Minister: US-TT military exercises not linked to ISIS

TALKS which Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will hold with international security agencies in London and joint US-TT military exercises in TT in this month are not related to Rowley’s statement about ISIS cells in TT.

Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young made this point yesterday at the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.

Rowley leaves with a delegation on Sunday to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London. The CHOGM, which TT hosted in 2009, runs from April 16 to 20. Young, who is part of the delegation, said Rowley would be involved in a number of important meetings in London in addition to his official engagements at the CHOGM. He said these included discussions “at a very, very high level with international security and intelligence personnel, for a number of strategic reasons.”

Responding to a question in the House of Representatives on February 16, Rowley said ISIS cells existed in TT, posing a threat to national security, and, hence, the need to monitor people of interest. Asked whether the security talks Rowley would be having in London were related to that issue, Young said they were not. “These conversations are ongoing conversations,” he said. Young said previous dialogue that Rowley had with security agencies in the United Kingdom was meant to open channels of communication that would help TT in security and intelligence. He told reporters the Government had been “leading the charge” when it came to issues such as counter-terrorism and corruption.

He also said the Fused Response 2018 military exercises next week were not linked to concerns about TT foreign-based fighters returning home. Young said it was possible some mischief-makers could attempt to mislead the public about the joint US-TT military exercise, which takes place from April 16-26.

A statement from the National Security Ministry on March 23 said the exercises were an annual routine sponsored by the US Government through the US Southern Command.

Young also said Energy Minister Franklin Khan and National Gas Company chairman Gerry Brooks would join other energy technocrats in London next week for talks with British Petroleum and Shell. Young said he was involved in discussions between Finance Minister Colm Imbert, Khan and “our international lawyers and advisers” for those meetings. He said strategy was being determined to “extract the best possible outcome” for TT in those talks.