– US help requested with probing ‘foreign mastermind’
President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said that security forces would go after those responsible for Wednesday’s attacks with “vigour” and they would be caught and brought to justice, even as he called on the US to assist in the probe of the “foreign mastermind” behind the attack and Health Ministry arson.
Speaking at a press conference at the Office of the President Jagdeo strongly condemned the gun and channa bomb attacks on two police stations, the High Court and a secondary school. He warned that his administration would not be brought down by such acts, stating that those who may be of such belief live in a different era.
Jagdeo also called for the same level of condemnation he has seen directed at the horrific torture of a teenager by policemen to be aimed at the recent attacks.
“We will go after them with all the vigour and we will get these people. The security forces will have to go out and look for them and find them. They are not ordinary criminals, they operate with high-powered weapons,” the President said last evening.
He said the criminals not only have local masterminds but there is also a “foreign terrorist mastermind” who lives in the US who was also implicated in the ministry fire through calls made to that person’s number by one of the persons implicated in the fire before and after the incident.
According to the head of state, it was not the first time this number has surfaced in connection with local criminal acts since it had showed up in the past in connection with the Buxton criminals. He said government had approached the US for assistance in finding this person, “because obviously this person has been masterminding terrorist acts in Guyana.”
The President also announced that two weeks ago he met US officials and urged them to hand over information about convicted drug trafficker Roger Khan, the infamous spy equipment and on this terrorist mastermind “as soon as possible.
“I also said to them, can you imagine if a Guyanese, someone here in Guyana had made a call to the US to someone just before he burnt a federal building in the United States of America what kind of pressure we would be under here in Guyana to find the person and deliver him to them. In fact there would a storm of FBI agents coming here.”
The President questioned why if the two countries are in a “partnership to fight terrorism and we talk about a symmetrical sharing of information” Guyana can’t get the information it seeks. The President said that at the meeting two weeks ago he expressed fear that the criminals would strike again since two of the persons implicated in the fire escaped from police custody.
“So I expressed this fear that if they did it once and there is this mastermind abroad then it could happen again. Well it did, the same people struck again,” Jagdeo said.
It was at this point that he called for civil society and members of the opposition to offer the same condemnation as they did in relation to the torture allegations as the attacks are as important as the allegations.
“I don’t see the same level of condemnation and those who urge international and independent audits or probes should also call for international cooperation in this regard. But they are very silent on some of these things; we cannot have double standards in this society. It seems as though only things they perceive could damage the image of the country they have this strident position against.”
He called on the Private Sector Commission, which on Tuesday urged an independent inquiry into the torture allegations, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA), the Guyana Bar Association and all of the other organisations that condemned the torture incident to call on the US government “to find this foreign mastermind who has been generating terror in our society…”
‘Poised for a take off’
Asked by a journalist to “hazard a guess” as to what could have prompted the recent attacks and the Health Ministry fire since they “seemed to be” political attacks on his government, the President said: “You are not going to bring down the government by shooting up some policemen or burning a couple of ministries. I think it [the attacks} is designed to spread terror in the society just when our society is poised for a take off.”
According to the President he has seen many attempts such as protests to create trouble and attempts to mislead people. He then said that he had seen the transcript of a “horrible programme” on Channel Nine sent to him by Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB) which spouted racism.
“But this is not going to bring the government down. I think those who think that they can do this they suffer from, they are living in a time warp. Democracy is firmly entrenched in this country. You have to win elections to do that,” Jagdeo said.
He said he thinks the acts are aimed at damaging the “developmental aspects of out country” as if time has to be spent on rebuilding destroyed buildings or people are worried, then they would have served their purpose.
“But we are going to get to them, nothing lasts forever,” the President said. Many thought the Buxton gang would have been forever, he said, but in the final analysis they “ran away” when the security forces went behind them.
He said some opposition persons are living “in a different era” such as the time when Guyana did not have any democracy when a “kind of arrogance developed among the political class at that time – they had a divine right to political power…”
He said this is a different and open era with a free press. But many still live in that era and they become “more and more bitter and you see the bitterness everyday in their letters and their statements to the newspapers and they think they can turn history back but that’s not going to happen.”
What the hell is this…Guyana aint go no TERRORISTS…..LOOK BACK TO THE TORTURE JAGDEO…YA THINK YOU GONNA SHIFT THE ATTENTION…NEVER!!!!
WHO YOU THINK IS BENKAK ?
SandHurst First, i have always wondered why they keep using the word terrorist. I thought Roger Khan and his grouping would be more regarded as terrorists.
Lambada ask yasu who he think is is benkak.
Jagdeo’s hunt dem down mentality in action….bai, he can never learn…action and reaction…creates the environment.
So what is YOUR THEORY, Evan? Open de door, leh de man come in …….. ?
President Jagdeo said that the forces would go after those responsible for Wednesday’s attacks and they would be caught.
After the Government’s successes in wiping out the Fineman Slaughter Gang, you must understand that the President and his men are MEN OF ACTION, SO GET USED TO IT.
And all those abroad aiding and abetting terrorism to destroy Guyanese society had better have deep pockets. YOU CAN DESTROY SOME OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME BUT YOU CANNOT DESTROY ALL OF THE PEOPLE ALL OF THE TIME.
Guyana is slowly gaining strength and recognition. The US mastermind and mischief-organisation supporters should henceforth start looking over their shoulders and leave no trail. It is time.
NOTE: Try getting your head around this connundrum about the torture of the 14-year-old boy.
That young man was obviously withholding information from the police and under pressure he helped to provide evidence to find the alleged murderer.
Whereas, it is clear that the ranks went beyond the limits and forgetting the limp-wristed apologists who say even a blindfold is considered TORTURE, I am of a firm belief that (like most things in life), it is not as SIMPLE as that.
Well said Satesh,,I hope some of them can really read and understand what you said,,,
Sf You can’t wrap your head around the fact that the people elected that Govt.
Before 1992 illegality and rigging was the name of the game.
You want them removed, okay!!! It will only be done by ligitimate elections, as the days of un-democracy in Guyana are done.
TORTURE!!!! you should talk to your friends who were in office before 1992!
SN please do not censor this one as you have done so many of mine in the last few days.
Satish; ‘under pressure he helped to provide evidence’ – what a distortion of events and facts. In the manner, the police sordidly, ‘distorted’ the young man’s body.
Actually, the Police – criminally, burnt the man’s penis and disfigured him. This, is torture and a violation of the UN convention Of human Rights!
‘Under pressure he helped to provide evidence’ – is illegal and unacceptable, moreso, in any well functioning court of law.
‘Under pressure he helped to provide evidence’, is similar, to the ‘lil roughing up’, excuse and method of Mr Persaud, who, is being touted by elements of the communist elite to be the PPP’s next presidential candidate – It, is a scary prospect for the future of the country should this happen.
After, seeing the distorted figure and torched penis of this man; how distorted, can the mind be to advance the heinous – ‘under pressure he helped to provide evidence’, as an excuse in defense of torture and the violation of the rule of law. Evidently, it is in keeping with the pattern of torture, illegal methods used by the police and security Services, and the arrogant and poor explainations of the ruling elite for these unlawful and barbaric acts against citizens.
The government’s criminal mastermind is sitting in a US jail after government failed to help the US nail him on drug smuggling charges, so what help does government want from the US to get another criminal mastermind on arson? NAME THE SUSPECT! Jagdeo and company always conveniebtly know who is behind this and that crime, but they never knew Khan and company! Yeah, right!
The Guyanese people are not beguiled by this wickedly orchestrated distraction. We know the purpose is to divert attention away from the TORTURE of a child by the Government of Guyana’s armed forces.
YES CALL IN THE GHRA.GHRA…..TOO MUCH ATTENTION BEING DIVERTED, THE POOR TERRORIST CANNOT LIVE IN PEACE, THEY DON`T TROUBLE ANYBODY…..GHRA
Is this guy for real u never condem raja who kill 200 people u never convict a drug baron the dea dont trust your govt, the u dont want no foreign investigation into these ignorant police we have that no one trust,democracy what democracy dude we only have one radio station,justice Chang order gog to process radio licence applications did u,u have your d’s wrong u are a dictator
brain, this group has no diplomacy and intelligence.
The fact the that US took away the visas for the commiss and the Home affairs Minister should tell them the US has no confidence in the system.
Guyana read the US lips AND STOP CUSSING THEM: (Shouting)
WE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN YOUR SYSTEM, YOU LACK CREDIBILITY, AS EVERYTHING YOU DO SEEMS CONTRARY TO LOGIC.
FIRST YOU HAND OVER WHAT YOU HAVE ON ROGER KHAN AND THEN WE WILL RECIPROCATE. NOT WHEN WE GIVE YOU WHAT WE HAVE YOU THEN “DOCTOR” WHAT YOU HAVE. WHAT DO YOU TAKE US FOR, FOOLS?
Funny the president took the time to “read” Ch 9’s program, but failed to “listen” a tape on Julius (which is much easier effort) he choose not to listen the tape.
The US again did the right thing, take away the person involved VISA. End of story.
The terrorists will be brought in, dead or alive. It’s better to have them alive so that they can sing and be allowed a fair trial, but from past trends, they would rather go down fighting with AK47s in hand so as not to expose their masterminds. This will also give the no-hopers a ray of opportunity to condemn in the usual way. Phew!!!
Brain this Russian economist is the most creative and unique individual in South American Politics. Roger Khan operated his drug enterprise and murderous gang with unrestrained freedom, with the obvious assistance from members of the Jagdeo PPP/C government to import the famous spy equipment to commit dastardly acts of crimes against the citizenery of Guyana.
The unique personality seem to have resisted the intelligence reports linking Khan to the murders, it took the cooperation of the Suriname and Trinidad government to end the RAGA reign of terror.
Now this genius wants to engage the US to facilitate his public relations scheme. Let’s start with all the fires that destroyed all the public buildings, the important records lost to ensure accountability of public funds. The growing torture of the citizenry, the alleged child solicitor, the selective prosecution of public corruption.
It’s is hoped that Guyanese every where will assess the performance of your government in the so called era of democracy.
Tell the US why should tax payers money assist your corrupt government, a government that facilitated the trafficking of cocaine to inflict social degradation to our society.
While the President lost no sleep while criminals and other others died during the ‘drug wars’, he was still sleeping when the orders were given to execute criminals, knowing that 33 AK47s were missing. They had Fineman and ‘Skinny’ both cornered and no one woke up to change the orders to capture a them alive to get info on the missing weapons and all their cohorts. We are now seeing the results of the top brass not losing sleep with dozens of assault weapons missing.
What are your evidences to prove that RK’s gang killed 200 crimnials no brain??? If you are going to tell me that self confessed criminal Selwyn Vaughn said it in court, then you have to also tell me that SV said that Ronald Waddel was a criminal attached to the Criminal gangs of Buxton that was responsible for murdering businessmen and children…Secondly does democracy means having more than one radio station ??? explain no brain…
…to call on the US government “to find this foreign mastermind who has been generating terror in our society…”
“kind of arrogance developed among the political class at that time – they had a divine right to political power…”
Ha Ha Ha …This is so very typical of the speeches this man gives. Why should the US do his job? The irony in the latter statement has me on the floor. Oh puh-lease
Shame on the US for not responding expeditiously to these requests. However, did the President consider that the US Phone number may not be in the United States at all? You can live anywhere in the world and get a US number through Skype, Vonage or Magic Jack. Benschop has a US number (check his internet radio) and he lives in Guyana.
However, the President seems to be in a time warp himself – always referring to the past Government. This is his problem and his Government is doing a terrible job in protecting Guyanese. To say that Guyana has become lawless is an understatement.
Finally, when would the security forces rout terrorists in their mist?
watch more Guyanese will be coming to BIM. so be ready to take in a few.
No Valedicorian, I am asking Wiggins to keep them out, especially those encouraging the crazy things in Guyana and then fleeing.
Mr.President……let’s get the holligan….
Prepare extradition papers for the “Foreign Mastermind”,Mr Jagdeo.The process is simple.Call on your Legal Advisers to put the process into operation.Less talk,more action.Also send those who are wanted by the U.S.for Drug Trafficking,to face trial.It may also be a good idea to request that the U.S.send Roger Khan to Guyana to serve his sentence,and tell the citizens how he “tapped” the Commissioner’s phone!!!!Down with Terrosimn,RUFFING UP,Torture,And CHILD ABUSE,for a BETTER GUYANA.
Here we go and directly from the president. An indecent diabolical attempt to link condemnations of torture and arson. The more this story evolves, the more I’m becoming convinced that the events were orchestrated and planned to distract.
“He then said that he had seen the transcript of a “horrible programme” on Channel Nine sent to him by Advisory Committee on Broadcasting (ACB) which spouted racism.”
Here is an appeal to his base to stick together. The chief beneficiaries of racism are accusing others of this practice.
It would be nice if Guyana’s bully would stop using innuendo and blanket accusations by naming overseas based enablers of crime and terrorist acts in Guyana. The constitution protects him from law suits so he should go ahead and name the individual or individuals he suspects to be the chief architects. If his sources are so impeccable why didn’t he stop this attack? Is its execution to his advantage? Please convince me that this is not an attempt to show the international community he’s confronting a monster and accusations of torture must be seen in this light?
Ahhh… the micro-manager finally speaks… all of a sudden they need help from USA… wow, isn’t that an affront to their sovereignty.. Jagdeo, you can’t have it both ways. Hot air coming from new garden st. Why would the US hand over info on RK? After everything that went down when RK was free to roam the country and reek havoc on the lives of people. Free to intercept calls at willy nilly. Jagdeo give the people credit. Only some of the people will be drinking your cool aid.
Jagdeo you own Guyanese an apology. You should hang your head in shame. Look what you have done to our beloved country.
Raj, he is lost…
To many he is a messiah and worthy of eternal rule. The constitution forbids this; amend the constitution. Term limits is unconstitutional. I fear the country will regress further if he continues in power. The opposition is not any better.
Raj, you couldn’t have said it better…Our once “Oh Beautiful Guyana”…