‘US, Britain: TT safe’

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO’s national security remains uncompromised in 2004, even as the United States remains on a heightened state of alert against possible terrorist attacks. This was the analysis yesterday (New Year’s Day) from the American and British Governments. As of yesterday, the US Department of Homeland Security said the US national alert status was being maintained at Code Orange (the second highest alert level against suspected terrorist threats) due to credible information from American intelligence sources about possible terrorist strikes against the US during the Christmas period “and beyond”. The US alert level was first raised from Code Yellow to its present Code Orange on December 21. However the US maintains that there is no terrorist threat based in TT which poses a clear and present danger to its national security or any American interests in the twin-island republic. Yesterday’s US State Department Consular Information Sheet for TT states: “In general, Trinidad and Tobago is considered safe.”
 
The State Department noted kidnapping as a major crime in TT but said kidnapping in this country is significantly lower compared to other nations in the region. The State Department’s security analysis is supported by a similar one yesterday from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) which stated: “There is no recent history of terrorism but you should be aware of the risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks. The vast majority of visits to Trinidad and Tobago are trouble-free.” As far as crime goes, the British FCO said it “exists on the islands” and advised British citizens travelling to TT to exercise “sensible precautions”. Meanwhile, the American Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) security analysis for TT, remains unchanged in 2004. The CIA said the Jamaat-al-Muslimeen poses no security threat either to locals or any foreign interest in TT and this country remains “an excellent investment site for international businesses”.

During discussions in Washington DC last month with US President George W Bush and US National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice, Prime Minister Patrick Manning reaffirmed TT’s commitment to the war on terrorism. Manning said TT viewed the drug trade as one of the global terrorist’s principal financiers and outlined some measures being taken by TT to curb the regional drug trade.  Two of these measures are Government’s intent to acquire two offshore patrol vessels to boost the strength of the Coast Guard and the installation of a hi-tech coastal radar system.  The current terrorist alert in the US resulted in the recent detention of two BWIA pilots in New York and Miami respectively. Both pilots have since returned home but the Foreign Affairs Ministry is yet to say whether TT would receive an apology or compensation from the US Government regarding the pilots’ detention.