Pubdate: Wed, 06 Sep 2006
Source: Trinidad Express (Trinidad)
Copyright: 2006 Trinidad Express
Contact:  http://www.trinidadexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1093

CALLS ON US TO DO MORE IN WAR AGAINST DRUGS

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning yesterday called on the  US government
to step up to the plate and do more to  arrest drug transshipment
through the Caribbean region.

Manning had the ears of US Ambassador to Trinidad and  Tobago, Dr Roy
Austin, who was one of the many guests  at the launching of BG
Trinidad and Tobago Luncheon  series at the Hilton Trinidad.

"Initially, the US was concerned about drugs, but of  course that has
inevitably since 9/11 given way to  terrorism, preoccupied now... is
terrorist activity  around the world and how it affects US interests-
we  find that concern about drugs has gone to the back  burner,"
Manning said.

"The drug cartels in South America are no less active  today than they
were two or three or five years ago.

"We are seeing a heightened use of Caribbean countries  as
transshipment centres, as drugs move from producing  countries of the
south, to the consuming countries of  the north, Canada, US and
Western Europe and that not  all the drugs which come into your
country leave-the  service is paid for in drugs."

Manning said that the guns which accompany the drugs to  ensure the
"security of the shipment" stay in the  region with debilitating effects.

"We have said to the US authorities-we are prepared to  do our part in
patrolling the Eastern Caribbean. The  Eastern Caribbean is too vulnerable.

"We are prepared to do our part-we've set up a radar  system in
Trinidad and we have taken steps to acquire  assets to give us an
interdiction capability. But  already the conversation among the drug
dealers is that  Trinidad and Tobago is getting too hot so they have
to  move elsewhere-where else they're going to move,  they're moving
to the north.

"And therefore they're likely to end up in countries  that do not have
the capacity to deal with them, as we  may have in Trinidad and
Tobago-limited though that  capacity is, as that which exists in the
US."

Manning stressed that unless some special initiative is  put in place
at this time, Caribbean countries run the  risk of falling victims to
drug dealers.

"Trinidad and Tobago has offered to patrol the Eastern  Caribbean-we
will acquire the assets to do that but we  cannot afford to finance
it.

"The security we'll be providing will not be for us  alone, or
Caribbean countries -it is as much the  security of the US... the
offer remains on the table,"  he said. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake