The current Status of Forces (SOFA) agreement between the US and TT was entered into in early 2013, while the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-People's Partnership government was in office.
That version of the agreement was published on US Department of State website.
It was extended by diplomatic note on December 19, 2022.
"The Embassy has the further honour to propose to the Government of the Republic of TT that the Government of the US and the government of the Republic of TT agree to further extend the 2013 SOFA, without any other changes, for an additional two years from its expiration date of January 1, 2023, to January 1, 2025," the diplomatic note on December 19, 2022 said.
On December 10, National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds signed an amended SOFA agreement which is set to go into force on January 1, 2025.
In a statement on that day, the US Embassy said, "The SOFA is an agreement which allows for military-to-military engagement. The US and TT have had a SOFA agreement since 2007. The new SOFA will bring the agreement in line with US and TT laws and will have no expiration date unless renegotiated."
Newsday understands the SOFA was approved by Cabinet at its meeting on December 7 and sent to attorneys for the Department of Defense (DoD), the National Security Ministry, the TT Defence Force and the Attorney general for a final "scrubbing" before it was signed on December 10.
Newsday also understands the amendments include clarification of the language used in the agreement, including that it allows for civilian employees of the DoD to qualify for immunities. The immunities no longer apply to DoD contractors.
The SOFA makes allowances for DoD law-enforcement officers to carry firearms while deployed in TT and for driver's permits for those employees.
It also makes allowances for US military commanders to discipline US servicemen deployed to TT in TT.
US troops can be deployed to TT - with the permission of the TT government - in times of natural disaster. The US can also request permission to deploy troops to TT using SOFA in the event of a conflict in nearby Venezuela.
Newsday understands similar requests can also be made using the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), also signed by Hinds on December 10.
Newsday called Hinds four times on December 11 but got no response. Newsday also sent four questions on the SOFA agreement to Hinds at 6.43 pm December 11. Hinds did not respond.
Newsday called Hinds again on December 12 - at 5.26 pm, 5.35 pm, 5.46 pm and 6.05 pm - but got no response. A copy of the 2013 SOFA was sent to Hinds by WhatsApp at 7.15 pm, with a request for him to clarify what differs from that agreement to the one that goes into force on January 1, 2025. There was no response.
What the 2013 SOFA says:
TT has been a signatory of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) since 2007. After meetings of the US Embassy officials and the TT government in early 2013, a SOFA was agreed to.
It made allowances for military and civilian personnel of th
