Tag Archives: Raffique Shah

corruption, Court, Crime in T&T, General T&T, International, Media, Politics, Security

Big Sister is watching you

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By Raffique Shah
December 05, 2010

“Virtually all countries of the world…have secret CIA tracking stations.”
—Intelligence expert and author Alexander Kolpakidi (Daily Mail, November 15, 2010).

Raffique ShahTHE scandal—allegations that US agents spied in (and on) sovereign states, allies like Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Iceland—broke around the same time the SIA mess hit the fan here in Trinidad and Tobago. American agents conducted surveillance activities against “suspected terrorists” on foreign soil. They did not inform the host countries of what they were doing, which included monitoring, photographing and filming people around their embassies and others taking part in protest rallies.
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Business, corruption, Court, Crime in T&T, Finance, General T&T, International, Internet Issues, Law, Media, Opposition Party, Parliament, PNM, Politics, Security

I spy, with my electronic eye…

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By Raffique Shah
November 20, 2010

Raffique ShahAs I write this column, Government is before Parliament presenting the Interception of Communications bill, which it expects to pass in a marathon sitting. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said she hoped to get support from the opposition PNM, which I feel certain she will.
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General T&T, Media, People's Partnership, Politics

Fourth Estate Outlasts Governments

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By Raffique Shah
November 13, 2010

Raffique ShahMOST Cabinet Ministers in successive governments suffer with political foot-in-mouth disease, an affliction that seems endemic to the corridors of power. Others succumb to the “left-hand, right-hand” syndrome. In the latter, persons charged with governing the country, who meet at least once weekly, have differing interpretations of what they discussed and what decisions were made.
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Caribbean, Finance, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics

Not what you say, but how you do it

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By Raffique Shah
November 07, 2010

Raffique ShahONCE more Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has triggered Caribbean hostility towards Trinidad and Tobago by another ill-timed, inappropriate statement. Coming a few months after her “Trinidad is not Caricom’s ATM” gaffe, one wonders who is advising the PM on the nuances of good diplomacy.
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Business, Finance, General T&T, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Protest

Riding into the valley of death

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By Raffique Shah
October 31, 2010

Raffique ShahTHERE are few reasons why the People’s Partnership Government should portray itself as a victim of circumstances the way the NAR did in 1986. Back then, Ray Robinson and his “party of parties” inherited an almost empty treasury. The George Chambers government had faced declining oil prices from OPEC-driven “highs” in 1973-77 to “lows” by the time Chambers assumed power in 1981.
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General T&T, International, People's Partnership, Politics

Corridors of power living hell

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By Raffique Shah
October 23, 2010

Raffique ShahI HAVE never been close to the corridors of power, except on occasions when those on high invited me to some meeting or social function. Regarding the latter, I should add that I have grown so asocial over the years, some people think I’ve become anti-social. I enjoy good company and great conversation. Having attended some of these social activities, I have found the same people there; they invariably get drunk the way “ignorant” Trinis do at rum shops, and they behave little different to boisterous bar flies.
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COP, Culture, General T&T, People's Partnership, Politics, UNC

Partnership leaders must smoke ‘peace pipe’ now

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By Raffique Shah
October 16, 2010

Raffique ShahA brief story in the Express last week caught my attention. The report spoke of serious differences between two organisations purporting to represent nationals of this country who have indigenous blood flowing in their arteries.

The first contentious issue is a claim that one group represents only Amerindian descendants who are Catholics. The other was the timing of the “smoke ceremony to the spirits”. One group swears it should be before dawn. The other went ahead “smoking” at 7 a.m.
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Business, Complaints, Finance, General T&T, Law, Politics

Truly a national insurance ‘scheme’

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By Raffique Shah
October 10, 2010

CLICO BailoutNOT surprisingly, many Clico and CIB depositors were not excited over my column of last week. I thought I was being generous to those whose savings now seem to be “jumping up in steelband”. I referred to them as thrifty people. And I, too, would be ticked off if my savings, as small as they are, were threatened through the manipulations of corporate bandits.
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Business, Finance, General T&T, Law, People's Partnership, PNM, Politics, Protest

Financial advice from ‘Layman Brother’

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By Raffique Shah
October 03, 2010

TrinidadiansI HAVE never seen a million dollars in my life. The only time I gaped at big money—was it US$20 million?—was when the then high-flying “Sir” Allen Stanford stormed the hallowed Lord’s cricket ground in London, bearing 20-20 prize money in what appeared to be a huge casket. Most appropriate, in hindsight, since shortly thereafter “Sir Allen” ended up in leg-irons in some US jail that may yet prove to be his final resting place.
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Crime in T&T, General T&T, Law, People's Partnership

Here today, gone tomorrow

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By Raffique Shah
September 26, 2010

Brigadier Peter Joseph“So, I expect you to tear into (Herbert) Volney’s anatomy in your next column!” many of my readers chorused all of last week. People were itching for me—why me?—to go after the judge-turned-politician, the greatest intervention since, let’s say, mouth-organist Cutty Joseph. Or Hardeo Hardath, a PNM “crapaud” who opened his mouth in Parliament only when he yawned.
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