Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has once again underscored her government’s commitment to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” with the United States and international allies in combating terrorism and its modern forms.
In a release issued on September 10 to mark the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Persad-Bissessar paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 lives lost, including 14 citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.
“Among the fallen were 14 of our own citizens, Trinbagonians who went to work that morning at the World Trade Center, never to return home,” she said. “Their sacrifice is a painful reminder that terrorism recognises no borders, no creed, and no humanity.”
The coordinated attacks — carried out with hijacked passenger planes — shocked the world and reshaped international security policies. Two planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, another slammed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., while the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers resisted the hijackers.
Persad-Bissessar said the events of 9/11 left “an indelible scar on humanity” and reinforced the urgency of international solidarity. “We will remain vigilant and resilient, defending our people and our values without fear or hesitation,” she declared, reaffirming TT’s alliance with the United States.
She also broadened the definition of terrorism beyond extremist violence, pointing to narco-trafficking, arms smuggling, and transnational organized crime as equally destabilizing threats to societies. “Today, terrorism also takes the face of drug cartels and organized criminal networks that bring pain and suffering to our region,” she said.
Her remarks come just days after a controversial U.S. missile strike on September 2 that killed 11 alleged traffickers aboard a vessel in international waters. While Colombian President Gustavo Petro has urged for the recovery of their bodies, Persad-Bissessar dismissed the call, adopting a hardline stance.
“I have no sympathy for traffickers; the U.S. military should kill them all violently,” she said in a blunt statement. “I much prefer seeing drug and gun traffickers blown to pieces.”
Her remarks highlight a shift in tone between the solemn remembrance of 9/11 and her aggressive rhetoric on the drug war. The Prime Minister argued that narco-terrorism undermines national security in the same way as extremist networks, noting that the Donald Trump administration had already labeled some organized crime groups as terrorist organizations.
Concluding her statement, Persad-Bissessar offered prayers for the victims of September 11 and reaffirmed TT’s partnership with the United States in global security efforts. “May the souls of the victims of September 11 rest in eternal peace. May God comfort their families, and may He continue to bless and protect TT, and all nations and peoples who have endured the inhumanity of terrorism, even as together we condemn its barbarism and commit ourselves to eradicating it from our world.”
