00:00After yesterday's meeting between Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissetta and General Dan Cain,
00:05Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff,
00:08the opposition called on the government to be fully transparent.
00:11Former Minister of National Security Gary Griffith agrees that the government needs to be transparent,
00:17but he also thinks that the information should be given on a need-to-know basis.
00:21Yeah, definitely. It is, however. The country needs to know, but there's a need-to-know basis.
00:27So it is not that every single thing that is said, the country has a right to know.
00:32Griffith supports the government's stance regarding the current geopolitical tensions in the region,
00:37but he thinks that the personnel in authority are lacking the requisite training and experience,
00:42which is doing them no favors.
00:44My personal view on it, I think the government, they have been doing an excellent job.
00:48They are going in the right direction in this situation, and I'll explain why.
00:52But what is missing is transparency and communication.
00:55The reason why it is lacking is because the persons who are holding that position of authority,
01:01they do not have that type of training and qualification.
01:04So, for example, you have a Minister of Defence, and in fairness to him,
01:08he's not qualified in understanding that level of security.
01:12So what you will do is always throw to Stand-In Order 27.
01:15If someone asks, and we're still short, one day,
01:18what was the football score between the Defence Force and police in the pro-league,
01:21he'll say Stand-In Order 27 because it will affect national security.
01:24He's going to throw that. When you keep doing that,
01:27it is going to have the country wandering here, hiding something.
01:29With Venezuela hinting at taking action against Trinidad and Tobago through various statements,
01:35Griffith is in support of the U.S. military's presence in the country.
01:39Venezuela have drawn first blood.
01:40They have threatened Trinidad and Tobago.
01:42They have thrown shots across the bow.
01:44They have declared the Prime Minister personal non-grata.
01:47They have stated that they do not want to work with us in the energy sector.
01:50They have stated that we are harboring terrorists,
01:53that we are holding base to destabilize Venezuela,
01:55that they will invade any country.
01:57Everything that they have done is virtually to prime themselves
02:00to do something against Trinidad and Tobago.
02:03So again, to all the haters of the United States,
02:06understand that the value of the United States being here
02:08is going to play a very big part towards the safety and security of Trinidad and Tobago.
02:12The former minister also believes that the U.S.
02:15can also assist the country in other areas.
02:17And if they were to leave, it will have a negative impact.
02:20What we need to do is to start to embrace and accept the fact
02:23that we can utilize the support of the United States,
02:27not just in trying to protect us,
02:28but in providing resources, technology, training, equipment.
02:32If it is that people do not understand,
02:34if the U.S. leave, it is not going to be a blessing.
02:38It is going to affect Trinidad and Tobago.
02:40Dominic Ramroop, TV6 News.
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