Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 27/Nov 10:00

Power play

THE LOOK on the Prime Minister’s face says it all. In photographs released by the US Embassy, Port of Spain, Ms Persad-Bissessar is beaming. In one particular image, she towers over Dan Caine as he signs the visitors’ book at the Diplomatic Centre. Mystery attends the words exchanged by both in their two-hour meeting. But the optics of their engagement send a message with crystal clarity. Tuesday’s visit was a power play. For the PM, it was about projecting an image of being a leader who holds clout with the Trump administration. First, she resurrects Dragon gas with Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, on September 30. Now, she snacks on doubles with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on November 25. For General Caine, it was about delivering a note to Nicolas Maduro, sidling up to him by making a pit stop in his closest Caribbean neighbour’s house. If a formation of deadly warships in the ocean did not already say it, the Venezuelan leader was meant to understand: We’re in your backyard. Serving as a foreign policy Rorschach test is the official readout issued by the embassy hours later, speaking of “strong partnership,” “close collaboration” and “mutual objectives” in tackling “illicit narcotics, arms, human trafficking and transnational criminal organisation activities.” What is seen in such language depends on who might be looking. Questions were not taken from the media after the tête-à-tête in St Ann’s. A release later issued by the Office of the Prime Minister was similarly vague. Gen. Caine isn’t a household name. Unusually, he was not on active duty when appointed in April. Nor did he ever serve as vice chairman, combatant commander or service chief – traditional pathways to the post. Instead, he was hand-picked by Donald Trump, who abruptly and controversially dismissed Charles Brown Jr. Notably, Ms Persad-Bissessar’s guest was one official who led planning for the strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. The presence of US officials in the region this week comes amid swirling questions about the legality of US military operations. American politicians query whether Mr Trump’s ostensible focus on cartels is a ruse to avoid congressional authorisation for major foreign policy acts. Meanwhile, the UN has deemed America’s summary executions at sea violations of international law. Ms Persad-Bissessar, siding with Mr Rubio, has deemed CNN reports of the British withdrawal of some intelligence-sharing from the US given the extrajudicial killings as “fake news.” But several other countries – Canada, Colombia, the Netherlands – have reportedly also withheld information collaboration, according to multiple global reports. Perhaps that’s fake news, too. Where current US actions lead, few know. What’s clear is that the country’s gunboat diplomacy has been welcomed by Ms Persad-Bissessar with broad smiles. So far, things are looking up for her. The post Power play appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.