Beckles accuses PM reducing national security to 'political theatre'

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles at a recent press conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader, Port of Spain.. -

OPPOSITION Leader and PNM political leader Pennelope Beckles has slammed Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for reducing Trinidad and Tobago's national security to political theatre. Beckles said the population deserves the truth about the installation of a US military radar system at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago and related matters where US-TT national security collaboration is involved.

In a video statement, Beckles said, "The security of the people of TT must always rise above politics."

She added all citizens want crime to be confronted decisively and TT's borders protected effectively.

Beckles accepted there are times when national security matters must be kept secret.

She acknowledged national security must be handled with care, competence and honesty.

But Beckles said, "Let us be clear, national security must never be reduced to political theatre."

She added, "To this day, the nation remains largely in the dark, left to speculate on matters of its own national security."

Beckles cited the radar as one example of this.

She recalled between November 26-28, Persad-Bissessar initially did not disclose the establishment of the radar, later disclosed it and then indicated on November 28, she requested its establishment.

Persad-Bissessar first disclosed the establishment of the radar in Tobago by US Marines after a laptop distribution ceremony at the Penal Secondary School on November 27.

Persad-Bissessar said, "The plan there is the runway and a radar. They will help us to improve our surveillance and intelligence we gather...the narco-traffickers in our waters and outside our waters."

In August, the US approached Grenada for permission to use the Maurice Bishop International Airport to house military radar that could monitor both commercial and military flights in the southern Caribbean.

Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has said his government is working with an undisclosed deadline from the US but will not be hurried into deciding on such an important issue.

Persad-Bissessar has rejected questions raised by the PNM about the reasons why the military radar was established in Tobago, repeating claims of alleged ties between the PNM and drug cartels. Beckles has rejected those claims.

Beckles said, "Conflicting explanations have emerged from the highest office in the land. One account contradicts another."

She asked, "What are the people to believe?"

Beckles said Persad-Bissessar's statement the radar was to used to conduct surveillance, has since been refuted by the radar's manufacturer who indicated the system is a not designed for maritime purposes which Persad-Bissessar referred to.

The radar is a G/ATOR system which is a three-dimensional, medium/long-range multi-role radar designed to detect unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, air-breathing targets, rockets, artillery, and mortars

On December 11, at a CXC awards ceremony in Port of Spain, Persad-Bissessar credited the radar's reported role in helping police seize $171 million in Colombian "creepy" marijuana in an unmanned boat in the Caroni Swamp.

In a subsequent Facebook post on December 12, she indicated she held talks with US Embassy officials before the ceremony about "our continued co-operation in the fight against crime."

She added this is a continuing saga of "poor communication and shifting explanations that have only deepened confusion and undermined public trust."

Beckles claimed the UNC began this saga since it won the April 28 general election.

She said the duty of a government is not only to protect a country's sovereignty but to respect it as well.

"We deserve better."

At a UNC Christmas Supper at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's on December 18, Persad-Bissessar said only the US can protect TT against any external security. She made this statement as she repeated her defence of the US military deployment in the Southern Caribbean which started in August, the Trump administration's position the deployment is a counter-narcotics operation and US military strikes on alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean which other nations have described as extrajudicial killings.

Persad-Bissessar defended the US against local critics and hinted about possible negative consequences for TT citizens if the US believed TT was criticising it.