World Cup security on Rice’s mind

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may not know much about cricket, but next year’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) and the final in Barbados may be on her mind, if only for security reasons.

That became clear when in a meeting with CARICOM foreign ministers in Manhattan, New York recently she raised the matter of the need for effective security during the games in Antigua, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, St Lucia, Grenada, and St Kitts-Nevis.{{more}}

“She was interested in the Cricket World Cup in terms of the issue of security and its co-ordination,” said Elvin G. Nimrod, chairman of the CARICOM Council of Foreign Relations who led the region’s delegation to the hour-long session.

“She didn’t raise the issue in terms of concerns about the security arrangements, but she did talk about co-ordination in terms of everything working well. Once again, she said that the United States would support our efforts. Actually, there wasn’t any distance in terms of our thinking.”

Rice told Caribbean representatives it was important for the region and the United States to ensure all security plans were effectively put in place.

“It wasn’t simply because of the World Cup, although the World Cup is important but, of course, in terms of the security for the region,” Nimrod, Grenada’s foreign minister, told the MIDWEEK NATION after the session.

With thousands from America, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and other countries expected for the matches, security in an age of terrorism was critical and the region has placed it high on its list of priorities for the sports spectacular.

“She made a commitment that the United States would deliver on its promise of assistance for the security arrangements in terms of whatever resources were required,” he explained.

During the discussion on CWC and security, Rice was reportedly told the arrangements were effectively being put in place and that two top cabinet ministers from Barbados and Jamaica were coordinating the security plans.

Britain, France, the United States and other developed nations are already helping with security.

(Midweek Nation)