AP said according to the cable Desmond McKenzie told a U.S. Embassy officer that his administration collaborated for years with Coke to fight crime, particularly in the powerful slum leader's stronghold Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston, the home constituency of Prime Minister Bruce Golding.
"He is easily the highest profile figure whose extradition has been requested in many years, and his long-standing ties to the JLP have put McKenzie, Golding, and other leading party figures in an extremely awkward position," said the cable.
It also stated that "Coke's gang provides social and welfare services and turns out the JLP vote in elections, while his business interests profit from lucrative government contracts."
Washington and Kingston were at odds last year over the extradition of Coke with Golding refusing to accede to the American request against the powerful gang leader.
The police hunt for Coke led to a deadly gang war against the protective services with criminal elements coming together to protect Coke. At least 76 people were killed in the clashes before the gang boss was eventually sent to the U.S. in June to face trial.
McKenzie had warned of a doomsday scenario if Washington continued to push for the extradition and predicted 'severe repercussions' and 'collateral damage' if the authorities arrested Coke.
He also warned that arresting the gang leader would "risk destroying everything the government was trying to do on the economy and crime,'" the leaked U.S. communique said.
Golding had fought the extradition request for nine months and had even hired a U.S. lobbyist to oppose it. Another leaked cable had even more damaging information that linked Golding's wife to efforts to fight the extradition.
In that document which first appeared Wednesday on the website of the British newspaper The Guardian, Golding's wife told a U.S. Embassy official in December 2009 that she believed New York Representative Charles Rangel was putting pressure on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding the extradition request.
The report said Lorna Golding was of the view that Rangel was a sympathizer of the opposition People's National Party (PNP) and was "whispering in Secretary Clinton's ear" to hobble her husband's government.
The diplomatic assessment said Mrs Golding's "rambling comments and penchant for sharing conspiracy theories" during a tea with an embassy officer was consistent with a "growing sense among many of indecisiveness and a lack of direction on the part of the PM and the JLP."
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