Jamaica has been hit with more negative publicity regarding the Government's delay in granting an extradition request for West Kingston strongman Christopher "Dudus" Coke.

Another major US newspaper has published an article highlighting strained relations between Jamaica and United States on the matter. Two weeks after the Washington Post carried an article on the Dudus affair and the link with the US law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips the widely circulated New York Times Sunday published a report which placed the country and the Bruce Golding administration in more negative light. The article headlined: "U.S. Extradition Effort Strains Relationship With Jamaica" gave a synopsis of the wrangling between Jamaica and the US over its request for Mr. Coke. It also highlights Mr. Coke's close ties with the Jamaica Labour Party and the power which he wields in Jamaica's political arena. The article also makes mention of the criminal allegations against Mr. Coke and the Golding administration's refusal to hand him over to US authorities on the grounds that information in the case was obtained via illegal wiretapping.              The New York Times also touched on the deepening controversy over the Government's dealings with Manatt, Phelps and Phillips.