New book examines Terrorism

and Security in the Caribbean

by Oscar Ramjeet

A book has been written by a Caribbean professor which assesses the impact of the 9/11 terrorist  attack on Caribbean states and examines the institutional  and operational terrorism response capacity of security  agencies in the region.

The publication, "Caribbean Security in the Age  of Terror: Challenge and Change" examines the security issues which have come into prominence since the September 11 terrorist attack in the USA provide  both  the startling point and the focus for the  comprehensive survey of contemporary security issues in the Caribbean.

The author is Guyanese born Dr. Ivelaw Griffith,  Dean of the Honors College and Professor of  Political Science at Florida International University who said  that he sought contributions from an impressive  array  of academics, policy-makers and front line security practitioners from the Caribbean, Canada, Europe and  the USA.

In addition to security, the 585 page book also  examines crime, drug trafficking, territorial disputes, environmental degradation and the rapid  spread of HIV/AIDS epidemic and how the small states adapt policies and practices to the new regional  and global circumstances represent the challenge and the change.

Professor Griffith said that " I dedicated the  volume to the victims of 9/11 from Caribbean Basin countries and I list the countries from which there  were victims and the numbers of victims for which I  have accurate records." He added " I wanted to carry  the individual names, but some embassies did not  have complete lists, plus dual citizenship was  problematic."

The views of two dozen outstanding academics, policy makers, and military officers, including two Colonels from the Jamaica Defense Force and the  Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force were sought in the  broad-based multidimensional publication in which  Professor Kenneth Hall, Pro Vice Chancellor of the  UWI,  Mona wrote the Foreword and Rear Admiral Hardley,  Chief of Staff of the Jamaica Defense Force wrote  the  Afterword.

The signing of the book takes place on June 19 at the African American Research Library in Broward,  Florida, and on July 5 at the Institute of  Commonwealth Studies. University of London. 

Professor Griffith is a specialist on Caribbean  and  Inter-American Security and narcotics issues and has  published numerous scholarly articles and seven  books  books and among his long list of achievements is  that  he is now serving on the editorial board of  Security  and Defense Studies Review, published by the  Center for  Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense  University in Washington, D.C and Caribbean Journal  of  Criminology and Social Psychology, published by the  Center for Criminology and Criminal Justice at the  University of the West Indies. Buy the book at: http://www.ianrandlepublishers.com/books/carsecurity.htm