TT asked to assist Caricom neighbours against US

Trinidad and Tobago is being asked to stick its neck out and give financial assistance to its “weaker” Caricom neighbours in order to consolidate Caricom support for the ICC.

Acting Prime Minister Joan Yuille-Williams disclosed yesterday that one of the suggestions being made at the Heads of Government meeting in Montego Bay is that Trinidad and Tobago establish a fund “in case” other Caricom countries which cannot afford to do without US mililary aid, should capitulate. There is going to be a need to strengthen some of the weaker territories “who might feel that something is being taken away from them,” she said. Asked what would happen in the event that the United States widened the range of economic sanctions, Yuille-Williams said she did not think the removal of military aid was a prelude to broader sanctions. She said the hardest hit Caricom country (by the US decision) would be Guyana. She was speaking at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall.

On reports that the US Ambassador stated that he would discourage US investment in Trinidad and Tobago if this government does not support the United States Government on this issue, Yuille-Williams said she was quite sure that Trinidad and Tobago would continue to support the ICC. “And we are quite firm on that,” she said. Yuille-Williams also disclosed that Government was considering whether the Marli Street barriers should remain. She said it was pure coincidence that the issue had been raised two weeks ago at a  PNM caucas meeting, (before the US decision). She said just last week Government asked the  Ministry of Foreign Affairs to investigate who put the barriers there, why, and how long they were meant to remain. She added that the matter was raised because the citizenry had been complaining about the barriers, which closed off the street to all traffic. “This was before (the US decision),” she stressed, dismissing any suggestion that it was a case of tit for tat.

National Security Minister Howard Chin Lee gave a breakdown of the mililary aid this country received in 2002 from the United States. Trinidad and Tobago received US $300,000 from the FMF (Foreign Military Fund);  US $1.6 million for installation of equipment; a further US $116,000 — a total of over US $2 million (TT$ 12 million). Furthermore government also benefitted from  assistance in  the form of  training programmes for military officers in the US. Yesterday Chin Lee met with the US Ambassador, Roy Austin,  to get more information about the exact programmes which were to be affected by the cut in aid. Yuille-Williams said she was informed that the withdrawal of assistance did not apply to US aid in the area of drug enforcement.  She said the headline “Divided we stand” (in the Express) was a little erroneous and premature. “We still have not found out exactly where people would go. So far most of the Caricom people have stuck together and not capitulated,” she said.