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No evidence of terrorists in TT

By WENDY CAMPBELL, Newsday TT

TERRORISM in its present form affects every country in the world and Trinidad and Tobago is no exception, Lancelot Selman, chairman of the Caricom Regional Task Force on Crime and Security, said yesterday. However, he added, there is no evidence to support any claims of terrorist operations in Trinidad and Tobago or other parts of the Caribbean.

The former Deputy Commissioner of Police said that conclusion was based on what other countries told the Task Force. He was quick to point out that the Task Force, established in November 2001, is not an investigative body.

It was established primarily to examine linkages between crime, drugs and arms, as well as threats to national and regional security following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States.

"When Caribbean countries meet, we discuss situations in the different countries and when a country says something, we have no reason to question whether they are making false statements or not," Selman, past president of the Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission, said.

He said the challenge facing the Caribbean is to ensure that they do not become "soft on the belly or the weakling" for terrorist groups. To ensure this does not happen, member countries are trying to put measures in place to avoid directly becoming victims of terrorists and to participate in global initiatives against terrorism.

"The point is that a country can become an incidental target or victim because clearly what is demonstrated is that terrorists are prepared to go after their main targets wherever they may have assets and they have assets all over the world. So to that extent, every country needs to do something," Selman said.

He noted that this is where Border Control Systems, one of several recommendations the Task Force made to Caricom Heads, will come into place.

"We have made recommendations for the enhancement of border security, land, airports, seaports. In fact we are organising a regional meeting on border security," Selman said.

The Task Force said that body is making recommendations that will enhance the capacity of the region to address crime on a sustained basis over the long term.

He noted that this cannot be achieved solely by police action, but by the society working in partnership with the protective services.

Selman said illegal firearms are a major problem affecting the Caribbean and illicit drugs continue to be a bigger threat since this overlaps to corruption and firearm offences.

Selman said there is an increase of guns circulating in the region because people are afraid of running into someone with a gun,. He added there is growing concern about criminal deportees.

He said, however, that the Task Force wanted to make recommendations on the basis of evidence-based analysis and is doing research to find out the extent to which deportees are masterminding crime.

Selman said the respective authorities need to take an integrated approach and not point fingers at each other.

"There must be mutual respect and trust," he said.

Greek cruise ship visits TT

THE SECOND cruise ship to visit this country since travel advisories were issued by the British and Australian Governments and the Pan American Health Organistion (PAHO) docked in Port-of-Spain yesterday.

The Greek vessel Olympia Voyager Piraeus, with a crew of 365 and 749 passengers, most of them Americans, were in Trinidad for a day before continuing on to Brazil. Manager of Vessel Operations at Lazzari and Sampson Limited, Gwenwyn Mills, said the vessel has been making regular calls to Trinidad and Tobago for the past 20 years. Mills said the captain had not asked any questions about this country’s crime situation, and that issue does not seem to be a major concern for the passengers and crew.

"We try not to put questions in the minds of people. If asked a direct question we will answer, but otherwise than that, no," said Mills, who pointed out that all cruise ship passengers are advised to take precautions when visiting a country.

"We do not want them to be overly concerned about what is happening here, for it may deter them, which would be detrimental for us, " said Mills who declared that the country’s ports are still very safe.

The Olympia Voyager Piraeus will return to Trinidad and Tobago on February 17. Two more cruise ships are expected to arrive on Sunday.

Trinidad and Tobago News

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