PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad— A former attorney general has dismissed statements that the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in helping Trinidad and Tobago authorities suppress the 1990 attempted coup by a radical Islamic group.

Anthony Smart, who served as attorney general during the insurrection, said that his then Cabinet colleague, Dr Brinsley Samaroo, while he is “a respected historian” was not even present when the negotiations regarding the hostages were taking place.

“He wasn’t even there, all the activities took place between the 27th of July, the 28, the 29th and by the 30th we had the situation under control and that’s when Brinsley entered the picture and by the next day, the hostages were released,” Smart said.

Speaking on a television programme last Friday, Samaroo, a historian and former government minister, told viewers that the attempt by the Jamaat Al Muslimeen group led by Yasin Abu Bakr to overthrow the then ANR Robinson Government had far implications, including a possible overthrow of the Government in Venezuela by Libya.

Samaroo, who was a member of the Robinson Government, said that the Americans had installed special equipment to monitor what was taking place in the Parliament where Robinson and several legislators were being held by the Muslim group.

He said that the situation was saved by four CIA advisers, who had long experience in dealing with hostage situations and gave continuous advice to Cabinet members who had gathered at a nearby hotel.

“We were so inexperienced as a nation, as a Government, in dealing with the situation like this. Most people didn’t know what to do. There were a lot of confusion. There were a lot of people coming from the army and from different political groups and so on telling us what to do and giving advice…

“And it is my firm view that the situation was saved by the four CIA advisers. The American Ambassador (Charles Gargano) arranged for the two CIA women and the two CIA men to come to join us,” he said, recalling their long experience in hostage negotiations.

Samaroo said he had spoken to one of the women who had indicated that she had been part of the rescue of hostages in Uganda and that “”this is easy picking for us if you all give us the chance of guiding you through the whole process”.

Smart told the local media that he hopes one day “to have the opportunity to give a full response to what Brinsley said”, insisting that “a lot of what Brinsley said is, unfortunately… is completely inaccurate”.

The United States Embassy here has not commented on the statement by Samaroo, who during his television interview, said also that there was the possibility of Libya using Trinidad as a staging point for an invasion of Venezuela.