The Caribbean’s Specially Designated Global Terrorist

By

Ricardo Swire

The United States’ Executive Order 13224 Section 1(b) describes Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) designation that targets terrorists and anyone providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.

The title reinforces US and global law enforcement actions. Last week American officials added Shane Crawford, a male thirty-one year old Enterprise, Chaguanas, Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) national to the updated Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) list.

Born on February 22, 1986 the former Christian converted Muslim was detained in October 2011, by T&T National Security operatives, during the State of Emergency, one of fifteen co-conspirators in a scheme to murder Kamla Persad Bissessar, the Republic’s female Prime Minister. After release without charge he departed for Syria in 2013 to become an active Islamic State (IS) sniper. The Muslim convert accompanied by two wives traveled to Caracas, Venezuela then London and Turkey.

In 2014 Crawford’s mother publicly declared that her son “left because of a sense of inadequacy with what his life had become in Trinidad and he needed a greater purpose.” The SDGT designate was one of three initial T&T Muslims who relocated from tropical shores to IS’ jihad in Syria. The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago is co-sponsor of an official Resolution that mandates countries stop citizens leaving home to join IS and other militant Middle Eastern groups. The Resolution also blocks such individuals from “returning to threaten native countries,” using passports already granted.

Trinidad’s National Security Operations Centre (SOC) plotted such debutantes’ special journey from Port-of Spain thru Tobago to England, onward to Turkey. According to SOC data South America and other Caribbean points of embarkation are utilized as a tactic to conceal travel footprints and final destinations. In Syria the named Trinidadian SDGT designate with four aliases performs IS English language propagandist duties. One message specifically to T&T Muslims is “terrify the disbelievers.”

Shane Crawford, aka Abu Sa’d at-Trinidadi, is identified in an IS mobile phone video posted on YouTube. The SDGT designate bathes in the Euphrates River, which starts in eastern Turkey and flows through Iraq and Syria. IS’ Propaganda Section functions as part of the terror organization’s Media Wing, a high-tech “War Room” equipped with special multi-lingual platforms that promote be-headings and intimidating horrors via the Internet. Statistics highlight an IS “English Language Propaganda Campaign” success. Thousands of Western jihadists have adhered to the electronic broadcasts.

Ricardo Swire

Ricardo Swire is the Principal Consultant at R-L-H Security Consultants & Business Support Services and writes on a number of important issues.