As the article suggests, nearly 16 years after radical cleric Yasin Abu Bakr and his followers firebombed the police headquarters, hijacked the nation’s television station, and held the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T, Country Profile) Parliament hostage for six days , the government has begun to take comprehensive steps to eliminate the threat posed by Jamaat al-Muslimeen (JaM, Group Profile). On November 8, 2005, the T&T authorities arrested the firebrand cleric, charging Bakr with inciting terrorism and holding him in connection with the wave of bombings that plagued the island in 2005. This is the second attempt by the T&T authorities to connect Abu Bakr and Jamaat to the bombings. In October 2005, police detained Abu Bakr and five associates for questioning but none were formally charged in the attacks . Bakr remains in police custody and has been denied bail on several occasions, an almost unheard of occurrence in T&T. Police investigators have rummaged several of Bakr’s homes in search of weaponry and/or bomb making components in their effort to link Bakr and JaM to the crime wave. Authorities have failed to acquire any definitive evidence to suggest Bakr or his followers were responsible for the bombings. To further demonstrate their renewed commitment against JaM, the government in early March 2006 announced their decision to sue JaM for an estimated $5 million in damages caused by Bakr’s coup attempt.
Although no definitive ties exist linking Abu Bakr and JaM to terrorist organizations?nor is it likely that JaM will be lured by al-Qaeda overtures?JaM is involved in the escalating criminal underworld that threatens the safety and security of the T&T government. JaM has a well-documented affinity for organized criminal syndicates and is involved in extortion rackets, narco-trafficking and kidnap for ransom. JaM and other radical Afro-Trinidadian Muslim groups more closely resemble organized street gangs than Middle Eastern Islamic extremist organizations and are often engaged in local turf wars with other Trinidadian gangs for control of local neighborhoods.
The T&T government should be applauded for their recent actions against JaM. Conversely, however, the government is also largely responsible for the unhindered growth of the group in the first place. Since 1990, several administrations have been held hostage, proverbially, by Bakr and his uncanny ability to pressure the government in vulnerable areas. Realistically, Abu Bakr’s base of support is minimal, with an estimated 300 active JaM members. However, the attention that is bequeathed upon Bakr by the T&T government elevates Bakr and his followers to lofty positions and validates their cause.
The rampant growth of criminal syndicates and the proliferation of armed gangs upon the islands pose a serious threat to the stability and wellbeing of the country. Furthermore, the US government has a significant stake in ensuring that criminal enterprises and lawless activities are reined in. The US acquires an estimated 70% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from T&T, thereby making T&T the largest supplier of LNG to the US. This percentage is expected to grow at an annual rate of 2% over the next 10 years, as the US continues to seek alternative energy sources. Since the onslaught of indiscriminate bombings began in mid-July 2005, a team of FBI investigators has been working with local security officials to identify the individuals responsible. It remains to be seen if the arrest of Abu Bakr has the effect that the Trinidadian government is hoping for or if his arrest will exasperate an already tense situation.