AN EXPLOSION in Port-of-Spain on Monday injured 14 persons, two seriously, raising fears in Trinidad that this might be the work of local terrorists intent on making a statement along the lines of the recent massacre in London which killed 52 persons and injured hundreds more. No concrete evidence has yet emerged as to who is responsible for the bomb blasts but the Trinidad government, fearing possible repetition, has asked for expert forensic help from America and already FBI agents are in the twin island republic taking part in the on-going investigation.
Trinidad has a large Muslim population and perhaps there are insurgent cells there, not necessarily linked directly to Al Qaida but which share the general ideology of that organisation. It is also interesting to note that despite its laid back lifestyle and carnival culture Trinidad has the most serious history of revolutionary action. There was the revolt of the army in 1970, put down by the navy which, fortunately, remained loyal to the Government.
But the most disturbing ideological eruption in Trinidad was the attempted coup in 1990 when the Jamaat-al Muslimeen, under the leadership of Abu Bakr attempted to take over the Government of A.N.R. Robinson by capturing Red House while Parliament was in session and occupying the national television station. In the fighting, Mr. Robinson and the Attorney-General received gunshot wounds. The Prime Minister may have died had not a promise of immunity been made to the rebels in exchange for their surrender and an end to the siege. Mr. Abu Bakr remains a lightning rod for radical rhetoric although there is no evidence linking him in any way with Monday's bomb blasts in Port-of-Spain.
Prime Minister Patterson has sent a message of solidarity to the Government and people of Trinidad and we join in the sentiments he has expressed. Whether because of fanaticism or as a 'copy cat' phenomenon, untold damage could be inflicted on the Caribbean economies if similar unsettling explosions were to occur in other CARICOM capitals. It is bad enough that state security agencies have to deal on a regular basis with random murders without now having to give greater consideration to real home-grown terrorism that inflicts wounds on unsuspecting members of the public. All regional governments must now take the possibility of terrorist attacks seriously and make plans to deal with them accordingly. We cannot afford to be complacent.
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