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July 27, 2024
‘Curiously, the author did not consider Bernadette James’s death as the trigger that inspired the Jamaat to attempt to overthrow the Government of T & T.’
Ancil Antoine, the author of Attack With Force, was one of the military leaders involved in suppressing the insurrection undertaken by the Jamat Al Muslimeen, led by Imam Yasin Abubakr. Antoine aimed to document the T&T Regiment’s role in “detonating” the attempted Coup. He outlined the political and economic context and provided an excellent overview of the regiment’s history.
Rev. Dr. Knolly Clarke
However, it would have been more informative to discuss the global context within which the leadership of the Jamaat Al Muslimeen figured that the timing was right to initiate… his ill-conceived act. During the 1980s, several attempts at regime change occurred in countries such as Sudan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, Fiji, and the Philippines. The author also failed to discuss why critical political leaders of the ruling party and the opposition, Patrick Manning, Basdeo Panday, and Morris Marshall, were mysteriously absent from the Red House during the attack.
Police Constable Bernadette James
Instead, the author focused on the land dispute between the state, the city council, and the Jamaat Al Muslimeen as the raison d’etre for Abu Bakr and the Jamaat leadership’s preemptive action. Curiously, the author did not consider Bernadette James’s death as the trigger that inspired the Jamaat to attempt to overthrow the Government of T & T. Lorrence Ballack, one of Bakar’s lieutenants and a participant in the 1990 attack, noted that James had informed Bakr that certain politicians wanted her dead and that was the “match that lit the fire.”
Antoine detailed Canon Knolly Clarke’s role as an “intermediary” in the negotiations between Colonel Joseph Theodore, Bilaal Abdullah, and Winston Dookeran, as well as the legal experts Mr. Michael De La Bastide Sr., Mr. Martin Daly Sr., and Mr. Fyard Hosein in drafting the amnesty document. The author also informed us of the limited role the Police Service played in stymying the insurrection and underscored that Attorney General Anthony Smart did not significantly contribute to the drafted legal documents.
Yasin Abu Bakr
However, the most critical aspect of this book is Yasin Abu Bakr’s miscalculation that because there was political and economic discontent in T&T, all societal actors, including the security services, would embrace… his ragtag band of Muslim fundamentalists to topple a legitimately elected Government.
The book is a unique addition to the works that have attempted to document the events of July 27, 1990, to August 1, 1990. There are no significant new revelations, except that the public is now informed about the disconnect between the logistics and operational teams. On a scale of 1-5, I will assign a grade of 3.5
From BDN EDITORS: Read on and join the conversation by recording your recollections and ‘partial truths’ below in furtherance of “truth-telling.”
Anthony Pantaleon is a professor and business consultant.