ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 High of 89 Low of 79 Slight with wave heights of 1 to 3 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 THE UNHEALTHY CONDITION OF PUBLIC HEALTHCARE LOCAL | PAGE 5 PRISON BUILDING ‘BEYOND REPAIR’ AFTER LIGHTNING STRIKE MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Mosquitoes are having their own “Oktoberfest” in the Cayman Islands. A recent spike in activity is the result of heavy rains in late September and early Oc- tober, pushing mosquito populations higher. Only halfway through the month, total fig- ures for trapped mosquitoes are already 8 percent higher than last October. “We’ve had a lot of people complaining the mosquitoes are eating them alive,” said phar- macist Yemi Manu of Care Pharmacy. But Alan Wheeler, director of the Mosquito Research and Control Unit, the agency respon- sible for abatement in the Cayman Islands, said relief is on the way. The number of mosquitoes trapped Oct. 16 dropped 85 percent from the previous week. “The numbers have peaked and gone down,” Mr. Wheeler said. Barring another spate of rain, “There shouldn’t be any more emergence,” he said. Residents in some areas are still feeling the itch, however. “It’s insane,” said Mick Maher, with the Little Cayman Beach Resort. “Unless you are completely covered, you don’t go outside.” Mr. Wheeler said conditions on Little Cayman may be worse than other places because there are challenges with mitigation there. The island’s runway is not lit, so the planes used for spraying larvicide cannot fly into the night hours, when they are most effective. Even so, the agency has done some aerial spraying there. Ground crews, he said, have been beefed up. Mr. Maher said he sympathizes. “I know they want to do more,” he said KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com As lawmakers in the United States gear up to debate Presi- dent Donald Trump’s proposed overhaul to the country’s fed- eral tax system, government has hired a multinational law firm to advocate for the Cayman finan- cial sector in Washington D.C. According to filings with the U.S. Justice Department, the Cayman Islands govern- ment hired the firm Baker Botts for $12,500 per month plus ex- penses. The monthly fee will commence on Jan. 1. Baker Botts was also hired at an hourly rate of $950 “for handling and message preparation, including education and policy documents, and one series of meetings in Washington in September or October 2017,” states a letter from Baker Botts partner Jeff Munk to the Ministry of Financial Services. Department of Financial Services Senior Legislative Policy Advisor André Ebanks and Policy Officer Wilbur Welcome had meetings with several senators and congressmen on Sept. 25-26 in Washington, D.C., and their message that Cayman is a well- regulated financial center was “well received,” according to a press release Tuesday from Ministry of Financial Services Head of Communications spokeswoman Angela Piercy. Filings also show that Mr. MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man accused of assaulting a police in- spector at a traffic stop Dec. 10 last year ap- peared in court Tuesday, where the defen- dant’s lawyer suggested the incident occurred because the police officer had lost his temper and acted inappropriately. Inspector Ian Yearwood, a 27-year veteran of the Cayman Islands police force and head of the police’s traffic unit, had trouble ex- plaining why aggravated and profane com- ments by Mark Blake during the traffic stop amounted to disorderly conduct. The court heard that Mr. Yearwood ordered Blake out Heavy rainfall brings more mosquitoes For $12.5K a month, Cayman gets voice in US tax debate COURT VIEWS VIDEO IN POLICE ASSAULT CASE SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two men were charged in Summary Court on Tuesday following a violent confrontation with one of the most senior police officers in the Cayman Islands. Seth Watler, 25, was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent against De- tective Superintendent Peter Lansdown on Saturday. The other man, Jason Wood, 23, was charged with threatening to cause serious harm and obstructing a police officer in the lawful execution of his duties. TWO CHARGED FOLLOWING ATTACK ON POLICEMAN PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 8 » Martial arts scholarship for a dozen John Gray students George Duran and Nathan Garricks square off during a drill under the watchful gaze of instructor Shihan Floyd Baptiste at the Purple Dragon martial arts school. Twelve John Gray High School students have begun their journeys toward black belt after receiving scholarships to train in martial arts at the school. Organizers of the initiative believe martial arts can help young people improve focus, discipline and self-respect. For more on this story, see page 3. – PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema @cbcinema6cbcinema6 *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. 640-FILM (640-3456) SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - STRONGER (R) 12:45 I 3:40 I 6:55 I 9:20 VIP MY LITTLE PONY (PG) 1:05 I 4:15 I 6:40 I 9:40 BLADE RUNNER 2049 3D (R) 12:50 I 3:10 2D VIP I 6:30 2D I 9:20 AMERICAN MADE (R) 1:00 I 4:00 I 7:05 I 9:55 THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US (PG13) 1:20 I 4:20 I 7:00 I 10:00 THE FOREIGNER (R) 12:30 VIP I 3:50 I 6:40 VIP I 9:45 Travel industry ramps up effort to promote Caribbean tourism (AP) – The travel industry is ramping up efforts to re- mind consumers that many Caribbean islands were un- affected by hurricanes and that their economies de- pend on tourism. Tourism agencies and travel companies are pro- moting deals, events and fun- draising efforts while rein- forcing the basic message that most islands were un- scathed by the storms and are eager for visitors. The Travel Leaders travel agency, for example, has launched a “consumer-aware- ness campaign to promote Caribbean destinations that are open for business for fall and winter travel,” with agents becoming “ambassa- dors” for the region by pro- viding travelers with in- formation on conditions and packages. “This hurricane season has been devastating for a number of Caribbean islands, but the negative economic impact on the region will be compounded if visitors avoid travel to unaffected destina- tions,” Travel Leaders Group CEO Ninan Chacko said in a statement. Travel Leaders Group is also raising money for hurricane victims and im- pacted communities through its Family Bonds Foundation. A new website, Carib- beanIsOpen.com, is part of a million-dollar initiative funded by the Florida-Carib- bean Cruise Association. “This initiative is also a vital tool to assisting the Ca- ribbean by stimulating the economy,” the group’s presi- dent, Michele Paige, said in a statement. “Many Carib- bean destinations fortunately missed any impact from the hurricanes, and most af- fected destinations worked around the clock to reopen for tourism.” The website notes that even destinations that saw some damage from the hur- ricanes are starting to host cruise visits, such as Key West, Florida, and St. Kitts. Royal Caribbean an- nounced that its ship Adven- ture of the Seas will resume port calls to St. Thomas on Nov. 10, and that the ship hopes to be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Martin by the end of November. AAA Travel is also launching a “Caribbean is Open for Business” campaign, calling the region a top AAA- recommended destination for fall and winter getaways, listing Antigua, Aruba, Ba- hamas, Barbados, Belize, Ber- muda, Bonaire, Curacao, Do- minican Republic, Jamaica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, the Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and St. Vin- cent & The Grenadines. In Dominica, the Secret Bay resort set up a fund- raising page to benefit staff after many of its regular vis- itors from past years asked how they could help. Turks and Caicos is adver- tising its annual Caribbean Food & Wine Festival in Prov- idenciales, Nov. 2-5, noting that the not-for-profit festival will raise funds for Turks and Caicos educational institu- tions damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Skylark.com, a luxury va- cation site, sent out a plea for donations to the official website for the recovery of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sky- lark added that “much of the Caribbean was com- pletely unaffected,” with a link to the website’s “ideas on where to go. ” Even islands that suf- fered no storm damage are on a mission to make them- selves visible. One public re- lations agency sent out a press release noting that the Bahamas were “fortunate to have come out of the 2017 hurricane season without im- pact to the country’s primary tourism product,” adding for good measure that there have been no documented cases of Zika virus there since November 2016. In this Oct. 3, 2017, file photo, Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas arrives at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Royal Caribbean has announced that the ship will resume port calls to St. Thomas on Nov. 10, and that it may return to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Martin by the end of November. - PHOTO: AP NEW YORK (AP) – A Green- peace ship is scheduled to depart from New York to de- liver aid to the storm-rav- aged island of Puerto Rico. The Arctic Sunrise will dock at three other U.S. cities along the way after setting sail from Brooklyn. The Daily News reports Greenpeace volun- teers will give classes on environmental advocacy during those stops. The boat is stocked with solar batteries, satellite phones, water filters and solar generators. However, the boat may have issue docking as the Trump Administration hasn’t extended a waiver of the Jones Act that expired earlier this month. The act requires products shipped between U.S. ports to be moved by American ships. Greenpeace Executive Director Annie Leonard says they believe they can receive an exemption for humani- tarian purposes. Greenpeace ship stocked with aid to set sail for Puerto Rico Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise is preparing to sail to Puerto Rico with hurricane relief supplies. CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) – A running series of gun bat- tles caused at least 11 deaths in the northern Mexico border state of Tamauilpas, authorities said Monday. Officials said the shoot- outs in the border city of Reynosa and the nearby town of Rio Bravo started late Sunday. Gunmen hi- jacked vehicles and used them to block streets, and spread bent nails to punc- ture tires to facilitate their getaways. Authorities called in a helicopter to support ground patrols moving to break up the roadblocks. One group of four gunmen was killed near a gas sta- tion after they opened fire on a military patrol, officials said. Three other bodies were discovered at other points around Rio Bravo. Police found 13 impro- vised armored vehicles, which are usually light trucks with welded steel plating. Such vehicles are often used by drug gangs in Tamaulipas. Officers also found six hand grenades, 17 40-mm rifle- launched grenades and about three dozen guns, including a .50-caliber sniper rifle. The dead included a man apparently killed by assail- ants after he and a child sought shelter from gunfire in a house on their way to school. The man and child emerged from the house when the shooting died down temporarily, and that is when the man was hit. Three people also were killed in what appeared to be targeted shootings in the town of Padilla, farther south. Reynosa is across the border from McAllen, Texas, and has been the scene of turf battles between factions of the Gulf cartel. In Chihuahua, another northern border state, prose- cutors said Monday that the death toll from a shootout in the remote mountain town of Uruachi had risen to seven. About 100 state po- lice officers were sent to the town after the Friday gun- fight, which apparently in- volved a dispute between rival gunmen. One group of four gunmen was killed near a gas station after they opened fire on a military patrol, officials said. Three other bodies were discovered at other points around Rio Bravo. Border gun battles leave 11 dead in northern Mexico WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Police say a truck driver has been found dead in the parking lot of a Florida motel after he was not heard from for several days. West Palm Beach po- lice Sgt. David Lefont tells The Palm Beach Post the 50-year-old apparently died as he slept in his truck. His body was discovered on Monday around 10 a.m. Police had tracked the man’s truck to a Days Inn after a trucking com- pany told them he had not been heard from since Oct. 11. What caused his death is not known, but investigators do not sus- pect foul play. Further details were not released. TRUCK DRIVER FOUND DEAD AT MOTEL PARKING LOT IN FLORIDA 3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 CINCINNATI BUFFALO IOWA SOUTH DAKOTA STATE RICHMOND UAB LOUISIANALOUISIANALOUISIANA BUFFALOBUFFALO SOUTH DAKOTA STATESOUTH DAKOTA STATESOUTH DAKOTA STATE RICHMONDRICHMOND UAB WYOMING NOVEMBER 20th – 22nd 2017 COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT ENDORSED BY THE NCAA FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TICKETS VISIT WWW.CAYMANISLANDSCLASSIC.COM Cayman Islands Rum MEDIA LTD. HURLEY’S TM A fighting chance: Can martial arts improve academics? Scholarship program tests power of martial arts to improve school performance JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A dozen John Gray High School students have been given scholarships to train in martial arts as part of a new project which organizers be- lieve will have a positive im- pact on their school careers. The leaders of the Purple Dragon martial arts school believe martial arts can help young people improve focus, discipline and self-respect. The school has committed to training 12 students three times a week, with the aim of reaching their black belts within three years. The impact of the scholar- ship program, named Project Purple, on their academics and behavior in school will be tracked by an independent educational psychologist. Shihan Floyd Baptiste, of Purple Dragon, which runs classes for anyone from age 4 to adults, said the school would take 12 new stu- dents each year on similar scholarships. He said the students would be trained in the Don Jitsu Ryu discipline, which blends karate and jiu-jitsu with character training. “It is not just training physically; it is being able to develop your determina- tion to overcome, to stand for your word, to have a strong sense of justice, to work hard and provide service to others. It is about having confidence that your talent is unlimited as long as you are willing to explore it, to always re- member where you come from, be charitable and know that your future depends on your best efforts,” he said. The scholarship stu- dents were selected by staff at John Gray and inter- viewed along with their par- ents before being admitted to the program. Mr. Baptiste said the chil- dren in the program included some who had been diag- nosed with behavioral issues, like attention deficit disorder, but he stressed, “We are not running a boot camp for the bad kids. The most important element is that the kids want to do it and commit to it.” He hopes the program will provide independent data to support his belief that martial arts develops cognitive as well as phys- ical skills and helps young- sters harness emotions and energy toward a controlled, positive outcome. Jon Clark, principal of John Gray High School, said the partnership was an im- portant one for the school. “We are hoping to de- velop positive mindsets, self- belief, confidence and self- discipline that will improve attachment, engagement and performance within school while making a lifestyle commitment out of school. Purple Dragon have a proven track record of engaging and developing outstanding young people and we hope this opportunity will be of great benefit to those John Gray students involved.” Project Purple is looking for private and corporate sponsors. For more information contact Cathy Williams on cathy@williams2realestate.com. “It is about having confidence that your talent is unlimited as long as you are willing to explore it, to always remember where you come from, be charitable and know that your future depends on your best efforts.” SHIHAN FLOYD BAPTISTE, Purple Dragon The Purple Dragon martial arts school has committed to train a dozen John Gray High School students in a three-year program. - PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKEThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. – EDITORIAL – The unhealthy condition of public healthcare The unpaid bills owed to the Health Services Authority, now exceeding $100 million (please pause and re-read: $100 million!) is merely one of the myriad public healthcare problems threatening the physical — and economic — health of the Cayman Islands. At the outset, let us draw a clear distinction between the caregivers at Cayman’s public hospital and clinics — doctors, nurses, technicians and other support personnel, many of whom toil long hours through nights, weekends and holidays to deliver exceptional care to their individual patients — and the government’s behind-the-scenes “business side,” with its ongoing financial disarray that might well be considered administrative malpractice. We won’t recount here the sorry saga of when political interference played a role in advancing mere incompe- tence into scandal and prosecutable corruption. Exhibit A, of course, is the CarePay matter, where the former chairman of the Health Services Authority board, Canover Watson, has now changed his address from the executive suite to a cell in Northward prison. The Editorial Board of the Compass does not pretend to know how to operate a healthcare system, but the government should not pretend to know how to run one either — because it doesn’t. The Health Services Authority, which most residents still rely on for their primary healthcare needs, has seem- ingly been unable to deal with issues that every business would consider mundane or routine, such as billing and managing payables and receivables. We constantly hear tales, including in our own newsroom, of individuals who may have received treatment years ago at the Cayman Islands Hospital — and are just now being invoiced for services rendered. How can this be? Last week, a parade of HSA officials appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to answer ques- tions about exorbitant growth in “accounts receivable” — $94.5 million in so-called bad debt, much of which the appointed HSA board is reluctant to write off. During last week’s meeting, PAC member Chris Saunders (an accountant by trade who represents Bodden Town West in the Legislative Assembly) pursued a keen line of questioning of HSA Chief Executive Lizzette Yearwood, trying to get to the bottom of how HSA managed to accrue $53 million in unpaid debts over two years (following a 12-year period where “only” $69 million in unpaid debts had accumulated). Astonishingly, Ms. Yearwood told the committee the source of much of the dramatic increase was the government-owned Cayman Islands National Insurance Company, which was switching its third-party insurance provider, causing accounts to be not adjudicated and thus unpaid. Mr. Saunders listened to administrators’ explanations, then declared: “These numbers aren’t adding up.” Mr. Saunders is correct to press HSA officials about their shoddy billing practices and spotty collections history, but Cayman’s healthcare challenges are far more critical than unpaid bills. Most troubling is the astronomical amount of unfunded public healthcare liabilities — now pegged at a breath- taking $1.7 billion. That figure is the future amount the gov- ernment estimates it will have to pay to provide healthcare coverage to retired civil servants and certain other citizens (such as former seamen) over the next 20 years. The U.K. should be paying particular attention to this matter. If at some point, the Cayman Islands govern- ment is not able to satisfy this obligation to its former employees, the issue will arise as to whether England has an enforceable contingent liability which would obligate it to make good on Cayman’s unfunded largesse. Unfunded healthcare liabilities are a near-universal problem (see Dan Mitchell’s column, also on this page) that, if not addressed seriously and swiftly, can and will eventually kill companies and countries. One need not be a doctor, an accountant or an actuary to make this prognosis: Without a radical course of treatment, the long-term outlook of Cayman’s public healthcare system, and by extension the country’s economy and residents’ quality of life, is at serious risk. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS A tragic, continuing story of fiscal decay When companies want to boost sales, they sometimes tinker with products and then advertise them as “new and improved.” In the case of govern- ments, though, I suspect “new” is not “improved.” The British territory of Jersey, for in stance, has a very good tax system. It has a low-rate flat tax and it overtly brags about how its system is much better than the one imposed by London. In the United States, by contrast, the state of New Jersey has a well-deserved reputation for bad fiscal policy. To be blunt, it’s not a good place to live and it’s even a bad place to die. And it’s about to get worse. A column in the Wall Street Journal warns that New Jersey is poised to take a big step in the wrong di- rection. The authors Regina Egea and Stephen Eide start by observing that the state is already in bad shape. “...painless solutions to New Jersey’s fiscal chal- lenges don’t exist,” they write. “...a massive struc- tural deficit lurks... New Jersey’s property taxes, al- ready the highest in the na- tion, are being driven up further by the state’s pen- sion burden and escalating health-care costs for govern- ment workers.” In other words, interest groups (especially overpaid bureaucrats) control the po- litical process and they are pressuring politicians to di- vert even more money from the state’s beleaguered private sector. But, as the columnists write, “At a debate this week in Newark, the Dem- ocratic gubernatorial nom- inee, Phil Murphy, pledged to spend more on educa- tion and to ‘fully fund our pension obligations.’ ... But just taxing more would risk making New Jersey’s fiscal woes even worse.” The column warns that New Jersey may wind up re- peating Connecticut’s mis- takes. Going down that path, however, is a recipe for a loss of high-value taxpayers and businesses. Last year, The New York Times published a remark- able article that offers a very tangible example of how the state’s budgetary status will further deteriorate if big tax hikes drive away more suc- cessful taxpayers. The article discussed the impact to New Jersey’s state budget when hedge-fund bil- lionaire David Tepper moved his personal and business domicile out of the state to take up residence in Florida – resulting in the loss of hun- dreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. By the way, Tepper isn’t alone. Billions of dol- lars of wealth have already left New Jersey because of bad tax policy. Yet poli- ticians in Trenton blindly want to make the state even less attractive. At the risk of asking an obvious question, how can they not realize that this will accelerate the migration of high-value taxpayers to states with better policy? New Jersey isn’t alone in committing slow-motion sui- cide. I already mentioned Connecticut and you can add states such as California and Illinois to the list. Ac- cording to the article, in New York, California, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey, the top 1 percent of residents pay a third or more of the total income tax What’s remarkable is that these states are punishing the very taxpayers that are critical to state finances. The federal govern- ment does the same thing, of course, but it has more leeway to impose bad policy because it’s more chal- lenging to move out of the country than to move across state borders. New Jersey, however, can’t set up guard towers and barbed wire fences at the border, so it will feel the effect of bad policy at a faster rate. P.S. I used to think that Governor Christie might be the Ronald Reagan of New Jersey. I was naive. Yes, he did have some success in ve- toing legislation that would have exacerbated fiscal prob- lems in the Garden State, but he was unable to change the state’s bad fiscal trajectory. P.P.S. Remarkably, New Jersey was like New Hamp- shire back in the 1960s, with no income tax and no sales tax. What a tragic story of fiscal decline! Daniel J. Mitchell, chairman of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, is on the Editorial Board of the Cayman Financial Review. DANIEL J. MITCHELL DANIEL J. MITCHELL PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” Billions of dollars of wealth have already left New Jersey because of bad tax policy. Yet politicians in Trenton blindly want to make the state even less attractive.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 ®Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence (where applicable). ky.scotiabank.com #StartWithYou You’re always moving forward in your life. That is why every loan we offer—from auto to education to home loans—always helps you to do just that. Because with a good start, there’s no stopping where you can go. It’s about giving you the best start. Prison building ‘beyond repair’ after lightning strike BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A Sept. 27 lightning strike at Northward Prison has left the facility’s main supply storage building “be- yond repair,” officials con- firmed Tuesday. The prison service is using what alternative storage space it can to keep items “critical to daily oper- ations,” according to prisons human resources manager Raquel Solomon. The bolt struck the roof of the prison storage building in the predawn hours, destroying much of the supplies and equip- ment kept there, including telecom servers and cen- tral phone lines. Cayman Islands Fire Ser- vice crews spent two-and-a- half-hours between 1:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. Sept. 27 getting the flames under control. As of Tuesday, Oct. 17, full telecommunications services at Northward had not been restored, Ms. Solomon said. “We are about 80 per- cent back online, computers were first back up and then phones,” she said. “Unfortu- nately, there was some per- manent damage done to some connections and those are still being resolved.” While the phone lines were down, prison officials provided inmates with tem- porary cellphones to make calls to family members. The prison phone system is now mostly restored but “some kinks’ were still being worked out, Ms. Solomon said. All computer cables and telecommunications cir- cuits were located inside the burned out storage building, fire officials said. No one was hurt in the Sept. 27 blaze, as both staff and prisoners would not have been anywhere near the storage building at that time of the morning, Prisons Di- rector Neil Lavis said. The storage building is outside the main security fence of the prison compound. Radio station down Northward Prison was not the only public facility dam- aged in the lightning strike. The government’s Na- tional Weather Service re- ported Tuesday that its public radio programming on FM 107.9 has been off air for the past three weeks while repairs are carried out. Those repairs are expected to take at least a month. The FM station broad- casts weather updates to the listening audience. The weather service said it would still make fore- casts available online, via its Facebook page and in the local news media. “The National Weather Service sincerely apologizes to listeners for the inconve- nience,” a statement issued Tuesday noted. Firefighters at the scene of the early morning Sept. 27 prison fire. - PHOTO: DAVID HAILS Duo plead not guilty in animal cruelty case SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com Andrei James Challenger and James Rolin Challenger, the two men charged in an animal cruelty case in- volving a dog named Dora, pleaded not guilty to five as- sorted offenses in Summary Court on Tuesday. Andrei Challenger, 18, was charged with cruelty to ani- mals, causing unnecessary suffering and failing to exer- cise proper care and super- vision. James Challenger, 63, is charged with causing un- necessary suffering and with failing to exercise proper care and supervision. The two men are being represented by Dennis Brady and will be back in court on Nov. 9. The offenses date back to May, when Dora, a dog be- lieved to be between one and two years old at the time, was allegedly set on fire. The Cayman Islands Humane So- ciety was called in the wake of Dora’s injuries, and she was treated at Island Veteri- nary Services. Dora had been pregnant at the time but lost her pups as a result of the burns and her emergency surgery. The dog suffered second and third-de- gree burns to her flank and abdomen. Dora lived with a foster family for months but was recently adopted into a new permanent home. The bolt struck the roof of the prison storage building in the predawn hours, destroying much of the supplies and equipment kept there, including telecom servers and central phone lines. Dora suffered burns to her body, but has now fully recovered.DISTRICT DAYS 6 District Days Sister Islands WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS 50 years ago: HMS Mohawk visits Cayman In the Oct. 18, 1967 edi- tion of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, the fol- lowing story appeared: “HMS Mohawk dropped anchor on Friday, the 6th, and the usual ceremony re- served for such occasions took place with dignity, pre- cision and efficiency. “Three football matches (scores (1) ship 4, Cayman nil; (2) ship 8, Cayman 4, and (3) ship nil, Cayman 3), and two cricket matches (scores (1) ship 67, all out, Cayman 101, 5 in hand, declared, and (2) ship – 5 in hand, Cayman 61 all out) were played at West Bay, despite torrential rain earlier in the week. “The cocktail parties at Government House (Friday) and on board the ship (Monday) were both enjoyed and quite a number of the ship’s company travelled to the Blue Horizon for the dance on Friday night. “Swimming, sailing, water skiing and tennis were available for the men and many took advan- tage of the opportunity to do a little shopping. Mem- bers of the public were welcomed aboard on Sat- urday afternoon. “They sailed on Monday, the 9th for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.” In a separate article, ti- tled “A tough hot walk in Little Cayman,” a following report of the ship’s visit to Cayman’s smallest is- land appeared: “Chief of Police R.S. Be- sant has had news from the Marine Lieutenant aboard HMS Mohawk regarding an exercise conducted on Little Cayman last week. “The warship anchored and landing craft set the officer, 20 marines, Sgt. Vernon Ebanks and Con- stable Jake McLaughlin ashore at West End Point at 8 a.m. on the 10th. “They walked in line right along the north coast, sometimes penetrating 300 yards in until they met the swamp. Six-and-a-half hours later, they arrived at East Point after an ex- tremely tough hot walk. “A very thorough search was made but no evidence was made of unauthorised visitations, e.g., illegal immi- gration or fishing within our territorial waters. In fact, they saw no person at all, either on shore or fishing, during the whole six-and- a-half hours. “It is reported that the ironshore took heavy toll of the men’s boots, a large percentage of which later went overboard. “The landing craft having returned to Mohawk, she steamed around the is- land and was waiting to pick the weary walkers up upon reaching their destina- tion. They were taken back onto the ship at 3 p.m. At 4 p.m., Sgt. Ebanks and Cons. McLaughlin were flown by helicopter to Cayman Brac and the warship sailed immediately.” In the paper’s “Cayman Brac Calling” column, corre- spondent Lilian Ritch takes up the HMS Mohawk’s con- tinued visit, writing: “On Tuesday last, HMS Mohawk was waved an en- thusiastic farewell from the shore as she glided along the north shore. The heli- copter flew low over the homes, calling our atten- tion, and then provided an interesting sight as she pitched on deck.” Brackers fall in love with autumn festival JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Brac kicked off the beginning of fall with a host of activities that resi- dents enjoyed over the three- day weekend of Oct. 6 to 8. The Cayman Arts Culture and Heritage Brac Autumn Festival featured an open mic night, canvas night, teen po- etry and children’s art event at the museum, a cultural arts fair and a “Falling in Love with Fall” at the home of Dan and Lisa Scott. “I think the festival went really well this year,” said Simone Scott, one of the or- ganizers. “We did not have as many artists come over from Grand Cayman, but we did enjoy a variety of things … next year I hope more people come out to it.” At the open mic fun night at Cayman Brac Beach resort, Leo Schilling, 12, from Grand Cayman impressed the crowd with a rendition of “Cake by the Ocean” and his YouTube channel Wildman Wilder, ac- cording to Ms. Scott. On Saturday morning, Oct. 7, children took part in an art workshop hosted by Kerwin Ebanks. Mr. Ebanks gave away gifts books with activities inside for children to do at home. The children also decorated the covers of the books in fun colors. The cultural arts fair was a damp affair and most ven- dors did not show up be- cause of rain, but people nonetheless had a good time, according to Ms. Scott. Also featured at the fair was an inflatable shark, which children climbed into to hear environmental stories from Mark Keeley. Yoan Garcia and Antonio Sanchez performed classical and folk music, and Camille Angel, Simone Scott, Tenson Scott and Doug Ross per- formed songs and poems. On Sunday, Oct. 8, the “Clean and Climb” rock climbing event cleaned up garbage from a beach. On the same day, an evangelistic program at the Cotton Tree Bay Church in association with Cayman Brac Heritage Committee and the Minis- ters’ Association was held, at which money was raised for hurricane relief. Kerwin Ebanks gave the children sketchbooks as keepsakes.Brac Artist Alta Solomon presents her photography. Lots of paintings and photography of autumn were on display. Attendees paint during open canvas night. Leo Schilling, 12, from Grand Cayman, performs the song ‘Cake by the Ocean.’The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 Say yes to even more cash back NOW UP TO *Conditions apply. Subject to change without notice. Subject to credit approval. You will earn 4% cash back for a maximum cap of USD$600 (or equivalent in local currency) spend annually at qualifying gas stations and grocery stores. This 4% cash back applies at merchants which are classified in the MasterCard network as Grocery Stores & Supermarkets, Service Stations and Automated Fuel Dispensers (Merchant Codes: 5411, 5541 & 5542). You will earn 2% cash back for a maximum cap of USD$400 you spend annually at qualifying drug stores and pharmacies. This 2% cash back applies at merchants which are classified in the MasterCard network as Drug Stores & Pharmacies (Merchant Code: 5912). 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Apply today and get a bonus of up to $50.* Visit your nearest branch or go to ky.scotiabank.com/sayyes Get the most cash back ever on all your everyday purchases with Scotiabank Gold MasterCard®. Earn 4% cash back at grocery stores & gas stations, 2% at pharmacies and 1% everywhere else.* Apply today and get a bonus of up to $50. EN H A N C E D C H I P S E C U R IT Y #SayYesToMore Heavy rainfall brings more mosquitoes of the MRCU. “The guy who runs the spray truck [on the island] is doing everything he can.” Conrad Martin, 66, who lives on Cayman Brac, said the last two years have been the worst he’s seen in three decades. “Last year was really bad and it’s getting bad again,” Mr. Martin said. Outdoor seating areas at restaurants on Little Cayman, where he also has a home, and on the Brac, were deserted last Sep- tember and October, typi- cally the worst months for mosquitoes. The same is happening this year, he said. He cannot recall an- other time since the late 1980s when the pests drove people indoors. Mr. Wheeler said while October mosquito numbers will be higher this year than last, there were fewer mosquitoes this September than in 2016. He said workers are out in force, providing both ground and aerial spraying to knock down the population. “We’ve been sending planes up each day,” Mr. Wheeler said. “All our fog and ground units are out. Things should improve if they haven’t already improved.” The efforts do not in- clude the release of more genetically modified mos- quitoes. Test releases in West Bay earlier this year are being evaluated for po- tential islandwide dispersal of the genetically modified mosquitoes in 2018, Mr. Wheeler said. The Mosquito Research and Control Unit plane has been making daily forays to combat mosquitoes in recent weeks. - PHOTO: CHRIS COURT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel said Tuesday it would not conduct diplomatic negotia- tions with a Palestinian gov- ernment that includes a role for the militant Hamas group, laying down a significant po- tential roadblock to already complicated Palestinian rec- onciliation efforts. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said there would be no talks with the Palestinians unless Hamas agrees to a series of condi- tions it is unlikely to accept, including recognizing Israel and agreeing to disarm. The announcement came as Palestinian President Mah- moud Abbas’ Fatah govern- ment is in talks with Hamas over ending a 10-year split. Under Egyptian aus- pices, the Palestinian fac- tions last week announced a preliminary agreement and have formed commit- tees to sort out unresolved issues, most notably who will control Hamas’ massive weapons arsenal. While agreeing to turn over all governing responsi- bilities to Fatah, Hamas has said control of its weapons is not up for negotiation. That would leave Hamas with significant behind-the- scenes influence over Pales- tinian affairs, even if does not have an official role in the next government. Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from Abbas’ forces in 2007, leaving the Palestinians divided between two governments. Previous reconciliation attempts have failed, and there is no guar- antee that the current round of talks will succeed. Netanyahu’s stance matched past demands placed on Hamas by Israel and the international com- munity, that it renounce vio- lence and recognize Israel’s right to exist. But Tuesday’s statement added some new conditions, including that Abbas’ gov- ernment continue a crack- down on Hamas militants in the West Bank, that Hamas sever ties with Iran, and that it return the re- mains of two Israeli soldiers and two living Israeli civil- ians believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza. Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said reconcilia- tion is a top Palestinian in- terest. “Any Israeli remarks will not change the official Palestinian position to move forward with the reconcili- ation efforts to achieve the hopes and aspirations of our people in ending the divi- sion,” he said in a statement Tuesday night. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said “this is an unacceptable Israeli inter- ference in Palestinian in- ternal affairs.” Abbas seeks an indepen- dent state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza. Is- rael captured the territories in 1967, though it withdrew from Gaza in 2005. There was no immediate comment from Egypt. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said there would be no talks with the Palestinians unless Hamas agrees to a series of conditions it is unlikely to accept, including recognizing Israel and agreeing to disarm. Israel says no talks if Hamas in Palestinian government Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 Munk has circulated a three- page document touting the fact that Cayman is a tax- neutral jurisdiction, that it has information exchange agreements with 112 other jurisdictions, and that it plays an important role in the global economy. “Cayman hopes that in the debate over U.S. tax re- form in Congress, this point is acknowledged without unnecessary criticism of Cayman, and legitimate in- ternational business trans- actions undertaken there, by U.S. persons and others,” the letter states. One aspect of Mr. Trump’s plan that could have a sig- nificant impact on Cayman and other offshore centers is a proposal to implement a reduced global tax on for- eign profits of U.S. multina- tional corporations. Corpo- rations currently do not pay taxes on their foreign profits until those profits are repa- triated to the U.S. Other aspects of the plan include slashing the corpo- rate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, eliminating some deductions in the fed- eral tax code, and offering a one-time reduced repatria- tion rate for corporations. In response to Cayman Compass inquiries, the Min- istry of Financial Services stated disputed an Oct. 13 article from Politico, which reported that government hired Baker Botts to lobby Congress. Ms. Piercy stated in an email that the firm was hired to assist “us with engagement to develop mu- tual understanding between Cayman and key audiences about our respective re- gimes on tax transparency.” “In fact,” Ms. Piercy wrote, “the Ministry’s repre- sentatives specifically told U.S. officials that Cayman had no lobby-type ‘ask,’ but that our goal was to provide them with facts about our regulatory and tax trans- parency regimes which, among other things, would help them to assess the ac- curacy of any commentary about Cayman.” Mr. Munk reportedly spoke to Politico, telling the U.S. politics and gov- ernment news publication that Cayman’s goal is to dispel the stereotypes sur- Neither man has previ- ously been convicted of a crime in the Cayman Islands. Mr. Lansdown, who was on duty and in full uniform at the time of the incident, stopped at the scene of a single-vehicle accident at the Island Heritage roundabout on Saturday evening. There he encountered Watler, who had been driving the car, and Wood, a passenger in the damaged vehicle. Prosecutor Candia James said the two men initially cursed at the police officer and were uncooperative, leading Mr. Lansdown to call 911 and request assistance from his fellow officers. Watler allegedly punched the detective superintendent in the face, causing him to fall down and hit his head on the ground. The officer was knocked unconscious for 10-15 minutes and sub- sequently treated for a frac- tured rib and stitches to the back of his head. Mr. Hughes requested bail for Watler, but Mr. Fol- dats refused to grant it be- cause the defendant is facing a potentially lengthy prison sentence if convicted. Mr. Foldats said that Watler’s charge is a Cate- gory A offense, which means it will need to be adjudicated in Grand Court. The magis- trate said Mr. Hughes can request bail in the higher court. Watler’s next court appearance will take place in Grand Court on Oct. 27. Wood, the passenger, al- legedly insulted the po- lice officers on scene and told one of them, “I’ll shoot you in the face.” Both of his charges will be heard in Summary Court. Wood, who will next ap- pear in court on Oct. 27, was granted bail with re- cognizance, a surety and curfew requirements at his home. He is required to be at home from 8:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. while his case is being adjudicated. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 • CAYMAN COMPASS For $12.5K a month, Cayman gets voice in US tax debate The officer was knocked unconscious for 10-15 minutes and subsequently treated for a fractured rib and stitches to the back of his head. Two charged following assault on policeman Court views video in police assault case of the car he was riding in after Blake made the com- ments. Blake resisted and a struggle ensued. “Where does it say that by the use of emphatic language, he has committed an of- fense?” asked Blake’s attorney Anthony Akiwumi. Inspector Yearwood, seemingly unable to answer the question, stood silently in the courtroom. “I’m going to suggest,” Mr. Akiwumi later said, “what happened that night, In- spector Yearwood, is you lost your cool.” The inspector denied that assessment. Blake was never charged with disorderly conduct. He is on trial for assault. Inspector Yearwood testi- fied that Blake punched him in the mouth as he attempted to pull Blake from the pas- senger side of the vehicle he was in. The inspector said he sprayed Blake with pepper spray after Blake hit him. Camera phone video shot by the car’s driver seemed to contradict that testimony. Mr. Akiwumi said it was clear from the images that Blake was pepper sprayed while still in the vehicle and before any punch was thrown. Testimony originally scheduled for Tuesday af- ternoon was delayed until Monday, Oct. 23. Jeff Munk, Baker Botts partner rounding its role as an offshore financial center. “From Cayman’s perspec- tive, they want to dispel the ste- reotypes that are outdated and don’t recognize Cayman’s strong record of compliance,” he said, according to Politico. “I think the policy outcome is less important to them – the U.S. can write its own [tax] code – than avoiding being unfairly criticized.” Mr. Munk also spoke on the fact that the Baker Botts monthly fees do not start until January, despite the fact that the Trump administra- tion hopes to have tax reform passed by the end of the year. According to Baker Botts’ website, Mr. Munk has served as legislative counsel to a U.S. senator, as a law clerk for the U.S. Tax Court, and as counsel to a presidential elec- tion campaign. He also made a presenta- tion to the Cayman Islands Law Society in January on how the Trump administration is likely to address tax poli- cies and anti-money laundering rules, according to the law so- ciety’s website. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Foreign experts to help Malta investigate reporter’s killing VALLETTA, Malta (AP) – A Dutch forensic team arrived in Malta on Tuesday to help investigate the car bomb slaying of a journalist who scrutinized the country’s top politicians and other pow- erful figures, an official said, as angry Maltese demanded the truth about who killed the anti-corruption crusader. Maltese Home Minister Michael Farrugia said FBI agents also would be sent to the Mediterranean island in the coming days to assist police in Monday’s killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, who exposed Maltese links to offshore tax havens through the Panama Paper leaks. “My mother was assassi- nated because she stood be- tween the rule of law and those who sought to vio- late it, like many strong jour- nalists,” one of three sons, Matthew Caruana Galizia, wrote on Facebook. “But she was also targeted because she was the only person doing so. This is what happens when the institu- tions of the state are incapac- itated,” he wrote. It was unclear who might have engineered the bombing. Her car exploded, spin- ning in the air and landing as a fiery hulk in a field, right after she left her home Monday afternoon. “I am never going to forget, running around the inferno in the field, trying to figure out a way to open the door, the horn of the car still blaring, screaming at two policemen who showed up with a single fire extin- guisher to use it,” Matthew Caruana wrote. “They stared at me. ‘I’m sorry, there is nothing we can do,’ one of them said. I looked down and there were my mother’s body parts all around me,” he recounted. Italian RAI state TV, without citing sources, said the explosives were believed to have originated from abroad. One of the topics Ca- ruana Galizia probed grew out of revelations from the 2016 Panama Papers leak. She wrote that the wife of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the country’s energy minister and the government’s chief of staff had offshore holdings in Panama to receive money from Azerbaijan. The Muscats denied they had companies in Panama. The energy minister and chief of staff denied that the Panama companies were opened to receive money from Azerbaijan and filed libel suits against the journalist. Speaking to Italian state television Tuesday, the prime minister noted that Caruana Galizia had written about him for years. The slain journalist wrote “some things that were true, some that weren’t. This was a total invention,” Muscat said, referring to the Panama Papers leaks. Ordinary Maltese, many of whom made Daphne Caruana Galizia’s blog, Running Com- mentary, the first thing they read daily on the 400,000-pop- ulation island nation, were shocked and angered. Outside Malta’s Law Courts, about 200 people held an hour-long sit-in to call for justice for the slain journalist in the capital, Valletta. Graf- fiti quoting the last words she wrote – “There are crooks everywhere you look” – were written on one of Malta’s major roads Tuesday. In posts to online news- paper coverage, Maltese ex- pressed hope her death could be a turning point in a na- tional narrative they see as riddled with corruption. A tax haven, Malta’s finan- cial institutions have a repu- tation as a convenient place in the middle of the Med- iterranean to move ques- tionably earned money or to avoid taxes. Matthew Caruana Gal- izia, also an investigative journalist who was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning con- sortium of journalists that covered the Panama Papers leaks, contended that a “cul- ture of impunity has been al- lowed to flourish by the gov- ernment of Malta.” “If the institutions were al- ready working, there would be no assassination to investigate – and my brothers and I would still have a mother,” he wrote. On the European main- land, several EU lawmakers echoed similar concerns. EU parliamentarian Sven Giegold, a spokesman for the Greens in the European Par- liament’s Committee of In- quiry on money laundering and tax evasion, demanded that the EU scrutinize Malta. “The murder of a coura- geous journalist who has been fighting with corrupt elites in her country must lead to a European outcry,” Giegold said. In a statement, the lawmaker described Malta as a “mecca for money launderers and tax avoiders.” Muscat said during in his Italian TV that Malta’s financial system was “very transparent, very sound.” The prime minister said the country follows the “same rules as those approved by the European Commission.” The car bomb, Giarrusso contended, was meant to “shut Daphne Caruana Gal- izia’s mouth” before the com- mission arrived. Malta is experiencing an exponential expansion in online gaming businesses as well as financial ser- vices businesses. Italian prosecutors who specialize in organized crime investigations have been warning for years that Italy’s powerful crime syndicates are increasingly laundering illicit revenues through the financial services sector. They have also said the Na- ples-area Camorra syndicate has heavily infiltrated online gaming in Italy and beyond.The islands’ most-trusted news source 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2017 Britain sees hate crime spike after Brexit vote U.K. authorities say hate crimes spiked after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, raising concerns about a backlash against Muslims, immigrants and others groups. Data released by the Home Office shows hate crimes rose 29 percent to 80,393 in the year ended March 31. Join Guy Harvey and his daughter Jessica as they take two students on an incredible adventure to help sharks. You‘ll witness breathtaking footage as the team jump in the water with dozens of whale sharks - and watch as mantas swim gracefully through the ocean. But will this generation be the last to see this incredible sea of life? Join Guy and his team on a mission to help save our seas. THIS IS THEIR OCEAN: SEA OF LIFE Premiere: Thursday 30th November 6pm | Regal Cinemas, Camana Bay Tickets on sale now from the Guy Harvey Gallery & Shoppe $15 per ticket, which includes a donation to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Contact louisa@guyharvey.com for more details Price of Raqqa victory: More than 1,000 dead and city in ruins A U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab force claimed a major victory on Tuesday, saying they had taken full control of Raqqa, the Islamic State’s former de facto capital, after a four-month-long offensive. The city gained symbolic value as the headquarters of the Islamic State’s sup- posed caliphate, but by this year had lost all of its stra- tegic significance. The Is- lamic State is greatly weak- ened and making final stands in cities it once controlled across eastern Syria and northern Iraq. Raqqa was a war zone for more than four and a half years. It was the first Syrian provincial capital to fall out of government control, when the al-Qaida-linked Jabhat al-Nusra took the city in March 2013. Fighting over the years forced most of the city’s population into displacement camps around the country. The Islamic State often show- cased its most brutal execu- tions in Raqqa, and American journalist James Foley was beheaded in the mountains south of the city. But it was the final offen- sive that left the city utterly destroyed. A relentless cam- paign of airstrikes carried out by the U.S.-backed coali- tion killed scores of civilians and militants alike. As they moved in from the north, Syrian government forces, backed by Turkey and Russia, moved in from the south. The city’s infrastructure is in tatters. The citizen jour- nalist group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently told al Jazeera in late August that the remaining citizens had no access to electricity, water and medical supplies. Food is scarce and much of the re- gion’s agricultural capacity has been decimated. “Even if we go back, we will have to bring these tents with us because our houses are destroyed,” Fatima Ali, 29, told the Middle East Eye. Ali, a member of Raqqa’s Civil Council is living in a camp for internally dis- placed people. Almost every structure in Raqqa is dam- aged or destroyed, according to those who’ve fled. Satellite images from McKenzie Intel- ligence Service show bridges demolished by airstrikes, cut- ting the city off from the rest of the county. A World Bank report from January 2017 estimated that Raqqa had been hit by more than 2,000 airstrikes and that nearly 17 percent of the city’s housing units are damaged or destroyed. Since then, the city has been hit by at least 2,500 more strikes. The Raqqa Civil Council has said it will need at least $10 million a year to re- store basic infrastructure. “It could take 10 years to re- build,” said Ali. A Turkish journalist in Raqqa on Tuesday tweeted an emotional video showing Raqqa residents leaving neighborhoods they had been trapped in through the long months of bombardment. Rami Abdulrahman, the founder of the Syrian Ob- servatory for Human Rights, told the Post on Tuesday that his organization estimated 1,130 civilians were killed in Raqqa since June 5. When asked how many he’d attri- bute to the U.S.-backed coali- tion, he said, “Most of them.” On Tuesday, a group of dozens of mostly non-Syrian Islamic State fighters held onto one final position in the city’s main stadium. Hundreds sur- rendered over the past weeks after being offered a chance to escape local prosecution. The majority of Raqqa’s prewar population are now either refugees or living else- where in Syria. The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees released a report this month that said nearly 300,000 had fled Raqqa since April, just before the U.S.-backed offen- sive began. The U.N. also es- timated that only 10,000 to 25,000 civilians remained in the city as of August, al- though exact figures were im- possible to ascertain. The Kurdish and Arab troops who now control Raqqa are mostly not from there. Amid the destruction, there will be inevitable dis- putes over who gets what in the rebuilding process. The city also needs to be cleared of countless mines and booby-traps. What smat- tering of the Islamic State is left in the region may still be able to launch attacks. Restoring order to this traumatized, haunted city will be a near-impossible task. © 2017, The Washington Post A fighter from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fires his weapon during clashes with Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. – PHOTO: APNext >