Brit tourists warned over ISIS attacks on Trinidad & Tobago as Caribbean island becomes new breeding ground for jihadis
The beautiful Caribbean islands - home to just 1.3 million people - have the highest rate of ISIS foreign recruitment in the Western hemisphere.
FEARS are growing that the idyllic tourist destination of Trinidad and Tobago could face a new wave of terror attacks from returning ISIS jihadis.
Incredibly, the beautiful Caribbean nation, home to just 1.3 million people, has the highest rate of ISIS foreign recruitment in the Western hemisphere.
Some 125 nationals are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join the barbaric group's failing attempt to establish an Islamic caliphate.
By comparison, the US with 240 times the population has just 250 citizens fighting for the group in the Middle East.
It is feared these jihadis could return to start launching attacks on embassies or tourist groups. Around 30,000 Brits visit the country every year.
The Foreign Office warns: "Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Trinidad & Tobago. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners.
"More than 100 Trinidad and Tobago nationals have travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight along with Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL) and are likely to pose a security threat on return.
"There’s also a threat from individuals who may have been inspired by terrorist groups, including Daesh and al Qaeda, to carry out so-called ‘lone actor’ attacks targeting public events or places."
Olivier Guitta, the managing director of security and risk consultants GlobalStrat, told The Sun Online: "If returnees in Trinidad and Tobago were to plan attacks, I would guess that the huge and prosperous oil industry will be the first target in
Trinidad and the travel industry in Tobago is as well a likely target."
But he added it was significantly easier for authorities to catch returning jihadis in the small nation than somewhere like Britain or France.
"The question is will jihadists try to return to Trinidad and Tobago or move to other theatres of jihad such as Libya or South East Asia?
"It's much easier for authorities in Trinidad and Tobago to catch a returning jihadist at the airport than for instance in the UK or France.
"In a way, Trinidad and Tobago is not more at risk than the UK or France but we’ve seen how both countries have been hit by jihadist terrorism."
Last year Trinidad jihadi Shane Crawford, who goes by the nom-de guerre Abu Sa'd at-Trinidadi, featured in the group's propaganda magazine.
The sniper called one called on ISIS supporters back home to "attack the interests of the Crusader coalition", including embassies, businesses and civilians.
He said: "Follow the example of the lions in France and Belgium, the example of the blessed couple in California, and the examples of the knights in Orlando and Nice.
"You have the ability to terrify the disbelievers in their own homes and make their streets run with their blood."
Faris al-Rawi, the attorney general for Trinidad and Tobago, told the government was looking at measures to stop the return of radicalised nationals.
This included detention, forfeiture of travel documents and citizenship removal.
He said: "There are a number of jurisdictions that have been experimenting with these laws: Australia, Malaysia, Canada, the United States.
"These types of laws are recent laws; they're not entrenched long-standing laws and so there is still room for judicial guidance."
Juan S. Gonzalez, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, told : "As the United States continues to corner ISIS and defeat them, a lot of these guys aren’t going to feel they have safe quarters.
"Is the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, prepared for these guys to return back to their countries? This is a real vulnerability."
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