National Security Minister defensive

THE EDITOR: Fifteen murders in the first 12 days of 2005 and Martin Joseph is calling for an apology to the people of Trinidad and Tobago from the Editor of the Los Angeles Times over an article published on January 2, 2005. The article is said to have related to kidnappings in Trinidad headlined “Kidnappings send a chill through sunny Trinidad.” Joseph said that the article was devoid of any thorough investigation, did not spend time analysing the country’s socio-economic dynamics or even spoke to a wide cross-section of the population.

This country has 15 murders in the first 12 days of the year and Joseph wants an apology from the editor of the Los Angeles Times for reporting about 28 reported kidnappings in 2004 and 51 reported kidnappings in 2003 under his astute leadership. Hell no! The editor did not lie! There is a murder everyday now and kidnappings as regular as job loses under Joseph’s PNM and his stewardship. All we are getting in Trinidad is talk, talk, workshops, more talk of training and the introduction of modern anti-crime techniques in a backward Third World country used in the developed world to old moronic officers and young illiterate nepotists.

Instead of begging for an apology which will never get the murder rate to drop lower than it was under the NAR and UNC. Do that! But more importantly and more demonstrative of your care for those not murdered yet, resign! You are all part of the problem and do not have the will nor probably reason to fix it. The world is seeing what is taking place and acting on the behalf of decent Trinidadians. Fifteen murders in 12 days seem not to bother you.

LYSTRA LYTHE
Sangre Grande