THE major problem in TnT is that the general public as well as so called exemplars, political and economic, prefer to ignore the fact that evidence of grave problems, in addition to kidnap and murder, rape and robbery -- exists under their very noses!

Like legitimate quarry operators, investigating officials have been ignominiously routed by armed, robbed individuals in Valencia.

The Minister of National Security, recruiter of Jamaat “assistance and support” in sensitive marginal constituencies in the 2002 election, however, denies his ministry’s knowledge of any armed Jamaat presence in the Valencia forest!

Unlike the entire nation, Martin Joseph, after Camini Marajh’s investigative reporting in the Express, is the only individual still ignorant of profitable, illegal Jamaat activity in that area.

Why?

Who is paying for this?

The people of TnT, of course, who, through their elected representatives are the Jamaat al Muslimeen’s largest customer.

Why has this illegal activity been permitted to continue for so long, before any action was taken, and then, only as a result of public exposure?

Was Joseph again sleeping on the job?

The damage has already been done and the rewards reaped, as evidenced by Bakr’s many wives and the housing provided to them.

In light of the above, from the arrest and denial of bail to Bakr, it is obvious that the ruling dispensation is actively involved in a public relations exercise calculated to appear to distance itself from him and the unsavoury activities of his unrepentant and criminally implicated pseudo religious/terrorist organisation.

GEORGE
W. BUSH

Imam YASIN
ABU BAKR

MARTIN JOSEPH

PM PATRICK
MANNING

After Manning’s refusal to countenance popular demand for public enquiry into events preceding, during and proceeding from the failed coup of 1990, said exercise, launched to satisfy concerns expressed in Washington, rather than Port of Spain, already assumes the nature of another display of political “smoke and mirrors”.

The long overdue and much touted combined forces exercise launched against illegal quarrying in Valencia has proven anti-climactic to a public demand that apparent Muslimeen immunity be perceived as ended.

The fact that none of those apprehended in that operation are apparently connected to the Jamaat al Muslimeen is an obvious attempt to discredit evidence to the contrary, cited in the Senate by Seetahal.

No one ever claimed that the Jamaat were the only illegal operators in Valencia!

With this latest, the inadvertent or deliberate interruption to the timetable of recent monthly bombings, Bakr’s current incarceration and the failure of the exercise to implicate the Muslimeen in Valencia is no coincidence.

It is confirmation of the resort to politics of “mass distraction”, the popular refuge of Manning and his minions, calculated to sanitise their image abroad, with no sacrifice in popularity at home.

It is safe to posit that, as occurred after 1990, given his inconclusive trial for conspiracy to murder, Bakr will once more emerge as legally untouchable so long as the People’s National Movement (PNM) retains power.

Nor will profitable Muslimeen activity in Valencia, lucrative contracts in Pointe-a-Pierre, nor profitable Muslimeen control of government funded make-work schemes, nor any of their less sanguine activities, be to any significant degree compromised.

Unless, therefore, Marajh returns to the issue to unearth convincing evidence of purchase by the administration from the Muslimeen of the material illegally mined by them, or, as has previously occurred in their dealings with the less notorious, the courts assert their independence in dealing with Bakr, Manning will once more have achieved the best of all possible worlds by mending the rift twixt himself and Bakr in good time for the re-enlistment of Muslimeen services for further political skulduggery in 2007 or sooner, while reassuring the US President George W. Bush White House that he is a good satrap, doing his bit against America’s undeclared enemies.

In these happy circumstances the only loser will, as usual, since 24/12/01, be a long suffering and terrified population here in TnT.

Need be posited, any further explanation for Manning’s refusal to accede to popular demand for investigation into the events of 1990, or to acknowledge, investigate and/or refute allegations of Muslimeen intimidation in the elections of October 2002?

If there are, this writer would appreciate enlightenment.