President Vows to Support USA After Guyanese Nationals Implicated in Terror Plot

Jun 03, 10:03 AM

Current Headlines: Text of report by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC

- Guyana's president Bharrat Jagdeo Saturday pledged to assist US law enforcement authorities in the fight against terrorism after three Guyanese, including a former parliamentarian attached to the main opposition People's National Congress (PNC), were fingered in a terrorist plot.

Trinidad and Tobago Police Commissioner Trevor Paul confirmed Saturday that lawmen here had detained Abdul Kadir, the former PNC parliamentarian and Trinidadian Kareem Ibrihim, 56, both of whom were accused of being members of a terrorist cell that plotted an attack on the John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Jagdeo, who is here attending a high level international donor's conference, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that his administration would do whatever it could in working to with US to defeat terrorism.

"Our position is that we are intolerant to any acts of terrorism and the US will find a willing partner in the Government of Guyana to get not only Mr Kadir but any contacts he may have here in Guyana," Jagdeo said.

Jagdeo made it clear that Kadir, a former mayor in Guyana, is not a member of his governing People's Progressive Party (PPP) despite reports by some international media that he was a "government official."

"I just think it is disgusting and we will work with the US government to get to the bottom of this," he said.

Jagdeo said that Guyana would be beefing up its own security in light of the arrests.

"We definitely have to investigate more and already work is being done at home along those lines to try to see if they have a network and in fact we welcome assistance from the US to work with us in this regard," the Guyana president added.

US law enforcement officials reported Saturday that four Caribbean nationals

- three Guyanese and a Trinidadian - were involved in the plan to blow up the airport. Russell Defreitas, a US citizen, native to Guyana and former JFK employee, was also arrested and is being held in Brooklyn where he was expected to be arraigned Saturday afternoon. The fourth man, Abdel Nur, of Guyana, was still being sought by US officials.

US Attorney Roslynn R. Mauskopf called the plot "one of the most chilling plots imaginable."

"The devastation that would be caused had this plot succeeded is just unthinkable," she said at a news conference Saturday.

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