Antigua and Barbuda still punching

Got to hand it to Antigua and Barbuda. They just keep on nipping at the ankles of Uncle Sam hoping that some day he’ll throw them a bone.

The latest development in this very long running trade dispute between Antigua and the United States:  Prime Minister Gaston Browne has briefed a news conference that his administration has submitted new proposals to Washington to end the dispute.

They’re now seeking a $100 million settlement, a slightly smaller bone than the original $3 billion or so they were looking for. They have also said the figure is negotiable and can be accepted as a mixture of cash and payments in kind.

“For instance increasing the capacity for the Defence Force, they need a vessel to continue the surveillance of our coastline, we are also trying to get the establishment of a US satellite visa office here.

Opening a negotiation already conceding you will accept less than what you’re asking for is probably not a tactic out of the Winning Negotiation Strategy handbook. But after 10 years and no compensation despite a positive WTO ruling, and having paid $15 million in legal fees they’re probably game to try any approach. Speaking of which, not sure what happened to the plan to try and extract cash via a government sanctioned piracy website. That seems to have fizzled.

Browne also told reporters that the  lawyer who had been representing the island in this protractor matter to date (the one with $15 million or so in his bank account, and the only real winner in the fight thus far), had been “constructively fired”.