IF THE problem were not as nationally and regionally challenging, the news item could have been dismissed with as perhaps an error, or a joke. 

However, some quick checking yesterday with the Caribbean Community Secretariat in Georgetown and Caricom's Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), made it abundantly clear that it was neither an error nor a laughing matter.

Indeed, with the dust yet to settle on the political storm that blew across T&T last Friday in the form of a parliamentary exposure about very extensive and intrusive spying activities operated by the previous government of ex-prime minister Patrick Manning, there came a surprising press release this past Monday from the Community Secretariat.  

It announced the holding of a five-day training workshop — which is currently occurring in Port of Spain  until Friday (November 19) — and involves 20 immigration officers from 11 Caricom countries, in addition to seven law enforcement officers from the Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT).

Under normal circumstances, such a news release from the Community Secretariat would simply have been taken as notification of another work programme of IMPACS.

This is the agency originally established to serve security needs for our region's hosting of Cricket World Cup 2007.

However, given the grave implications of the violations of the fundamental rights of citizens across all races, political parties, social classes and professions by the spying network that also involved activities by SAUTT personnel, it is ironic that this state agency is involved in the so-called "train-the- trainer workshop'' currently underway in Port of Spain.

True, arrangements for the workshop would have preceded last week's statement by Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar about the shocking illegal spying operations in which not just SAUTT was initially involved.

There came the shocking exposure of even more disturbing dirty activities by an uncovered Secret Intelligence Agency (SIA) that was out of control with millions of dollars and a quantity of sophisticated weapons at its disposal

It may perhaps have been too late for either the Caricom Secretariat and/or the T&T government to pull the  plug on the five-day "train-the-trainer'' workshop at SAUTT's Cumuto-based training facilities.

Nevertheless, it's difficult not to note an insensitivity on the part of those who have collaborated on this training project with SAUTT as core partner, as if oblivious of the negative image of this state agency facing a doubtful future.

Unlike what alarming details the people of T&T and the region in general came to learn about last Friday on the SIA, they had already been alerted to the disturbing functioning of SAUTT, for instance, that the six-month old People's Partnership Government of PM Persad-Bissessar felt compelled, on the basis of controversial reports, to terminate the services of the former director of SAUTT and to significantly overhaul its operations, pending further decision on its future.

This then, is the same security body that is now involved with IMPACS (the Community's agency dealing with crime and security) for this week's training programme.

While SAUTT remains under the microscope with a doubtful future, and the more controversial SIA has been shutdown while the government finalises plans for a structured probe, a formal request is to be made to the Director of Public Prosecution to pursue actions he deems legally relevant.

There is, of course, another dimension to the saga of T&T's "spying politics'' that should be considered in the best interest of Caricom as a whole.

It is not easy to accept the implications of the gross human rights violations involved in the illegal spying politics in T&T and may have been over looked in relation to their consequences also for member states of Caricom.

The reality is that whoever is the prime minister of T&T also holds lead responsibility for crime and security in Caricom's quasi-cabinet. 

That was the case under Patrick Manning's watch during the past five years when the now recognised spying epidemic was spreading with all the negative effects of illegal interceptions of telephone, email and other forms of communications.

In the circumstances, it is felt that PM Persad-Bissessar has a moral obligation to share as much as possible of the illegal spying activities by state-funded agencies (SAUTT and SIA) with her community counterparts.