WEEK ENDING FEB 08, 2003   

BARBADOS DEPORT IRAQIS TRAVELING WITH GRENADIAN PASSPORTS  

The United States is showing interest in several Iraqi nationals who are trying to enter the U.S. on Grenadian Passports issued by the Keith Mitchell administration in St. George's. Informed sources told GRENADA TODAY that the Iraqis were deported by Immigration officers in Barbados on January 21 after they entered the island to visit the U.S Embassy in Bridgetown to seek entry visas for the United States.

A well-placed source said that the authorities in Barbados called in U.S officials to interview the nationals from Iraq before sending back to Grenada. The Iraqis who came to Grenada about six months ago from  Baghdad are presently residing in the southern section  of the island. American Visas to gain entry into the United States.

The seven Iraqi/Grenadians - Sanok Metika, Sander Metika, Saver Metika, Steva Metika, Stev Metika, Fayroz Yousif and Jalal Stepho - were declared persona non-grata by the Barbadian authority.

Opposition Leader Michael Baptiste along with senior members of the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP), Senators Anslem Clouden and Michael Andrew, and Winston Fleary met with local reporters on Tuesday to brief the media about the development. The news came as the Bush Administration in Washington is trying to gather international support to declare saw on Iraq if President Saddam Hussein fails to destroy so-called weapons of mass destruction.

Baptiste said that persons from outside of Grenada had called and given him information about "this serious development" involving Iraqis with Grenadian passports. "We are therefore calling on Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. Keith Mitchell to address the nation on this serious development taking into consideration that the threats from Saddam Hussein, that September 11th will look like a picnic should the United States and their allies lead an attack on his country", he said.

According to Baptiste, the opposition members is also demanding the relevant authorities in Grenada now  provide additional security to the American-owned St. George's University (SGU), the home of the U.S. Charge D'Affairs and other relevant American concerns in Grenada due to the presence of nationals from Iraq in Grenada.

Baptiste expressed concerns about Grenadians employed at SGU, as well as Grenadians residing and employed in Barbados who he said will now be subject to scrutiny and may be treated as suspects and can face deportation.  "This is a very serious development which we as Grenadians should not take jokingly since we can also see the Barbadian authority imposing restriction on Grenadians whereby we will have to obtain Barbadian visas to enter Barbados to get US Visas", he remarked.

Baptiste noted that Barbados is also a CARICOM member state and the manner in which they handled the matter is an indication of their suspicion of foreigners travelling with Grenadian passports. He expressed fears that the US might turn around and look at Grenada very closely as a place where American citizens can be under serious threat should there be military confrontation with Iraq.

Like the Opposition Leader, Sen. Clouden said that this new development is one that the Grenadian people should not take lightly because of the serious repercussions it can have on the country.

According to Sen. Clouden he had warned the Mitchell government of the dangers which the island would face from Canada long before Ottawa moved and imposed the Visa restriction on Grenadians. Ottawa slapped the sanction after expressing concerns about its national security by foreigners who purchased passports under a controversial economic citizenship programme initiated by the Mitchell government.

After the crackdown by Canada, Sen. Clouden called on Prime Minister Mitchell to seek the assistance of the United Nations in retrieving Grenadian Passports that were sold to nationals from Middle Eastern countries. Clouden recalled the plea he made to the administration in St. George's to call on all passport holders from the Middle East to surrender their Grenadian Passports but he was never taken seriously.

The Opposition member felt that Grenada had now become a rouge state in the eyes of the international community especially Washington, which would now see the island as one harbouring Iraqi nationals who are trying to infiltrate the United States. He called on Prime Minister Mitchell to quickly address the nation on the issue, and to revoke the passports held by the seven Iraqis, and deport them back to Baghdad.

Sen. Clouden stated that the Barbados government of Prime Minister Owen Arthur, a close friend of Prime Minister Mitchell, should be commended for the stand it took in denying entry into Barbados of the Iraqis with Grenadian passports.

He also expressed fears that the free movement of people among CARICOM states can be hampered because of this latest and serious development involving Grenada. "Today we are beginning to feeling the pressure and it will only get more and more serious all because of the present Government's decision to offer our Passports for sale to all kinds of persons...", he said.

"... The Prime Minister must tell the nation why these people are living in Grenada, what are their purpose for being in Grenada since they are not investors and he must also as Minister of National Security take full responsibility for whatever happens to the Grenadian people in light of these circumstances", he added.