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How war is hurting TT
Saudi-born man being sought by FBI
US agency feels Adnan Shukrijumah might try entering
the USA with TT passport
By Sandra Chouthi
Special to Indo Caribbean World
Port-of-Spain —
The US-led war on Iraq has had at least three major effects on Trinidad
and Tobago,
two of them dealing with tourism and the airline industry, and a
third involving the detention and questioning of a Trinidadian who
housed an Al-Qaida suspect.
The most
pressing of the three has been the national airline, BWIA, in which
the government has a 49 percent stake, appealing for a financial
bailout. The airline retrenched 617 employees in January as part of a
viable plan for its long-term survival.
Airline
officials, chairman Lawrence Duprey and president Conrad Aleong met
with Prime Minister Patric Manning on March 26 at the Ministry of
Finance.
Manning’s
response to BWIA’s pleas for financial assistance has been firmly
negative.
“We met with
BWIA again on Wednesday and we told them quite categorically that the
government of Trinidad and Tobago is prepared to allow BWIA to go
under. The government is only prepared to prevent that if BWIA is able
to make certain internal adjustments. If they can’t make the
adjustments, then the government is not prepared to support it,”
Manning said on March 27.
The airline’s
financial woes come increased cancellations and high security and fuel
prices.
Clint Williams,
the airline’s corporate communications manager, said: “Every minute
that passes, BWIA loses more money, so why should we wait before
presenting a viable plan as soon as is humanly possible?”
The airline’s
daily operating costs are (Can) $1.05 million, but the airline is not
generating anything close to that figure in daily revenue.
In 2002, the
airline posted losses of more than $45.5 million. BWIA’s problems come
at the same time that American Airlines is stepping up talks to secure
(US) $1.5 billion in financing for a bankruptcy filing that could come
this month.
American
Airlines has filed for bankruptcy since the start of the Iraq war,
which have made bookings “terrible,” airline officials have said.
Even as
Manning turned down BWIA’s pleas for help, the government is one of
four regional governments which have come to the assistance of the
Caribbean airline, Liat.
The
government decided on March 18 to give a letter of comfort allowing
regional carriers to access (Can) $7.25 million in financing to
continue flying.
Tobago, which
is heavily dependent on the tourism sector, has also suffered because
of the war on Iraq. Orville London, chief secretary of the Tobago
House of Assembly, said on March 24 that hoteliers were reporting
cancellations.
If the current trend continued,
London said,
Tobago,
which had only just begun recovering from the aftershocks of 9/11,
would not achieve its target of 70,000 tourist arrivals. “People are
not travelling,” London said.
The
Iraq war has led to the FBI calling on local enforcement authorities
for their help in locating a Saudi-born man, Adnan G El Shukrijumah,
27, wanted for allegedly plotting terrorists acts.
The FBI contacted officials of the Ministry of National Security in
late March requesting their assistance. Members of the Special Branch
are working with the FBI and Interpol to find Shukrijumah.
According to a FBI alert, Shukrijumah might try to enter the
US
with a Saudi, Canadian or Trinidad and Tobago
passport.
“El Shukrijumah is possibly involved with Al Qaeda terrorist
activities and, if true, poses a serious threat to US citizens and
interests worldwide.”
It was reported that Shukrijumah came to
Trinidad in May, 2001.
Franklyn Khan, Minister of Works and Transport, said on March 25:
“Security has been increased at the major ports of call.”
Khan, who, on March 26, also signed a (US)
$500,000 Inter-American Development Bank grant to finance a programme
to strengthen airport security, said: “Airport security is no longer a
guard standing up by a door and looking around in a uniform. It has
become a very intellectual business and there is the need for very
specialised training.”
Asked about the request for information on Shukrijumah’s whereabouts,
Prime Minister Manning, who is also chairman of the National Security
Council, said: “I know nothing of it.”
On March 27, Special Branch officers located a Trinidadian man, who is
a friend of Shukrijumah’s father, believed to have offered the
Saudi-born man accommodation.
Police have been tight-lipped on the man’s identity and whereabouts.
According to a 60 Minutes report, aired on March 26 on CBS, FBI agents
were looking for El Shukrijumah, whom they said could be the next
Mohammad Atta of 9/11 fame. According to the report, El Shukrijumah
attended terrorist camps in Afghanistan and is an expert in
explosives.
Pat D’Amuro, head of counter-terrorism for the FBI, said: “This
individual will rate in the top five with respect to protection of the
homeland. I will say, for domestic reasons, within the continental
United States, this individual is very important for the FBI to find.”
According to the report, Gulshair, father of Shukrijumah, denied, when
questioned by FBI officers, that his son was a terrorist.
The report said that El Shukrijumah, whose nickname is “Jaafaral, the
pilot,” moved to the US from Saudi Arabia in 1995 with his family and
eventually settled in Miramar, Florida.
He attended a community college and majored in computers, eventually
making friends with Imran Mandhai, who was convicted in 2002 of
plotting to blow up power plants, among other things.
Tobago, which is
heavily dependent on the tourism sector, has also suffered because of
the war on Iraq. Orville London, chief secretary of the Tobago House
of Assembly, said on March 24 that hoteliers were reporting
cancellations.
If the current
trend continued, London said, Tobago, which had only just begun
recovering from the aftershocks of 9/11, would not achieve its target
of 70,000 tourist arrivals. "People are not travelling," London said.
The Iraq war has
led to the FBI calling on local enforcement authorities for their help
in locating a Saudi-born man, Adnan G El Shukrijumah, 27, wanted for
allegedly plotting terrorists acts.
The FBI contacted
officials of the Ministry of National Security in late March
requesting their assistance. Members of the Special Branch are working
with the FBI and Interpol to find Shukrijumah.
According to a
FBI alert, Shukrijumah might try to enter the US with a Saudi,
Canadian or Trinidad and Tobago passport.
"El Shukrijumah
is possibly involved with Al Qaeda terrorist activities and, if true,
poses a serious threat to US citizens and interests worldwide."
It was reported
that Shukrijumah came to Trinidad in May, 2001.
Franklyn Khan,
Minister of Works and Transport, said on March 25: "Security has been
increased at the major ports of call."
Khan, who, on
March 26, also signed a (US)
$500,000 Inter-American Development Bank grant to finance a programme
to strengthen airport security, said: "Airport security is no longer a
guard standing up by a door and looking around in a uniform. It has
become a very intellectual business and there is the need for very
specialised training."
Asked about the
request for information on Shukrijumah’s whereabouts, Prime Minister
Manning, who is also chairman of the National Security Council, said:
"I know nothing of it."
On March 27,
Special Branch officers located a Trinidadian man, who is a friend of
Shukrijumah’s father, believed to have offered the Saudi-born man
accommodation.
Police have been
tight-lipped on the man’s identity and whereabouts.
According to a 60
Minutes report, aired on March 26 on CBS, FBI agents were looking for
El Shukrijumah, whom they said could be the next Mohammad Atta of 9/11
fame. According to the report, El Shukrijumah attended terrorist camps
in Afghanistan and is an expert in explosives.
Pat D’Amuro, head
of counter-terrorism for the FBI, said: "This individual will rate in
the top five with respect to protection of the homeland. I will say,
for domestic reasons, within the continental United States, this
individual is very important for the FBI to find."
According to the
report, Gulshair, father of Shukrijumah, denied, when questioned by
FBI officers, that his son was a terrorist.
The report said
that El Shukrijumah, whose nickname is "Jaafaral, the pilot," moved to
the US from Saudi Arabia in 1995 with his family and eventually
settled in Miramar, Florida.
He attended a
community college and majored in computers, eventually making friends
with Imran Mandhai, who was convicted in 2002 of plotting to blow up
power plants, among other things. |
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Young Talents:
These members of the Sharada family of Pickering were among the
several contributors who performed at the Annual Dinner and
Entertainment hosted by the Hindu Institute of Learning last Saturday
at the VCC. In picture are, from left, Serena, Shyam (6-year old on
tabla), Bindiya and Jaiya. Other persons also made appearances
including famous All India Radio singer Sri Vinayak Phatak, Kampta
Singh, Bhaskarananda, Anjali Misir, Radha Sampat Ayangar, Savita Maraj,
Kiran Rambissoon and Vivek (tabla) and Neeraj (Sitar).
Former TT Consul General Blanchfield passes on
The Trinidad and Tobago Consulate
General in Toronto has regretfully an-nounced the untimely death of
Cyril Blanchfield, former Consul General in Toronto for several years.
Mr Blanchfield died in Trinidad on Monday evening. The funeral will be
held in Trinidad.
The Toronto Con-sulate, in association with members of the community,
will be holding a memorial service in celebration of the life of Cyril
Blanchfield on Wednesday April 16, at 6.30 p.m. at the Woodbine
Banquet and Convention Centre, 30 Vice Regent Blvd., Room North A
(Highway 27 and Rexdale Blvd.) For more information call the Consulate
at 416-495-9443. The Late Cyril Blanchfield
Speaker cites protesting opposition members for contempt of Parliament
Speaker cautions offending
MPs, policemen
Georgetown —
Jerome Khan and Abdul Kadir, two PNCR Members of Parliament, were on
Monday cited for contempt of the House by Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, Speaker
of Guyana’s National Assembly. The PNCR is continuing their boycott of
Parliament which started when they walked out of the House over a year
ago at the time of the 2002 Budget presentation. As such, they were
present to hear the Speaker’s admonitions.
The Speaker said he expected the two offenders to “purge” themselves
of the contempt at the first opportunity. He has forwarded the matter
to the Committee of
Privileges of
Parliament for action to be taken.
Khan and Kadir
were part of a rowdy gang of protestors who briefly halted the
presentation of the Budget on March 28. They sidestepped police
barricades and entered the compound of the Ocean View Convention
Centre where the official government business was taking place. Kadir
and Khan entered the centre holding their placards for a short time
during which there was a heated argument between Khan and PPP/C MP
Cyril Belgrave.
The interruption
of Parliament lasted for at least 45 minutes as some of the protestors
took up position outside the doors of the building and chanted loudly
while hitting against the ground and on the glass wall with sticks.
As soon as the
sitting recommenced, the Speaker issued a strong condemnation of the
behaviour of the protestors "The conduct of those gathered outside was
extremely disgraceful and disrespectful," he declared. In his view,
the attitude displayed by the two men was most disrespectful and
sought to desecrate Parliament, one of the highest symbols of
democracy.
Mr Ramkarran also
criticized the police for their poor response to the invasion. He
contended that their failure to arrest PNCR MPs Jerome Khan and Abdul
Kadir placed them "in dereliction of their duty." The Speaker wanted
the police to approach the security of parliament with more
"seriousness" noting that such an interruption had occurred before and
could take place again.
At Monday’s
session the Speaker warned members of parliament that they had no
immunity from arrest if they behave in an unruly manner.
He restated his
position that the police had the authority to stop the breach of peace
anywhere and at anytime and did not have to await his authority to do
so.
Hindu
Institute looks ahead
Speaking at the VCC is Shri Jagadish Chandra
Sharada, President of the Hindu Institute of Learning. Sharadaji is a
founding member of the Institute and teaches Hindi and Sanskrit. He
was given accolades for his humility and extreme dedication to the
work of the Institute.
Toronto — Last Saturday the Hindu Institute of
Learning held its Annual Dinner & Entertainment Evening at the Vedic
Cultural Centre in Markham.
The well attended affair was studded with music,
songs and messages pertaining to some of the future plans of the
organization. One of the main items on the Institute’s agenda is the
acquisition of a building to centralize its varied activities which
are now conducted at rented facilities.
Since its inception 15 years ago, the Institute has
been teaching Indian languages, mainly Hindi and Sanskrit, to adults,
and singing and dancing to kids. The age restrictions on these
programs are now to be lifted.
The Institute will commence a Montessori in
September of this year to teach juniors and pre-schoolers. Also on the
cards is the establishment of a day school to teach the same
curriculum as in the public schools, but with an Indian language/s,
that must include Hindi, and Indian culture as compulsory subjects.
The Institute’s classes start on the second week of May, September and
January. |
News
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