston, the nation's capital.

The U.S. says Coke, 41, heads a vast drug ring that has been shipping cocaine to New York City for about 15 years, paying Jamaican women to hide the drugs on flights to the U.S. He is also accused of sending guns from New York back to Jamaica and was indicted on both counts by the U.S. in 2007.

So far the violence has not spread to the island nation's hugely popular tourist haven of Montego Bay, on the other side of Jamaica from Kingston.

Washington has joined European nations and other governments in warning tourists to stay away from Kingston.