Navy Caves on Vieques Bombing Range

Navy Caves on Vieques Bombing Range

NewsMax.com Wires
Friday, March 2, 2001

WASHINGTON – Seeking a "compromise" with – or caving in to – Puerto Rican demonstrators, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Thursday that the Navy had decided not to use the controversial Vieques bombing range as a training ground and live shell impact area during upcoming exercises.

"The Navy's going to proceed with some aspects of their training, but not using the inner range pending the discussions that are taking place," Rumsfeld said Thursday at a Pentagon press conference.

He met with Puerto Rico Gov. Sila M. Calderón earlier this week.

Calderon has publicly rejected an agreement struck between the United States and her predecessor to allow the Navy to use the combined arm training range on Vieques, an island owned by Puerto Rico, until a referendum to decide the issue is held.

Calderon says 50 years of bombing exercises have caused a large number of Vieques' 9,000 residents to suffer from an unusual disorder known as vibroacoustic disease.

The Navy was scheduled to use the island range later this month, but has decided to limit its operations to the waters surrounding the region.

The Navy says Vieques is the only place in the western Atlantic Ocean where a large number of ships, aircraft and Marines can practice all phases of amphibious operations, from distant bombing to storming the beaches and providing close air support.

The Navy stopped using the range in April 1999 after an errant bomb struck an observation post, killing a civilian guard.