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Britain would be asked to reconsider its decision to abandon its warship patrols of the Caribbean, for the first time since the Second World War because of the navy’s funding crisis.

Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) of Ministers of National Security Dr. Errol Cort said Britain’s decision could be detrimental to the Caribbean’s fight against the illegal drug trade.

Cort, who is Antigua and Barbuda’s minister of national security said he would be engaging the British government to ask them to reconsider the decision.

“I would want to engage the British to share with them certain confidential information that we have pertaining to the maritime issues and to impress upon them that pulling out at this point could be and would be highly detrimental to the region,” Dr. Cort said in a radio interview in Antigua.

Cort said if Britain refused to change its position then CARICOM countries would have to approach the United States or France to increase their monitoring of the region.

“If we are not able to persuade them in terms of agreeing not to pull out, then we would certainly have to look at the United States to see if it is possible they are able to increase their surveillance in our Caribbean waters,” he said.

“We might be able to get the Brits not to proceed with their plans of pulling put their warships,” Dr. Cort added.

©2011 Community Newspaper Group