Chaguaramas "On and Off the Radar"

The southernmost island in the Caribbean, Trinidad (Spanish for Trinity, as in Holy) is the larger, more populous landform comprising the country of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad lies 7 miles from Venezuela's northeastern coast.

Chaguaramas, a 14,572 acre area in the north west corner of Trinidad, includes a peninsula and five offshore islands. M.E. highlighted this curious SSN sighting in Chaguaramas in 2007.

Today, the area is prized by yachtsman’s, divers, fishermen , sunbathers and golfers. Sailing yachts moor at local marinas to avoid the Caribbean hurricane season.

As of 18 December 2008, The CIA Factbook includes juicy tidbits in Trinidad and Tobago's descriptions:

The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing. The government is coping with a rise in violent crime. ... Trinidad and Tobago has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for international businesses and has one of the highest growth rates and per capita incomes in Latin America. Recent growth has been fueled by investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG), petrochemicals, and steel. ... [It is a] transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; producer of cannabis. ... Muslim 5.8%

Recently, some undisclosed 'feelers' centered on Chaguaramas prompted cursory investigation by M.E. The situation, largely unreported by our MSM, seems interesting. Here is some of what we found:

Muslims comprise 65,318 of the country's overall population. The majority live in Trinidad.

December 26 2008 - NEW YEAR'S PARTIES scaled down -

... many hotels have opted out of hosting celebrations altogether or have scaled down their New Year’s eve parties with simpler menus and less of the gala partying.

This country’s first floatel, the Ocean Pearl, at Pier 2, Chaguaramas, will ... host dinner and dance.

...Carefree party goers who are intent on not letting the economic down turn hamper their New Year’s eve celebrations can ring in their New Year at the Hayatt Regency at a [package] cost of $1800 per person... $2400, [or]... $3700 couples.

...The Treasure Queen at Pier I in Chaguaramas will host an Old Year’s Night Retro All Inclusive party at a cost of $250...

November 15, 2004 - Radical Islam and LNG in Trinidad and Tobago - ... very little attention is placed on the U.S. underbelly of the Caribbean and the softer targets in the region closest to America's back yard: Trinidad, Venezuela and the Bahamas.

The home of tourism, steel band, calypso and carnival is unfortunately also the home of one of the first attempts at violently establishing a modern Islamic extremist state in the region after the attempted Islamic coup in July 1990. 15% of the island's population is Muslim. The group responsible, Jama'at al Muslimeen under the control of Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, is alive and thriving in Trinidad.

Other groups active on the island are Waajihatul Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Front) and the Jamaat al Murabiteen. The Waajihatul Islaamiyyah group openly supports Osama Bin Laden, al Qaeda and Jemmah Islamiyyah, the organization behind the Bali beachfront bombing that killed close to 200 people. It has issued statements that it intends to set up an Islamic state and described itself as a revolutionary ideological movement. Their press releases include the following statements: "With our weapons we are going reach you.


... and suspicion turned to the Darul Uloom in Cunupia, Trinidad a 45-minute drive from Trinidad's capital, Port-of-Spain. The two schools shared the same name and the connections between El'Shukri-Jumah and the arrested al Qaeda operative led investigators to examine the likelihood them being part of a network for training and financing terrorists. Investigations into the connections were inconclusive.

While M.E. does not expect a radical Islamist strike on a Trinidad New Year's Eve event, it would certainly not be a surprise.

If our SEALS and subs are in the vicinity, suicidal would well describe the perpetrators of any bombings. Now, if we can somehow get confessed rich kid, terrorist Dr. William Charles Ayers to celebrate his New Years at one of the above, perhaps it could finally be a HAPPY NEW YEAR for relatives of slain policemen.

Submarines are always silent and strange.