You must be as shocked as us to learn that, according to the Honourable Prime Minister's statement in parliament last Friday, up to two weeks ago unknown persons were requesting transcripts of the illegally wiretapped SIA phone converstations and text messages of law-abiding private citizens. The Security Intelligence Agency had, for years under former Prime Minister Patrick Manning, spied on citizens.
Which well connected secret operative made the requests for transcripts? According to the news reports the information was used by a certain MP from the opposition PNM. 3 of our national newspapers published the names of high ranking public figures that were spied on along with other gory details of the SIA operations. A bust at one of the SIA offices on St Vincent street in Port of Spain turned up $6 Million in cash, supposedly used to pay "informants". There were 200 employees at the office.
At 3pm on Friday Patos held his own press conference to justify the need for the SIA and schpeel some propaganda about the merits of spying on law-abiding citizens for the greater good of some selfish purpose or other, while Opposition Leader Keith Rowley implored the public to distance the PNM from the shameful violation of citizens' rights being perpetrated by the SIA. Rowley emphasized that a few individuals in the PNM may be responsible for this atrocity, but the entire party should not be punished for the psychoticness of a few of its members. Oh Rowley was also on the list of citizens being spied upon. Reports also indicated there was evidence that a large "sanitization effort" had been taking place at the SIA office in Port of Spain, to get rid of information - empty files with the names of citizens were found lying around the office.
So we join in the national outrage and wait for action as we highlight the Honourable Prime Minister's apt comments:
"It grieves my heart to say that whilst our children were being kidnapped and the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) seemed powerless and unable to trace the several telephone calls demanding a ransom, the SIA was busy listening to our conversations—conversations of prominent members of society who had no connection with criminal activity. How many men, women and children who were kidnapped or abducted could have been saved we'll never know."
Oh great SIA, can you tell us where Calder Hart dey?
The above example also illustrates how important it is for a good guide to be well prepared and well organized.
Posted by: hilo helicopter tours | November 15, 2011 at 10:20