Young: No change in US travel advisory

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young says there has been no change to the US travel advisory on TT when compared to the previous advisory.

The latest advisory, dated March 6, which replaces the previous advisory from February 22, 2018, advises US citizens to exercise increased caution in TT due to crime and terrorism.

"Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas," the advisory cautioned.

Speaking yesterday at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, Young said when contacted by the media on the issue he advised them to do a comparative analysis on the advisory and the previous travel advisory (in February).

"Members of the media who did that then responded to me saying 'you're right. There has been no substantial change.' I then contacted the US Government and they told me the only changes in language were stylistic changes. There has been no change in the US travel advisory system."

Young recalled he made a point during the Carnival period that it was a good endorsement of all being done in national security that none of the foreign ally countries issued travel advisories or changed existing advisories. "The US travel advisory that was recently published does not increase any threat level or any concern about criminal activity compared to the last one," he said.

He reported on Thursday morning he engaged the US Embassy in Trinidad "and I told them that I would like the message sent back to the US Government in Washington that we want to re-look some of the language in there in particular some of the language with respect to terrorist attacks which were previously employed in the travel advisory last year when we were facing a completely different period of time."

In February 2018 it was reported that US soldiers participated in anti-terror raids in TT and an FBI tip helped to prevent the bombing US Embassy in Port of Spain between Carnival Monday and Tuesday.