PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Guyana's president Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday pledged to assist United States law enforcement authorities in the fight against terrorism after three Guyanese, including a former parliamentarian attached to the main opposition People's National Congress (PNC), were fingered in a terrorist plot.

Trinidad and Tobago Police Commissioner Trevor Paul confirmed yesterday that lawmen here had detained Abdul Kadir, the former PNC parliamentarian and Trinidadian Kareem Ibrihim, 56, both of whom were accused of being members of a terrorist cell that plotted an attack on the John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Working with the U.S.

Jagdeo, who is here attending a high-level international donor's conference, told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that his administration would do whatever it could in working with the U.S. to defeat terrorism.

"Our position is that we are intolerant of any acts of terrorism and the U.S. will find a willing partner in the Government of Guyana to get not only Mr. Kadir, but any contacts he may have here in Guyana," Jagdeo said.

Jagdeo made it clear that Kadir, a former mayor in Guyana, is not a member of his governing People's Progressive Party (PPP) despite reports by some international media that he was a "government official."

"I just think it is disgusting and we will work with the U.S. government to get to the bottom of this," he said.

Jagdeo said that Guyana would be beefing up its own security in light of the arrests.

"We definitely have to investigate more and already work is being done at home along those lines to try to see if they have a network. And in fact we welcome assistance from the U.S. to work with us in this regard," the Guyana president added.