Guam call for delays in troop move

Guam call for delays in troop move

Posted at 17:08 on 31 January, 2010 UTC

Guam’s governor has asked the United States military to delay its plans to move more than 9,000 troops to the island.

Stars and Stripes Online reports a statement from Governor Felix Camacho saying he thought extending the construction timeline would lessen the overall impact on the island.

He did not offer specifics, other than to say the buildup should extend beyond 2014.

In a letter to the Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus, the Governor says there is support for the relocation of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam.

However, he said it was important not to overlook the reality that Guam has a fragile territorial economy.

According to the governor’s spokeswoman, the request is not meant to signal an overall decrease in Governor Camacho’s support for the project.

But it does come as more residents and local leaders have expressed concerns about the buildup in public meetings in recent weeks.

The military transfer could result in an additional 80,000 people living in Guam’s during the height of construction.