Tuesday February 9th, 2010
- Last update:14 hours 50 min ago
Cops apologise to Saudi diplomat...
ACP Craig: A matter of national security
Published: 5 Nov 2009
ACP Raymond Craig
Information relating to national security was what caused Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Raymond Craig to go to the rooms occupied by Saudi Arabia diplomat Fawaz A Al Shubaili at the Hyatt Regency on Monday afternoon. This was disclosed by Craig, during a news conference called by the Police Service at the Police Administration Building, Port-of-Spain, yesterday. He apologised for the incident and also denied that the police were looking for guns and ammunition. The ACP refused to say what information the police received relating to Al Shubaili, citing national security reasons. He also denied that the diplomat or his rooms were searched by police.
The news conference was called after certain sections of the Muslim community expressed anger over the incident. Craig also publicly apologised for what transpired. Al Shubaili was sent to this country by his government to assist some 207 local Muslims with obtaining visas, as opposed to having T&T nationals travel to Caracas, Venezuela, to have the process completed at the Saudi Arabian Embassy there. The Muslims are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to participate in the Haj pilgrimage. Craig, who took full responsibility for what transpired at the two hotel rooms Al Shubaili occupied, said police acted on information they received.
“Information came to hand...that information was assessed and in our view, we felt that that information could negatively affect national security in T&T, and we acted on that information,” he said. “As a result of that, documents (warrants) were obtained after intensive investigations were conducted in an effort to substantiate various aspects of that information.” He said the police actions were justified. “Yes, he (Al Shubaili) has a diplomatic passport, but he also had in his possession, a T&T passport in someone else’s name, and he had many empty visa forms,” Craig said. “All of this would have led to some suspicion and warranted some investigation taking place and it could only have been done there and then, when we went to the room, because it is not normal with visas being issued in a hotel room.” He added after several phone calls were made, he was able to verify the reason for Al Shubaili’s presence in the country. However, the T&T Guardian was told by reliable police sources on Tuesday that they received information that a man dressed like a Pakistani national was at the hotel and appeared to have guns and ammunition in his possession.
The report also stated, an officer said, that there were several people going to and from Al Shubaili’s room. According to Craig, at no time did the police intend to embarrass anyone. “I was satisfied that that individual was in Trinidad for a legitimate purpose and his presence did not impact national security,” he said. “I concluded that this was a situation above board and therefore I allowed him to carry out his business. “I apologised to Mr Al Shubaili for any inconvenience I, or any police officer, may have caused. “At no time did the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service or anybody attempt or try to embarrass any Muslim individual in our society.” He said Al Shubaili’s departure was on schedule and he did not cut his visit short because of what had transpired.
The senior lawman added that even though Al Shubaili had a diplomatic passport, he was not accredited by this country. He said based his past experiences in dealing with drugs and international terrorism, several individuals had used diplomatic passports to perpetrate illegal activities, throughout the world. Nafeesa Mohammed, legal officer in the Office of the Attorney General, said the police should be commended for the manner in which they dealt with the situation. She said the entire incident was blown out of proportion. Zabar Baksh, president of Caribbean Haj United, said in the past, Saudi Arabian diplomats had conducted similar business at Hilton Trinidad.
From what I have read here,
From what I have read here, I think the police acted reasonable given the circumstances.
Within the present context of terrorism by a radical few both nationally and internationally we do have to be alert and take precautionary action as deemed necessary in situations that look suspicious. While this is unfortunate it is the reality of the world we live in today.
Maybe in the future a situation like this can be averted by simply informing the relevant authories in advance of the nature of the businesss that is intended.
MFRahman. 683 4698.
MFRahman. 683 4698. 4/11/09.
Diplomatic outrage coupled with religious insensitivity.
With barely three weeks before the departure of Pilgrims to the annual Hajj, a Hyatt outrage has been committed by our insensitive and ill informed senior Police officers.
Not only have they jeopardised the chances of TT Muslims performing the well known compulsory Pilgrimage, but they have breached diplomatic privileges and protocol with disdain.
Is CoP Philbert serious that Visas are so revolutionary and unheard of practice that a contingent of senior Police should disregard all diplomatic niceties?
The protests of the Muslim officials reported live on TV support the charge of impropriety of the Police action.
One must wonder whether the recent influx of Israeli equipment has prejudiced our Police against Saudi officials?
Who at the Hyatt made the spurious report which resulted in this action? That person must be severely castigated for his groundless mischief. Surely the registration desk would have known of the diplomatic status of the visitor?
And how could an Assistant Commissioner of Police be ignorant of Hajj and visa matters?
What led anyone to believe that arms would be found? The debacle of Bush’s WMD’s propaganda against Iraq comes to mind. That was prompted by lust for Oil.
What was A.C.O.P. Craig really looking for at the Hyatt?
How could our Minister of National Security preside over such misadventures so placidly?
Apologies must follow at all levels and our Pilgrims must be reassured and compensated for this distasteful breach.
MFRahman.
HERE AGAIN WE SEE DIVISIONS
HERE AGAIN WE SEE DIVISIONS -
Here again we see the deep divisions in the Indian community. Political and Religious in fighting, this gives strength to other groups. Unity is strength.
As I said yesterday
As I said yesterday diplomats' treatment is governed by international law in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna conventions and in spite of security concerns nowadays diplomats have to be treated with some sensitivity. If you mistreat a country's diplomatic representative, by extension you mistreat his country, his State. So we have to be careful.
In the Express the Minister of Foreign Affairs is reported to have said that this is a matter for the Ministry of National Security. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot wash its hands of this diplomatic incident.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs says Brian Lara holds a diplomatic passport but does not enjoy immunity under the Vienna convention. Quite so because Lara was issued a diplomatic passport as a courtesy. He is neither a career diplomat nor a politically appointed one with credentials.
I agree that the mere possession of a diplomatic passport does not give you complete immunity in a country to which you are not accredited. But in this particular have we determined whether this Saudi diplomat was not accredited to this country? I would imagine that if his Ambassador in Caracas and his Embassy in Caracas are accredited to Port of Spain, any diplomat from the Saudi Embassy, Caracas travelling on a diplomatic passport assigned to conduct a diplomatic/consular mission is by extension accredited to T&T.
If the Saudis do not have a resident mission in T&T, where was the diplomat to perform his duties? If he is processing visa applications, it would be quite natural for him to have in his possession "empty" (blank) visa application forms for applicants to complete. And if he is processing an application and issuing a visa to a T&T national, I'd imagine he'd have the applicant's TT passport in his possession. Lots of Muslims wear white garb in T&T, so it is not strange for such dressed persons to go to the temporary visa ofice to apply for their visas.
While it is true that there have been cases of abuse of diplomatic passports and diplomatic pouches (we even had alleged transport of coke in T&T diplomatic bags), there are set procedures when challenging diplomatic personnel and property which must be observed except in emergency situations. If the police are not sure in such cases, they should refer to Foreign Affairs for advice and guidance.
We've had different accounts how the police conducted their business at the hotel and Craig's version appears quite at variance with what the Saudi diplomat is reported to have expressed.
I am not saying that security might not have been uppermost in the minds of the police, all I'm saying is that a greater sense of sensitivity should have been observed in dealing with a delicate issue involving a visiting diplomat on assignment for his accredited Embassy (asuming the Saudi Embassy is accredited to POS) and by extension his country, the sending State.
There has been a lot of
There has been a lot of chatter about this topic, a lot of which seems quite intriguing. I will add by saying this; terrorists activities worldwide are undoubtedly funded by some of the wealthiest persons, organisations and even some governments, all of which, obviously will not be public about there financing and support. In fact, the whole affair is clandestine operations.
I wonder and I hope our security forces would wonder too, as to whether the whole purpose of this supposed diplomatic visit, was not some calculated rouse to facilitate an activated terrorist cell to access a known designated facility for the upcoming CHOGM so that mass chaos, destruction and death can be unleashed and aligned to the name of TnT on a globally, catastrophic proportion.
I ask this question, is this not a possibility? Look at the timing-look at the location.
A lot of persons in their posts have written/spoken about sensitivity. How about the Saudi Gov't having sensitivity towards the use of any of the designated Hotels for the CHOGM in light of global statistics and concerns surrounding the affiliation of muslim-based groups and terrorist attacks. How about their choosing of another venue of similar standard but would afford less direct association to such and ideal opportunity for a terrorist strike, so as to separate themselves from such speculations?
I also wonder, if this my conspiracy theory were to come to pass, I wonder what if anything, you...who all, speak out against the police' actions what would you have to say then.
I suppose you would say...Praise Allah, Allah is Great!
POLITICAL PARTIES
POLITICAL PARTIES -
Political Parties are also funded by wealthy Drug Lords.
Let us remember that the
Let us remember that the Saudi Govt actively supports certain groups that are classified as terrorist organizations by most of the developed world. Secondly, 15 of the 19 hijackers that flew the planes on Sept 11 were carrying Saudi passports. This is a country rich with princes that support terrorist cells as a means to an end. Not saying that the Saudi Arabia diplomat Fawaz A Al Shubaili was doing anything wrong or even has any links to terrorism, but you would be hard-pressed to find any developed country post 9/11 that would not have conducted an investigation on him as he arrived in a country (close to the US) to issue visas and other diplomatic papers. I would not be surprised if the US werent the ones to warn the Trinidad and Tobago Govt.
On an aside but related issue: Mr. Simon, this has to be, by far, one of your better written articles. It was thorough and really informative.
Don S. NY
This Saudi "diplomat" was
This Saudi "diplomat" was not accredited to this country. Checks from the Ministry of National Security revealed that the gentleman is a low level functionary. So like Brian Lara, he does not enjoy automatic immunity. He can be ticketed for running a red light, as well as searched in a police operation. Those are the facts. In the case of the issuing of Visas, since when is an otherwise formal act done from a hotel room, regardless of how legitimate? Have many of you other posters ever gone to a hotel room to collect a Visa? It is quite obvious that this is not a typical way that these things are done. As organised as the muslim community would like to think it is, there should have been something official at some place official where this could have been done. The person at the Hyatt was correct to raise a flag. Consider that if someone from another country instigated an act with negative repercussions, the police and the Ministry of Nat. Security would have been under fire for 1) not knowing, 2) not acting, 3) if they knew, why did they fail to act simply because a "diplomat" was involved.
Everything seems above board. The only real issue here is religious emotions.