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Monday, July 9, 2007
The Head of security at the Port Authority of Jamaica, James Forbes has had to defend the security of his islands ports against claims by the United States that Caribbean ports are becoming increasingly vulnerable to terrorist attacks due to "corruption, lax security and limited resources to maintain equipment". Forbes responded that Jamaica had some of the highest levels of security in the region and that some international auditors have used some of the Jamaican models and described them as the world's best standards. Meanwhile, in report released by the US Government Accountability Office, State Department officials claim to have witnessed open, unattended gates and other security gaps at ports where cruise ships dock, despite the fact that the "islands vigorously defend" their handling of security at points of entry for many tourists."The threats are not known, but the vulnerabilities are pretty well known and of concern," author of the report James Caldwell said. Despite the fact that violent extremist groups traditionally have not gained traction in the Caribbean, US counterterrorism officials are still concerned about marginalized persons in these societies acting out on anti-American feelings.
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