The War on Terrorism: Motivations, Implications, and Recommendations in Trinidad and Tobago

Though a prolific subject matter in the wider Caribbean and other nations across the globe, researchers have not fully examined the issues surrounding terrorism and understanding key driving factors to join terrorist organisations. For this reason, much of this study examines the motivations of Trinidad and Tobago nationals to support the Islamic State, but it is anticipated that investigations can lead to plausible preventative strategies. With the use of an exploratory approach, this research draws on the social network theory to understand the scope of terrorism in Trinidad and Tobago and recommend related counterterrorism initiatives. Both primary and secondary data sources are used and comprised interviews with Islamic community members and officials of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, published records on citizens’ alignment to the Islamic State and official documents by international law enforcement agencies. Key findings are consistent with previous international studies that have demonstrated that support for the Islamic State is generally associated with religious ideology and socio-economic reasons. These results call into question the shortfalls of local, regional, and international institutions in seeking the citizens’ needs, particularly those of marginalised groups.