Navy Set to Leave Vieques After 60 Years

[Alistar7]

VIEQUES, Puerto Rico - On the eve of the U.S. Navy (news - web sites)'s departure from the Puerto Rican island they used for bombing exercises, residents celebrated and activists laid claim to the property.


The Navy is handing over 15,000 acres of land on the eastern end of Vieques to federal authorities. After an extensive cleanup, the property will become a wildlife refuge.


"We are here today to mark the beginning of a new era in peace and prosperity for Vieques," Gov. Sila Calderon said Wednesday to the thunder of applause. "It is a moment of great joy, for we have achieved our dream."


Pulling large wire cutters out of their knapsacks, activists rushed to help U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service workers dismantle a chain-link fence on Wednesday.


After President Bush (news - web sites) last year approved the Navy's departure, Congress transferred the Vieques land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The land, along with 3,100 acres from a munitions warehouse on the western end of the island, will create the largest federal wildlife refuge in Puerto Rico.

Finally leaving SA, here, and we just put a 3yr plan for Palestinian statehood on the table. Bush is making far more of an effort at international diplomacy than most are giving him credit for. How did he get here so quick from being such a dumbass all his life?

 

[AndrewR]

We'll see how happy they are after the Navy pulls out of Roosevelt Roads permanently. The removal of the money from the federal government going into the local economy will create a serious problem.

Some of the Okinawans here want the same thing: All U.S. forces to leave. They don't seem to understand that with the departure of the U.S. goes the U.S. money AND the Japanese government's payoff payments to the locals to keep them quiet. You had better believe that eliminating several billion dollars per year would have a significant impact.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: AndrewR
We'll see how happy they are after the Navy pulls out of Roosevelt Roads permanently. The removal of the money from the federal government going into the local economy will create a serious problem.

Some of the Okinawans here want the same thing: All U.S. forces to leave. They don't seem to understand that with the departure of the U.S. goes the U.S. money AND the Japanese government's payoff payments to the locals to keep them quiet. You had better believe that eliminating several billion dollars per year would have a significant impact.

Be careful what you wish for.

I think they just want you guys to stop raping their little girls

 

[LilBlinbBlahIce]

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: AndrewR
We'll see how happy they are after the Navy pulls out of Roosevelt Roads permanently. The removal of the money from the federal government going into the local economy will create a serious problem.

Some of the Okinawans here want the same thing: All U.S. forces to leave. They don't seem to understand that with the departure of the U.S. goes the U.S. money AND the Japanese government's payoff payments to the locals to keep them quiet. You had better believe that eliminating several billion dollars per year would have a significant impact.

Be careful what you wish for.

I think they just want you guys to stop raping their little girls

Ouch. As for Vieques, I want to see what kind of nature reserve their going to make on that bombed to $hit piece of real estate.

 

[Alistar7]

read the article fully, some of the residents don't want the US managing the land either, never happy. Maybe it's because marshall law is decreed there so often, no wonder they don't want to be a state.

 

[308nato]

Its called shoving it in your face.

They turned the land over to Fish and Wildlife so the real estate developers can't build the big resorts which is the cash cow behind the whole thing anyway. I mean, the protests whole point was about nature so they are going to get some with no chance of anyone making any money on it.

And Roosevelt Roads.....if they want the Navy gone, the Navy is going to leave. There is no need for that base if we aren't using Vieques. The biggest employer is leaving. Bye, Bye.

 

[Tiger]

And Roosevelt Roads.....if they want the Navy gone, the Navy is going to leave. There is no need for that base if we aren't using Vieques. The biggest employer is leaving. Bye, Bye.

-------------------------

It's time for Puerto Rico to sh!t or get off the pot. They don't want independence, they don't want statehood, they do want the cake and eat it too like they've got right now.
If the Navy doesn't have the island they don't need the naval base other than propping up the local economy and I can think of a lot more deserving local economies.

I saw an interview on the toob a while back when it was first anounced that the Navy was giving up Vieques. The reporter asked a local official what they would do without the naval base.
The local guy asked why would the US close the base and was told if they don't need Vieques they don't need Roosevelt Rhodes either. The local said all we wanted was Vieques not for the Navy to leave. Tough Sh!t.

If we don't need RR anymore then spend the money somehwere else or give it back to the taxpayers.

 

[AndrewR]

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: AndrewR
We'll see how happy they are after the Navy pulls out of Roosevelt Roads permanently. The removal of the money from the federal government going into the local economy will create a serious problem.

Some of the Okinawans here want the same thing: All U.S. forces to leave. They don't seem to understand that with the departure of the U.S. goes the U.S. money AND the Japanese government's payoff payments to the locals to keep them quiet. You had better believe that eliminating several billion dollars per year would have a significant impact.

Be careful what you wish for.

I think they just want you guys to stop raping their little girls

The issues here are far more complicated than what some moronic Marines did or what some Air Force SSgt was accused of and convicted of in a Japanese proceeding. A Marine major is being accused of a sexual assault on a Japanese girl, with the only evidence being that her cell phone is broken from hitting the pavement. He claims she threw it at him, and she claims he attacked her.

Guess what happens if that goes to a Japanese court? He gets convicted because the Japanese don't like the F/A-18s flying into MCAS Futenma and the other aircraft flying into Kadena AB. Same goes for the South Koreans, too, in terms of possible criminal offenses, which is why the U.S. fights every push to give the host government more jurisdiction over U.S. personnel under the SOFAs.

Part of the problem here is that the Okinawans hate the Japanese also. The older locals actually like the U.S. because they know how good they had it under the American government up until 1972. They are pissed at the U.S. for having given Okinawa back to the Japanese! The younger locals just like to protest against the U.S. and make life difficult for our forces. Case in point: If you get into a vehicle accident off base with a local, it's always your fault as the American. Doesn't matter about the circumstances because the guiding principle is that the accident wouldn't have happened if your car hadn't been there. Nice.

 

[burnedout]

Vieques is mosquito infested, but OK. Has some beautiful views.

Was down there in '82 for an exercise. Flew into RR, went to Camp Santiago and then over to Vieques for a week.

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: AndrewR

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: AndrewR
We'll see how happy they are after the Navy pulls out of Roosevelt Roads permanently. The removal of the money from the federal government going into the local economy will create a serious problem.

Some of the Okinawans here want the same thing: All U.S. forces to leave. They don't seem to understand that with the departure of the U.S. goes the U.S. money AND the Japanese government's payoff payments to the locals to keep them quiet. You had better believe that eliminating several billion dollars per year would have a significant impact.

Be careful what you wish for.

I think they just want you guys to stop raping their little girls

The issues here are far more complicated than what some moronic Marines did or what some Air Force SSgt was accused of and convicted of in a Japanese proceeding. A Marine major is being accused of a sexual assault on a Japanese girl, with the only evidence being that her cell phone is broken from hitting the pavement. He claims she threw it at him, and she claims he attacked her.

Guess what happens if that goes to a Japanese court? He gets convicted because the Japanese don't like the F/A-18s flying into MCAS Futenma and the other aircraft flying into Kadena AB. Same goes for the South Koreans, too, in terms of possible criminal offenses, which is why the U.S. fights every push to give the host government more jurisdiction over U.S. personnel under the SOFAs.

Part of the problem here is that the Okinawans hate the Japanese also. The older locals actually like the U.S. because they know how good they had it under the American government up until 1972. They are pissed at the U.S. for having given Okinawa back to the Japanese! The younger locals just like to protest against the U.S. and make life difficult for our forces. Case in point: If you get into a vehicle accident off base with a local, it's always your fault as the American. Doesn't matter about the circumstances because the guiding principle is that the accident wouldn't have happened if your car hadn't been there. Nice.

Was not speaking of a specific instance, just the number.... calm down, lol.

 

[jjones]

Good. IMO, the US should dump PR altogether and let them float their own boat.
Edit: Either that or they should bring them into statehood.