The Grenada Documents

An unspecified number of microfiche cards were pulled for security reasons by the Department of Defense and the State Department before and after the publication of the printed index [last date of 5 August 1985]. Some fiche have been removed by the National Archives II, according to their information sheet, "to protect the privacy of individuals." And quite frankly, over the years, some of these portable microfiche cards have "disappeared" despite security at the National Archives in its new facility at College Park, Maryland, though some may be plainly misfiled.

Commentary exists that the documents were changed in some way. Selection or non-selection of documents in reprint editions may reflect a point-of-view. Rather than changes, there exist documents of which there were two or more versions as issued by the PRG or found in differing PRG files.

For example, a typed version of the "Central Committee Report on First Plenary Session 13-19 July, 1983" is available with a sign-off date of July 21, 1983. A different typed version of the document has a sign-off date of July 22, 1983. The July 21 sign-off copy is typed with handwritten notes by handwriting that looks to be from Leon Cornwall. There are 21 numbered pages in this document. The July 22 sign-off copy is typed with no handwriting and 23 numbered pages. This document, in either form, was reproduced on 12 different numbered microfiche with version July 22 found in the Romerstein book and version July 21 found in Captured Documents, Vol. 2. Go figure practicality over conspiracy. Cornwall takes notes [as he was doing those last meetings]; gets them typed up; adds handwritten notes/corrections. A day later someone types the minutes up neat and clean, so to speak. A comparison shows a basic similarity between the two versions.

Another example is the "Minutes of the Political Bureau Meeting Wednesday 5th January 1983." One version in Captured Documents, Vol. 2 has no other markings than a large A5 hand-lettered on each page; most likely for identification purposes. Another version, the one in the Romerstein book, has many notes, looking to be in the handwriting of Maurice Bishop. Each page has a large A1 hand-lettered mark; most likely for identification purposes. The typing on both documents is identical.

Where the original documents are located, as of this writing, is a mystery. "Officially," the original documents are supposed to have been returned to Grenada. NARA states the original documents have been returned to Grenada at Return to Grenada of Original Documents. If you don't get the exact paragraph, scroll down to 373.2 General Records - Related Records.

Pertinent information leading to the location of the Grenada Documents is the [Declassified] U.S. State Department Memorandum of 29 March 1984 to Robert C. McFarlane.

Rumour at one point put the original Grenada documents in Grenada around August 1985 and housed at Police Headquarters. Since that time was the damaging passing over Grenada of Hurricane Ivan, 7 September 2004. The location, condition and accession of the original Grenada Documents remains obscured, to say the least.

Photocopy versions of the Grenada documents were issued. Some of the documents are duplicates as if they came from different departmental files within the People's Revolutionary Government. They are -

(1) Captured Documents, 4 [loose] volumes of photocopied documents. These volumes were published in 1983 and are available at the University of Pittsburgh Library and various University of the West Indies libraries including Marryshow House Library in St. George's. There is also a 1-volume archival set, published also in 1983, at the University of Texas at Austin. Apparently, these documents were issued by the State Department. There are documents in these collections not available elsewhere and it appears they were selectively distributed to priority locations.

(2) The U.S. government publication edited by Herbert Romerstein and Michael Ledeen, Grenada Documents: An Overview and Selection (1984) consisting of photocopies of the Grenada Documents

(3) The Grenada Papers, published by conservative think-tank, the Institute of Contemporary Studies, edited by Paul Seabury and Walter A. McDougall with transcriptions set in type [including numerous copy-editing errors from the retyping]. The editors made the selections and provide commentary.

(4) Brian Crozier's edition, printed in the U.K., The Grenada Documents with transcriptions set in type [including numerous copy-editing errors from the retyping]. The editors made the selection and provide commentary.

(5) A handful of selections [some highly edited] appear in "Hydra of Carnage" and "Grenada and Soviet/Cuban Policy."

An additional gathering of source material is the "Grenada Documents" collection within the Special Library division of Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Apparently author Gregory Sandford donated the documents he got from the Defense Intelligence Agency before they were photographed for microfilm and transferred to the National Archives. Sandford reported to Otto Reich via the U.S. State Department for this project. Some documents in the Georgetown collection not available elsewhere. A helpful index is online. Search on "Grenada Documents Georgetown".

Additional studies, referencing original, photocopied, or microfilmed documents, appear in the context or appendix of books. See the Bibliography page.