PM CONFIRMS RADAR

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00:00Confirmation tonight that a military radar is being installed in Tobago,

00:05and it comes directly from Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissessa.

00:09On further inquiries, yes, in Tobago, there are some U.S. Marines there and they're helping us

00:15with the airport. The plan there is the runway and the road and radar. They will help us to

00:23improve our surveillance and intelligence of the radar for the NAPA operators in our office and

00:30outside our office. Security expert Michael Povinsky, a lecturer at the UE, tells TV6 News the radar will

00:38significantly enhance the U.S. military's operational capacity. So if it is a radar being installed in Tobago

00:45by the U.S. military, it probably would serve as a surveillance and reconnaissance

00:52a type of radar to improve the understanding of the surrounding operational space around Tobago and

01:03Trimidat. So any kind of small boats, it will be easier to identify those boats through having this

01:12radar in Tobago. So it's basically improving operational capabilities of United States to target

01:18the so-called drug boats. So you believe that this piece of equipment could be used by the U.S. to target

01:28vessels? I cannot tell you that whether it will be used that way, but it definitely would have such

01:34capabilities. Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander declined to comment, but did indicate that a press release

01:42will be issued on Friday. Calls to the defense minister went unanswered. On Wednesday, the prime

01:48minister said there are no U.S. military forces or assets in TNT and reiterated that the government is

01:55not preparing to support or host any U.S. military for action against Venezuela. However, former national

02:02security minister and opposition chief whip Marvin Gonzalez has some questions for the prime minister.

02:08I filed an urgent question on this issue yesterday and unfortunately I was not allowed to pose this

02:18question to the minister of defense. So I want to start there. I also want to ask the prime minister

02:26at what point in time and when did she approve the installation of that radar? Who did she consult with?

02:34Did she speak to the chief secretary? Why was it done in the dead of night?

02:44Who did she consult with? Why did she not consult with the people of Trinidad and Tobago and be very

02:52transparent on these very important matters? The prime minister should be held to account on this very

03:02important matter. Because when things are done in the dead of night, in the dead of night, it means there's

03:10something that might be sinister. Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.