It was announced on Z.N.S tonight that the U.S has not changed their mind on the Passport requirement for it's citizens traveling to the Bahamas. Effective JANUARY 8th United States citizens re-entering the U.S from the Bahamas and other nations must have a machine readable passport.

Surprisingly, Canada was able to have the U.S delay the same requirements for their country by 18 months. Fred Mitchell met with Condeleeza Rice a few weeks ago, apparently he was unable to persuade her to convince her Government to be lenient with the Bahamas.

It now appears that the Bahamas will go back and try to re-negotiate with the U.S to reconsider it's position. If the U.S refuses, this could be bad news for the Bahamas, especially Grand Bahama.

Discovery Cruises has a one day cruise package which allows people to come in for a few hours, a lot of them use drivers license and other I.D's for a few hour on the beach or in the casino. If this policy goes through I fear the worse for Grand Bahama. When it rains it pours!!!

I hope they ain't punishing us for the voting that Fred did this year and the new company he's keeping.

It was announced on Z.N.S tonight that the U.S has not changed their mind on the Passport requirement for it's citizens traveling to the Bahamas. Effective JANUARY 8th United States citizens re-entering the U.S from the Bahamas and other nations must have a machine readable passport.
Surprisingly, Canada was able to have the U.S delay the same requirements for their country by 18 months. Fred Mitchell met with Condeleeza Rice a few weeks ago, apparently he was unable to persuade her to convince her Government to be lenient with the Bahamas.
It now appears that the Bahamas will go back and try to re-negotiate with the U.S to reconsider it's position. If the U.S refuses, this could be bad news for the Bahamas, especially Grand Bahama.
Discovery Cruises has a one day cruise package which allows people to come in for a few hours, a lot of them use drivers license and other I.D's for a few hour on the beach or in the casino. If this policy goes through I fear the worse for Grand Bahama. When it rains it pours!!!
I hope they ain't punishing us for the voting that Fred did this year and the new company he's keeping.


You mean they maybe a little bitter eh?

Is the passport requirement only for the Bahamas?

I hope they ain't punishing us for the voting that Fred did this year and the new company he's keeping.


I don't think that anyone who had a hand in passing this requirement know who Fred Mitchell is. And if they did I doubt his opinions/decisions would even matter.

Is the passport requirement only for the Bahamas?


No it affects the ENTIRE Carribean, Bermuda, Bahamas and Land crossings from Canada and Mexico.

i like the requirement

i like the requirement
U r entitled to feel so,but it will hurt tourism. Americans are a fiercely independent bunch when it comes to Government intrusion in their lives.Many I know particularly those raised in the 50's and 60's want no part of the Government in their lives,or "Big Brother" tracking their whereabouts.Hence that is the real reason for the delay in US national passport requirements.Remember the Huey Newton/Arlo Guthrie motto "among others"of "never trust the Government?":D

Did some one mention that group of islands off of Fl. you know with the little fishing villages.

How long do you think the Bahamas can go against Uncle Sam or any other country and think nothing will change.

What a laugh our great independent sovereign nation (joke) have to beg to be exempt from a security measure. Can any of our citizens re enter the Bahamas on a drivers licence??? Far as I know we can not.

We living high and mighty on the wealth of other countries rather than support our selves. The Bahamas encourages foreign imports (labour included) rather than grow and create our own.

If the out side world cut us off, 85% of the people here would be dead or near dead in 4 months. Thats just my opinion.

..... Can any of our citizens re enter the Bahamas on a drivers licence??? Far as I know we can not......

Now there is a good point. We can’t get back into our own country on our good looks alone! Maybe the US is just catching up to us on this.

Where is Jack Abrahmof when you need him?

Now there is a good point. We can’t get back into our own country on our good looks alone! Maybe the US is just catching up to us on this.

You right on that. It was a courtesy they extended primarily to their own citizens. And besides any travelled US citizen wouldn't really have a problem with it bcause it is a fact for almost all country's now. Even within the US now and as a green card holder you are required to have a valid passport from your native land. I don't see it as being a major problem.

I lifted this from a website

only 23 per cent of the population have passports. The 23 per cent doesn't, by the way, represent the actual percentage of native-born US citizens who have passports. According to Moss, there are 62 million US passports currently in circulation, representing ten years of successful applications. Of those, five to ten million were issued to newly naturalised immigrants, who almost always want to apply for a passport as soon as they get citizenship so they can go back home and visit family. Another chunk of those passports were issued to the US-born children of illegal immigrants, since their parents have a strong interest in proving those kids' right to be here and go to school. So the proportion of native-born US citizens who apply for passports is a lot smaller than it first appears, perhaps around 10 percent. Americans, without leaving the US, can experience as great or greater geographical diversity as the passport-bearing European; what they miss is a certain amount of cultural diversity.

U r entitled to feel so,but it will hurt tourism. Americans are a fiercely independent bunch when it comes to Government intrusion in their lives.Many I know particularly those raised in the 50's and 60's want no part of the Government in their lives,or "Big Brother" tracking their whereabouts.Hence that is the real reason for the delay in US national passport requirements.Remember the Huey Newton/Arlo Guthrie motto "among others"of "never trust the Government?":D


man look.. if this is what it takes to get our Governing officials to wake da hell up and realise that tourism is not going to keep us afloat forever.. then yea! I'm all for it!..

in the world we live in today these kind of documents should be mandatory.. since the US has only made the world more dangerous through all the foolishness they been doin.

.. I also see it as another level of security.. albeit a very very small one since passports are relatively easy to forge..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5403572.stm

We need to respond in a similar manner.

When you are bullied, your worst move is to openly give in. It guaranties another attack. We need to press harder to support ourselves – or at least establish alternative means of sustaining our existing economic ‘pillars’.

Das my five cents...

"These kinds of threats of nuclear war and sanctions and pressure by the United States compel us to conduct a nuclear test,"

when was N Korea ever threatened with Nuclear weapons ..??

Anyway, back to China .. my colleague is now selling Direct from China mopeds and Motobikes in Nassau if you are looking for a good deal ... website coming soon ... also some mini buses (like the taxis) and also Jeeps and Trucks coming in over the next couple months ..