Dennie Quill, Contributor

Someone commenting on the recently uncovered terror plot to blow up jet fuel pipelines at JFK Airport involving four Caribbean senior citizens, remarked: "They don't even look like they could blow up a balloon." And in a reaction to the news, Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo described the alleged conspirators as "absolutely crazy".

At first, I was stunned by the news, but the more I read about this foiled 15-month terror plot, the less I believe there was any real planto blow up JFK Airport. Was this a Muslim terrorist cell or some disgruntled men who like to 'run up their mouth' in typical Caribbean fashion? Or worse, could they be pawns in an international game of subterfuge?

Terrorism is a serious business, and we are all terrified of the prospects of being blown to smithereens by some bearded fanatics, but this case is puzzling, to say the least. The United States authorities say the plan was not at an operational stage and that the plotters had no ability to execute the plot. Additionally, experts have said the plan was not technically feasible.

Alleged mastermind

Let's look at the alleged mastermind, a 63-year-old drifter living on a US$700 a month welfare cheque. Described as a hapless hustler, Russell DeFreitas, a native of Guyana and now an American citizen, was employed as a cargo handler at JFK in 1995. He was laid off and since then he held odd jobs, slept in trains and eked out a living from pulling off scams on the streets of New York. When he appeared in court on Wednesday, he had US$50.70 to his name, could not pay a lawyer and could not put up bail.

The other co-conspirators now in jail in Trinidad are men aged 62, 57 and 56, and from all accounts, are not men of great means. The informant, on the other hand, is a convicted felon born in the Dominican Republic and who awaits sentencing for drug offences in the U.S. I don't presume to know enough about this case to make a comprehensive critique, but I have a feeling that as the facts unfold, we may find that the plot was more aspirational then operational.

They say timing is everything. And this is ever so true in investigations of this nature. If you strike too early, you may miss some critical elements, and if you jump too late you may sustain untold damage. So this plot was revealed at the right time, before one piece of explosive was acquired for the job.

It also happened mere weeks before the landmark conference on the Caribbean is due to be held in the American capital ofWashington, D.C. The conference subtitled 'A 2020 Vision' is billed for June 19-21 and is being promoted as a forum for deepening and broadening relations between CARICOM and the U.S.

Although there has been a paucity of information from our local news sources, one learns that there will be a meeting between CARICOM Heads and President George Bush, as well as counterpart meetings with the foreign ministers.

Strengthening CARICOM, U.S. dialogue

The conference aims to strengthen the dialogue between CARICOM and the U.S., to transmit Caribbean perspectives on regional growth and development to the year 2020, and in general to showcase the region. We hope that our Prime Minister will be there to articulate the myriad concerns of the nation regarding threats to trade, investment and development, as well as the new challenges facing the tourist industry with the newly implemented passport regime for travellers to the region, energy security, deportees, gun trafficking, etc.

So the antics of Mr. DeFreitas and company could not have come at a worse time for the region. It drew a comment from New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly who said of the Caribbean, "This is an area where we have growing concern and, I think, requires a lot more focus." One wonders whether this alleged terror plot might set the stage and indeed dominate the meeting with Mr. Bush. It may well be that there will be no time to address concerns of the Caribbean people. But as White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo observed recently, this terror investigation is a "good example of international counterterrorism cooperation." Could we squeeze out an advantage here?

One hopes that the leaders will represent the people of the region with one strong, coherent voice. The meeting with the U.S. president should end with him having a better appreciation of our value as political and trade partners. We will be watching to hear how our leaders promote the objectives of our region in this important encounter.