PERHAPS the first conflict sparked by the contentious US military radar installation in Tobago is a war of words online between Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander and former police commissioner and national security minister Gary Griffith.

The first metaphorical shot may be debatable, but the altercation stemmed from a statement Griffith posted to his Facebook page on December 11, criticising Alexander’s comments about the radar being used in the kidnapping case of Derek Tardieu and his wife, Clarabelle, as “irresponsible.”

“Such a comment signals a lack of understanding of the sensitivity inherent in these types of crimes. More troubling, it effectively alerts criminal elements to the State’s capabilities,” Griffith said as he noted his support of the radar being placed in the sister isle.