Growing number of Trinidad ISIS recruits raise US eyebrows

The United States is worried about the number of Trinidad and Tobago Nationals who have been recruited by the terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The eastern Caribbean country is now regarded as a breeding ground for extremists and its close proximity to the American mainland has counter-terrorism officials in the Donald Trump-led administration fearful that Trinidadian ISIS fighters might return from the Middle East and attack American diplomatic and oil installations in Trinidad.

There are also fears among the US Government that extremists might take a three-and-a-half-hour flight to Miami and carry out attacks there.

President Trump is reported to have discussed  the troubling issue with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, during a telephone conversation on the weekend.

Trinidad has a growing Muslim population and many of the island’s disenfranchised youths have taken to the faith and have been attracted to extremist values.

American counter-terrorism experts believe that some 125 fighters and their relatives have travelled to Turkey from the twin island republic in the last four years. If the projections are it would make Trinidad and Tobago the largest per capita supplier of Islamic fighter to ISIS in the western hemisphere.

ISIS has also released propaganda videos featuring militants with Trinidadians accents to bolster the point. The fighters can be seen training and sporting assault rifles and encouraging others from their country to join them.

In August last year, nine Trinidadians were detained before they could travel to Syria allegedly to join the ranks of the extremist group.

A Syrian man was also held and accused of attempting to smuggle the Caribbean militants into Southern Turkey.

It is not a breach of the country’s law to enlist among the ranks ISIS and legislators in the land of the hummingbird are moving with haste to plug that legal loophole in a bid to deter their citizens from further dragging the country’s name through the mud.

Officials there have implemented heightened surveillance of the Islamic loyalists who they claim have joined forces with criminal elements. They country has also imposed penalties for anyone caught sending money to the group.