Dominica joins the US and other Caribbean countries in joint military exercise
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Dominica joins the US and other Caribbean countries in joint military exercise

By TDN Wire Staff
June 01, 2014 11:45 P.M



trade winds
Caribbean forces participate in Tradewinds 2010 in Belize.
St Johns, Antigua (TDN) -- Dominica has joined ten other Caribbean countries the United States and Canada in a joint military and security forces training exercise.

The exercise dubbed Tradewinds 2014 began earlier today and is expected to continue yntil June 25. A release from the US military Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) revealed that the exercise will be in two main phases.

“ Phase I, the maritime phase, in Antigua-Barbuda ongoing through June 10, and Phase II, the land portion, June 16-25 in the Dominican Republic, which has 16 participating nations. The exercise supports the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a Department of State regional security partnership,” the release stated.

“Taking part in maritime training are units from the host nation Antigua-Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF), as well as national police and coast guard units from Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, the release continued.

During the exercise the crews of the vessels from the various countries will train alongside members of the United States Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy.

According to the US military the training during Phase I will “focus primarily on maritime security and countering transnational organized criminal groups on the high seas, as well as training to improve the ability to respond to natural disasters and provide humanitarian relief. “

It will also provide “realistic simulated disaster events to test the Antigua-Barbuda National Office of Disaster Services (NODS) as well as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).”

“Tradewinds is vital to the nations of the Caribbean, Canada, and the United States in order to collaborate against common threats to our peoples and the way we live our lives, as well as to sharpen our collective responses to deal with humanitarian crises, natural disasters, and pandemics,” said Gen. John Kelly, commander of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which administers the event.

The United States did not invite St Lucia to the event. Observers believe it is in retaliation to the country’s security forces use of extra judicial killings employed to fight crime in that country.

In the past the United States government has reprimanded the country’s security forces for the many suspected criminals who have been killed by Police without due process.

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