MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Senator Kamina Johnson Smith has rubbished claims that the American aircraft carrier USS Nimitz docked in Kingston Harbour is part of a larger plot by the United States of America to intimidate, or launch military action on Cuba.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew on Wednesday, Johnson Smith acknowledged that she was aware of the growing speculation surrounding the warship in Jamaican waters, and argued that the United States (US) would not mount a tour across South America and the Caribbean merely to threaten Cuba.

“I want to place on record, and state once more, that this is a scheduled port visit under an established programme of maritime cooperation and goodwill. They have been at sea for about two-and-a-half months since they left port in the US and I ask our public to think logically.