The Tribune

NATIONAL SECURITY is at risk! Unskilled Defence Force officers are manning immigration stations at the airport, exposing the country to "terrorists and smugglers!"

"So our country is at risk to criminals and illegal drugs -- our country is at risk. Do not let the government deceive you that it isn't!"

Maybe, striking Grade two officer and Bahamas Customs Immigration and Allied Workers Union member, Winnie Lindon would like to add to his alarmist misstatements that "London Bridge is also falling down!" One statement would be as accurate as the others.

The only truth in Lindon's statement is that Defence Force officers were called to the airport on Thursday to assist in the clearing of visitors entering the Bahamas because all Immigration shift workers had decided to go on strike at Lynden Pindling International Airport just before the long holiday weekend. The unionists were attempting to deal a lethal blow to this country's number one industry -- an industry that they seem to forget is what puts bread on their tables.

One of the mandates of the 1,102-member Defence Force is that it can be called on at any time "to maintain order in conjunction with the other law enforcement agencies of the Bahamas." This is what they were called out to do on Thursday when 5,000 visitors were expected to arrive at the airport that day to spend the Easter weekend in Nassau.

The union plot -- or would it be more accurate to characterise it as a political plot? -- was to embarrass the government by not showing up for work and creating chaos that would attract dramatic headlines.

Fortunately, the authorities got wind of the scheme on the eve of the action.

Contact was immediately made with Defence Force Commodore Roderick Bowe, himself a former senior Immigration officer. The problem was explained and help for assistance was sought to maintain a smooth operation at the airport over the long weekend.

Early Thursday morning, senior Immigration officers met with handpicked officers from the Defence Force to walk them through their paces. As part of their training they all had had cursory knowledge of immigration routine, especially in their border patrol operations in intercepting illegal immigrants and poachers.

In making their statements to the press, the union spokesmen gave the impression that only Defence Force Officers took over the immigration duties at the airport. This is not true. In fact, the Defence Force worked in close harmony with senior immigration officers, who were close at hand to give advice if there were problems. On that day even Immigration Director Jack Thompson did a double shift. There was no room for "terrorists and smugglers" to slip through.

And to make certain that nothing went wrong, the Defence Force officers manned the booths used by North American passengers, who arrived by Air Canada, American Eagle and Jet Blue to spend the Easter weekend at the various hotels. All these passengers would have been thoroughly screened by American Immigration and Customs officers before boarding a plane for Nassau. The other arrivals, who would not have had such screening -- the ones Sloane Smith, the union's vice president was worried about slipping through from "South America, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica" -- were all processed by seasoned senior and middle management Immigration officers. In other words the more difficult flights, which could have caused a problem, were all taken care of by Immigration Director Thompson and his senior officers. Throughout the day senior Immigration officers went from booth to booth making certain that there were no problems.

From the comments we have heard about the Defence Force officers at the airport --smart, courteous and well disciplined -- maybe when immigration's shift workers decide to return to work they should take a few pointers from these officers who filled in for them.

Mr Thompson was satisfied that every precaution was taken and that the operation ran smoothly.

As for Commodore Bowe -- no borders were compromised by his men helping out at the airport. They were still on duty, he said, in Abaco, Grand Bahama, Inagua and Exuma. They were also working with NEMA, in the Parliamentary Registrar's Department, and side by side with the police putting out the fire at the city dump.

It is good for these unions to know that this country has a highly trained defence force -- a force crossed trained in the duties of other law enforcement agencies -- on call at all hours for the protection of its citizens.