REVIVAL OF SECESSIONIST SENTIMENT ON ABACO/DISAPPEARANCE OF DYNAMITE STORES.
Originator: CIA
Document date: 07/25/1973
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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1104-10074-10078

2022 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

Revival of Secessionist Sentiment on Abaco/Disappearance of

Dynamite

DOMESTIC CENTAgE SERVICE

Suppori al:. Oreratichal Support Staff

Room 900, Koy Bldg., ext. 2268

Mr. George Musulin

HH 25350

25 July 1973

WH/7/CARIB

3 B 0001 Has.

Attached is for your information.

E-2 IMPDET CL BY 007622

1o14

TuH04

25350

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REPORT CLASS-SECRET

COUNTRY

BAHAMAS

DOI

SUBJECT

23 JULY 1973 AND EARLIER

REVIVAL OF SECESSIONIST SENTIMENT: ON ABACO/

DISAPPEARANCE OF DYNAMITE STORES

ACQ

SOURCE

UNITED STATES (23 JULY 1973) FIELD NO. XMIM OOB 321/

20718-73

U.S. CITIZEN, A BUSINESSMAN WHO IS A PERMANENT

RESIDENT OF ABACO:

1.

SECESSIONISI SENTIMENT ON THE ISLAND OF ABACO WHICH APPEARED

HAVE SUBSIDED, IS REGAINING ITS FORCE. IN THIS RESPECT. A SECRET

MEETING OF ACTIVITISI GROUPS WAS CALLED FOR THE NIGHT OF 23 JULY

1973 AT WHICH FUTURE MOVES MIGHT BE PLANNED. ABACO DISSIDENIS ARE

BITTERLY DISAPPOINTED AT THE FAILURE OF LONDON TO SUPPORI THEIR

POSITION. THEY ARE NOW DISCUSSING, WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY, SECES-

SION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TOTALLY INDEPENDENT ABACO. AMONG

OTHER THINGS THEY ARE CONSIDERING THE INTRODUCTION OF U.S. CURRENCY

IN ORDER TO SEVER THEIR ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE ON NASSAU. INDEPENDENCE

11074

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SENTIMENT HAS BEEN PROMOTED BY THE BELIEF ON ABACO THAT MUCH

PRIVATE U.S. CAPIIAL WILL SUPPORT A NEW, SMALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRY

AND IN ADDITION SOME ERSIWHILE NASSAU CAPITAL WILL ALSO MOVE TO

ABACO, SOME ABACO RESIDENTS CLAIM THEY HAVE SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

THAT BAY STREET MONIES WHICH ARE CONCEALED OR HAVE LEFT THE

BAHAMAS WOULD RETURN TO AN INDEPENDENT ABACO.

2. WHILE THERE IS SOME DISENCHANIMENT WITH ABACO

VOLVEMENT

WITH WELL-KNOWN ARMS DEALERS SUCH AS MICHELL VERBELL,

NEVERT HE-

LESS ACCORDING TO A PALM BEACH. GUN DEALER THERE HAS BEEN AN UPSURGE

IN THE VOLUME OF WEAPONS ENTERING ABACO AND IN ADDITION MORE AND

MORE GUNS ARE FINDING THEIR WAY TO OPPOSITION ELEMENTS ON THE

ISLAND OF NEW PROVIDENCE.

•3. THE NEW COMMISSIONER FOR ABACO, COMMISSIONER (STORRY HAS

BEGUN A REPRESSION AIMED AT WHITE OPPOSITION ELEMENTS. NORMAL

BUSINESS DEALINGS ARE MADE DIFFICULI, PERMITS NOT SIGNED AND

RECORDS MISHANDLED. A SIMILAR ATTACK DIRECTED AT OPPOSITION

ELEMENTS IS OCCURRING ON CAI KEY WHERE THE NEW COMMISSIONER, WHO

CONTROLS SOME LOCAL TRANSPORT, IS REFUSING TO HANDLE MERCHANDISE

BELONGING TO FORMER DISSIDENT ELEMENIS.

4. JUST PRIOR TO INDEPENDENCE, ONE HUNDRED CASES OF DYNAMITE

24404

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MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED FROM THE PREMISES OF SEABREEZES, LIMITED,

A CONSTRUCTION FIRM. SENTIMENT EXPLAINING IHIS DISAPPEARANCE

TAKES THREE FORMS. REGARDED AS LEAST LIKELY IS THAT OF A SIMPLE

THEFT UNRELATED TO POLITICAL ELEMENIS. A SECOND SCHOOL

BELIEVES THAI THIS MATERIAL, THE EQUIVALENT OF FOUR PICK-UP

TRUCK LOADS, HAS BEEN CACHED BY DISSIDENIS FOR FUTURE USE. A

POPULAR INTERPRETATION, HOWEVER, HAS IT THAT THE POLICE REMOVED

THE DYNAMITE POSSIBLY TO MINIMIZE THE LIXELIHOOD OF VIOLENCE BY

REMOVING EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL. ABACO DISSIDENTS, HOWEVER, CLAIM:

IO BELIEVE THAT THE POLICE REMOVED THE DYNAMITE AS PART OF A

PROVOCATION WITH THE IDEA OF HOLDING THIS MATTER OVER THE HEADS

•OF THE WHITE ABACO RESIDENTS FOR POSSIBLE FUTURE USE. THESE

PEOPLE CLAIM THAT THE DYNAMITE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN REMOVED WITH-

OUT POLICE COMPLICITY, SINCE THE AREA WAS WELL PATROLLED. IN

ADDITION THE POLICE ARE KNOWN TO HAVE LEASED A PICK-UP IRUCK

AROUND THAT TIME.

5. A FURTHER UNSETTLING NOTE IS THE FACT THAT CHUCK HALL

WHO HAS BEEN FOMENTING VIOLENCE FOR SOME TIME AND WHO CLAIMS

RELATIONSHIPS WITH U.S. INTELLIGENCE HAS QUIETLY INQUIRED ABOUT

RENTING A RESIDENCE ON ABACO. END OF REPORT.

264/04

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6. C/S: B.E. MAINWARING, PLEASE PREPARE HARD COPY AND

PROCESS SHEET IM HEADQUARTERS.

7. FIELD COMMENTS: GORDON IS IN THE U.S. TO ARRANGE FOR MIS

FATHER'S FUNERAL. HE WAS INVITED IO THE MEETING REFERRED IO IN

THE TEXI, BUT COULD NOT ATTEND. IHIS REPORI SEEMS TO HAVE DOB

AND DOA(S) OVERIONES. EZ IMPDET CL BY 094476

SECRET

24.404

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