THE EDITOR: I wish to bring to your attention the detention of my 17-year-old daughter in the United States of America. She boarded a Continental flight at Piarco International airport on the night of Monday 5th July, 2010, at 9 p.m. to catch a connecting flight from New Jersey to Maryland. Upon arriving at the Immigration Transportation Hub at Newark International she was detained and remains so at present.
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Herculean Task for PNM
I always perceived you to be a relatively intelligent man, although I may not always agree with everything you write. I could not, however, help but comment on your commentary/editorial in the Sunday Express dated July 11, 2010, and entitled: “Is the PNM really back?”
While asking a seemingly elemental question, your commentary seemed to give the impression that you were somewhat impressed with the large number of PNM attendees at the Convention and the vibrancy of the crowd, despite the inclement weather and the comprehensive blows recently received by that party in the national election.
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The Politics of Promises

July 12 2010
In the aftermath of the June 22 arrest of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the alleged drug lord and leader of a Jamaican gang called the Shower Posse, there has been much debate on the role of politics. There is a particularly interesting analysis done by a Horace Campbell on the Pambazuka News website [Gangsters, politicians, cocaine and bankers] which speaks to the alleged connections between organised crime and political parties/governments. The author speculates that the situation in Jamaica is by no means unique, in fact–”From the streets of West Kingston to the hills of Port of Spain, Trinidad to Guyana and down to Brazil, gunmen (called warlords) allied and integrated into the international banking system had taken over communities and acted as do-gooders when the neo-liberal forces downgraded local government services.” If you have the time, I suggest you Google it and have a look as it makes for interesting reading.
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Corruption, Mismanagement and Waste
July 31, 2010
Madness in Sportt–Anil
Roberts added: “Errors, omissions, impropriety and downright corrupt practices… from the Caribbean Games, which never came off, to the legacy flag at Hasely Crawford Stadium, to the hiring of interns, the leasing of expensive SUVs, duplication of duties/responsibilities and the creation of a ghost roof at the stadium.”
…’Prophetess would be proud’
SPORTS Minister Anil Roberts yesterday literally didn’t know if to laugh or cry as he exposed $65 million in a clutch of dubious deals at the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) in a hard-hitting speech in the Lower House.
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Team Up and Tone Down

July 11, 2010 – trinidadexpress.com
“Accordingly, to those who wish to know how I felt about the Attorney General’s attacks on Philbert and Mr St Cyr and the members of the Integrity Commission (whose Warner transgression I analysed three weeks ago) I say ‘guilty with a cause’. A reprimand and discharge is the appropriate sentence this time; but it does not end there.
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Injustice Sows Seeds of Terrorism

July 11, 2010
THOSE among us who keep abreast of international developments will have noted huge protest demonstrations in Israel most of last week. This kind of action is unusual. Small numbers of Israelis who oppose their government’s policies towards the Palestinians and atrocities committed by their military, hardly come out in the open for fear of their lives and liberty. Last week’s protests were not only big, but apparently supported by the state apparatus.
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Adopting a Consultative Approach on Our Foreign Policy
By Stephen Kangal
July 09, 2010
Freshly minted Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan has appropriately initiated his public exposure at the helm of the Foreign Affairs Ministry by adopting a consultative, transparency and accountability-based strategy during his recent interaction with his staff, business, academic and civic society representatives at the Claxton Bay Cara Suites retreat.
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Money and Wishful Thinking

July 08, 2010
Jack Warner is a sensible and successful man in his own right. He has achieved much and will go on to achieve many more things in his life. He brought the UNC to the pinnacle of success through his unceasing efforts and his unbounded energy. Today he is the acting Prime Minster. Much to the consternation of Messrs Basdeo Panday and Winston Dookeran he may be the prime minister of this land in the not-so-distant future. Expect the unexpected: that is the motto one can ascribe to Mr. Warner.
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Kamla shakes up Caricom

Keeping the faith
Taking into account the noises made again last week from one end of the region to the other by citizens growing more cynical about the state of health of the regional integration movement, it remains a matter for the record, that the Montego Bay Summit qualifies for positive review on several fronts.
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That 1990 Attempted Coup
By George Alleyne
July 07, 2010 – newsday.co.tt
With the 20th anniversary of the 1990 coup attempt virtually around the corner will the People’s Partnership Administration hold an Inquiry into the July 27, 1990 incident or will it follow in the footsteps of its predecessors, the National Alliance for Reconstruction, the People’s National Movement and the United National Congress and do nothing?
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