US denies lobbying T&T gov't to allow reentry of citizens from terrorist zones

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jun. 29, CMC The United States government has denied reports that it had sought to lobby the Trinidad and Tobago government into allowing nationals from the oil-rich twin-island republic to freely re-enter the county from terrorist zones across the globe.

In a statement, the US embassy said Irfan Saeed – Director for the Office of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), Bureau of Counterterrorism and Countering Violent Extremism, U.S. Department of State – was not in the twin-island republic to lobby the government.

Saeed, who attended a CVE symposium earlier this week, noted the importance of strengthening legislation such as the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act as a crucial step to bolster regional security.

“What I’ve seen here in Trinidad and Tobago is amazing work by communities really trying to understand this issue and respond to it. The government is very engaged, not just with us but with other global partners and communities so that they can learn what this legal framework should look like (to fight terrorism)”.

He described the symposium as a “great brainstorming opportunity to understand what are the opportunities, what are the drivers, and what are the vulnerabilities that can produce foreign terrorist fighters. We have seen tremendous work already. I can guarantee you here in Trinidad and Tobago, it is one of the best partnerships that I have seen globally on this issue”.

Per capita, more citizens from Trinidad and Tobago have travelled to the Middle East to join ISIS than any other country in the Western Hemisphere. 

With the fall of ISIS strongholds in Syria and Iraq, foreign terrorist fighter (FTF) recruitment has diminished, however, continuing radicalisation in T&T and the threat of returning FTFs has made CVE a U.S. government focus and one of the U.S. Embassy’s top priorities. 

The statement added that the US government is also working closely with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago "to protect citizens of both of our countries from terrorism”.  

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