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President’s trip to this war-torn region was ill-advised

Jamil Changlee
September 14, 20262 min read

Dear Editor,

The recent visit to Qatar by the President and First Lady[1] did make our country vulnerable. The current war in the Middle East and the numerous recent attacks on Qatar[2] should have led to the National Security Advisor recommending and preventing our President and First Lady from traveling to the region. CRG may not be the current President’s biggest fan, but as a people we must respect and protect the office of the President independent of who holds that office. His trip to the war-torn region was ill-advised and of poor timing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must also do a better job leveraging the resources we already have in place in the region. Some of whom should probably be recalled for their own safety. Our Nation may be tired of the poor performance of the Ali administration in the area of safety as seen in the Mahdia Tragedy[3] and the MV Barima Tragedy[4], but we must also help the President and his administration recognize the riskiness of their potential actions. There is no justification for the President risking his life and that of the First Lady with such a visit at this time of war in the region. The nation is still in mourning because of the recent tragedy and does not need another reason to mourn.

Safety must become the top priority in the mindset of our leaders and their organizations. The Qatar visit is yet another example of where the administration has failed and is failing to recognize and deal effectively with the risks associated with their actions and the actions of their organizations. May better sense prevail in the future.

Sincerely,
Mr. Jamil Changlee
Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana

References

  1. LuLu team to visit Guyana as President Ali explores Qatar Airways connectivity – Department of Public Information, Guyanadpi.gov.gy ↩
  2. Success of the Qatar Armed Forces in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones does not diminish the gravity of these attacks: Dr. Al Ansarithepeninsulaqatar.com ↩
  3. State denies any liability for deaths and injuries in Mahdia School Dorm fire in response to lawsuit - News Source Guyananewssourcegy.com ↩
  4. Tender Board opens bids for salvaging of MV Barima; Details to be released - News Source Guyananewssourcegy.com ↩
Sources