The President and all other TT nationals safe

This assurance came with a declaration from the PM that Government was not taking the terrorist threat lightly.

In his first public comment on the terrorist bombings in London, Manning disclosed that Caricom had also beefed up its administration security structure.

The Prime Minister also announced that Cabinet yesterday agreed to spend $1.65 billion for equipment designed to protect Trinidad and Tobago’s maritime borders as well as patrol its air space and give it a coastal defence system "that is second to none".

Speaking at a post-Cabinet news conference, Manning acknowledged that Trinidad and Tobago was "as vulnerable to terrorist attacks as anybody else" because of its growing strategic importance to a number of the large developed countries. (This country supplies 70 per cent of the LNG to the US).

Manning said that for some time now TT has been operating at optimum levels of security. "We cannot optimise it any further and there is very little need to enhance it at this time. We don’t want to make a police state of Trinidad and Tobago, while at the same time you want to be prudent in your conduct of your public affairs," he said. Noting that intelligence gathering was an important element in security, Manning said our capability in this area had been enhanced. "We are doing all that is necessary and possible at this time to put us in the position to protect ourselves," he said.

Manning said at the level of the National Security Council (of which he is chairman), the terrorist threat had not been taken lightly. He announced that Cabinet agreed to purchase three off-shore patrol vessels at a cost of $1.5 billion. This country would also buy four armed helicopters.

Cabinet also agreed to purchase six fast patrol boats for the Coast Guard. The vessels are 25 to 30 metres long and can travel over 40 knots. They would cost $150 million, Manning said. They would be used for patrolling and securing the "in-shore" water, he said. All the vessels will be in the country within 18 months.

The Prime Minister stated that since a lot of the drugs came via the sea and since significant amount of the crime emanated from the drug trade, it would stem crime.

On the issue of regional security, Manning who is responsible for crime and security, said a new administrative structure was established through which the crime and security agenda could be executed. The structure would replace the Regional Task Force on crime and security which currently operates out of TT and is funded entirely by the TT Government. Manning said the new structure would allow for all Caricom states to contribute financially to the arrangement.