Why exactly are they going to Isis?
That’s the question Government is giving priority attention to, along with ongoing moves to tighten overall security, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon has said.
In seeking to examine the factors luring people to leave T&T to join the terror group, Dillon said Government will engage the Muslim community to “dialogue on this and, together, examine root causes.”
Dillon was contacted after the T&T Guardian was able to ascertain last Thursday from the security sector that the number of T&T nationals—fighters as well as family members—who have gone to Isis zones from late 2012 to date is now estimated at close to 120, an increase over previous figures.
Most recently, nine TT nationals were detained in Turkey, on July 27. They were held with a Syrian man who was taking them via truck to Syria for recruitment by Isis, Turkey’s Daily Sabah reported. They are now at Turkey’s Adana Migration Centre. Government is awaiting a report on the circumstances of their presence there from Turkish authorities.
Dillon said there had been a lull in the number of people Isis-bound in the latter half of last year, but confirmed the security sector has been “seeing activity.”
“In light of what has happened (nine in Turkey) although we’re still uncertain if they were really going to Isis, we’re examining what factors are luring people to leave T&T to go there; what’s happening locally with that. So we’ll be engaging the Muslim community to dialogue on this and together examine root causes,” Dillon said.
He acknowledged there may be concerns on the length of time to get information on the nine in Turkey, due to perceived “fear of the unknown” on the matter. He explained the time involved—and level of confidentiality—was to ensure that information reaching T&T security, and which would be factored into any approaches, was accurate.
The length of time may be due to questioning being done in Turkey.
Turkey, in recent years, has been the gateway to Isis conflict zones, since no visa is required for T&T nationals particularly.
In January, Turkey’s “Hurriyet News” reported four T&T nationals were held among 913 foreign jihadists from 57 countries fighting with Isis, over the period January to November 2015. T&T was the only Caribbean country. Last Thursday, security agencies confirmed two T&T nationals returned—sent back—from Turkey in January.
They are from Cocorite and Morvant, and were monitored.
So far, only one T&T person—Kareen Ibrahim—has been deemed a terrorist under the Anti-Terrorism Act. No T&T nationals have so far been listed on the United Nations’ Security Council’s list of people subject to sanctions for being involved with Al-Qaeda and Isis.
But this might change, Dillon confirmed, when T&T pursues action by the Attorney General for court declaration of 74 entities as terrorists, among other measures.
Figures up
In April 2016, Opposition MP Roodal Moonilal—a member of the PP administration’s National Security Council—told Parliament about 400 people had been indoctrinated and trained by Isis and men, women and children had left to join Isis.
Dillon had estimated the number of people who had left to be about 100 or just over. The Sunday Guardian subsequently obtained a 50-page police agency file from 2013 to 2015 listing what was described as “TT citizens who have left the country and journeyed to Syria to align themselves with the Islamic State terrorist group.”
The list comprised 32 males, 30 females and 40 children, but carried a last figure of 105.
It featured the names, gender, date of birth, last known local address of each person and date of their departure, date of arrival, their status (whether confirmed in Syria) and a photograph of each.
The list involved adult males largely of Afro-T&T descent between their 30s and 50s, and women, also largely of Afro-T&T descent, bearing Muslim names and aged between the 30s and 40s.
The children ranged in ages from two to 16 years. Boys and girls, some “mere tots and babies.”
Most adults carried Rio Claro addresses as well as Central locations—Boodram Street, Enterprise, Chaguanas, Cunupia, Edinburgh 500.
Several were East/West Corridor—Maloney Gardens, D’Abadie, Gonzales, Belmont, Richplain Road, Diego Martin, La Canoa Road, Santa Cruz, Don Miguel Road, San Juan, Morvant, Wallerfield, Aranguez, Trou Macaque, Laventille and Petit Valley.
Southern addresses included Cocoyea Village, San Fernando, Pranz Gardens, Claxton Bay, Princes Town.
Routes taken by those who departed involved Turkey, Tobago en route to Frankfurt, Germany, via Venezuela, Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil, Panama, Egypt and London. Also via Poole, London, and transiting through Curacao and via London, Dubai and Manila.
Approximately ten-plus of the men on the list are confirmed as having been killed in battle. Departures were seen to increase over 2014-2015.
Authorities estimate that those with Isis who have been killed are approximately 15 fighters.
Security officials in recent years have mapped local “cells” in Princes Town, between Fyzabad and Point Fortin, as well as points of “criminality” in East, Central and North.
They have cited individuals and networking which facilitate travel arrangements to the Middle East, sometimes under pilgrimage cover.
Dillon confirmed another matter “thoroughly engaging Security attention” is the pitch in Isis’ July magazine made by T&T-born Isis fighter Abu Sa’d al-Trinidadi, who some claim is Shane Crawford.
He urged sympathisers to launch local attacks on Christians, businesses, embassies and civilians. Nationals of four other states made similar pitches to countrymen. T&T Muslim leaders have rejected his call.
The security list obtained by T&T Guardian concerning people who went to Syria over 2013-2015 to join Isis begins with information on Shane Dominic Crawford described as also known as “Asadullah.”
Crawford is believed to be Abu Sa’d at-Trinidadi—the pitchman in the latest Isis magazine’s “kill call”.
Crawford’s date of birth is given as February 22, 1986. Address then, as Wallerfield.
His date of departure from T&T is listed as November 27, 2013.
Status was given as “Confirmed in Syria.” No return date was listed.
In Isis’ magazine, at-Trinidadi said, “The taghut government of Trinidad then plotted against us, claiming we were planning on assassinating the prime minister and a number of other ministers in order to cause chaos and panic in the country.
“That would have been an honor for us to attempt, but the reality of our operations was much smaller, as I described before.
“We were imprisoned for terrorism along with some Muslims who merely knew us as well as others whom we had never even met before...They were unable to make a case against us and we were freed, and despite being placed under surveillance, we went back to doing what we knew we had to do...”
UNC activist Barrington “Skippy” Thomas, who knew Crawford for over 13 years, said Crawford was always with him on UNC activities, but wasn’t his bodyguard and didn’t work for the UNC. He said Crawford was there to “watch his back,” and was along in PP’s 2010 campaigns and subsequently.
“I loved him like a brother, we’re both Baptists. I helped him with money when he wanted to get into fishing business. He used to buy and sell fish.
“Shane was with me—after I was moved from URP—when I verbally attacked the PM (Persad-Bissessar) and the crowd wanted to lynch me.
“He supported anything I was involved in. He was there when I contested Tobago elections, when I had to take tough URP decisions.
“That same Robocop, killed recently, told me some of my colleagues wanted my demise. Shane told him that wasn’t happening.
“Shane was an idealist, a disciplinarian—hated weed, coke and crime. When on the campaign trail I wanted to stop for a drink, he wouldn’t want to. He was against injustice and oppression—an angry young man.”
Thomas said Crawford was angry even before the PP’s 2011 state of emergency during which at-Trinidadi/Crawford claimed he was arrested.
Asked about Crawford’s magazine statements—that it would have been an honour to kill the former PM—Thomas said, “If I’d known he wanted to do that I’d have discouraged him. He’d hailed her as a person who subscribed to his ideals. Maybe (the statements) meant it would have been a badge of honour to kill her.
“As a brother, he has my unflinching, unrepentant support on injustice. Anytime I seem him again, I’ll embrace him—but I don’t share Isis’ beliefs.”
Thomas said Crawford told him he was leaving T&T three days before his departure.
“He said he intended to ‘participate in an exercise that would transform T&T from a swamp of injustice to an oasis of justice’. It struck me. He didn’t say where he was heading.
“There were businessmen involved—he often referred to the ‘bossman’.
“He sold his TV and possessions to go. We embraced when he left, I never heard from him again. I’m sure if he was dead, I may have known.”
Thomas said he’s godfather to a child Crawford had with one of two wives. None of them is in T&T, he added.
IN TOMORROW’s GUARDIAN: The motivation to go to Isis and measures to deal with it.