A call for anti-terrorism cooperation in the Caribbean

Reported here:

Bahamas Minister of Maritime Affairs and Labour, Dion Foulkes, said on Wednesday that the “geopolitical” threat of terrorism calls for greater cooperation among nations dedicated to the ideals of freedom and protection of human rights.

Foulkes said only through continued regional cooperation and the sharing of technology and information can nations ward off such threat.

The Minister said the kind of “random violence” being witnessed in a number of countries as a result of terrorist activities has “truly become” a global phenomenon with blurred lines between combatants and non-combatants.

He said there is no distinction between military and civilian targets by an enemy that is recruited “from amongst our own citizens.”
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Foulkes said he hopes the ISPS Forum, which is being attended by delegates from The Bahamas and the region, will ferment new ideas on the implementation of security measures, while creating an even more integrated approach to reducing vulnerabilities at Bahamian ports.

He said while each country must implement measures agreed to by the ISPS Code as mandated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), it must be realized that The Bahamas faces the additional challenge of being an archipelago – spread over 100,000 square miles of ocean with 24 designated port facilities on four islands.