"Worth Reading: U.S. military needs to do less than you all think to respond to China"

• BY THOMAS E. RICKS
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• SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
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I’ve been a bit critical of International Security in the past, so I want now to highlight a good article in its summer issue by Stephen Biddle and Ivan Oelrich, worth reading.

Their key conclusion:

It is just as important, though, to be clear on what is not needed: the analysis above implies that AirSea Battle is not required for U.S. security in the Western Pacific, nor must the United States accept the costs and risks associated with its requirement for massive preemptive attack against Chinese land-based missiles and infrastructure located deep in mainland China. Our analysis implies no need to redesign or fundamentally restructure the U.S. Navy and Air Force to cope with Chinese A2/AD. A number of more limited changes are needed, but the analysis above does not imply a case for transformational change to meet the threat of A2/AD in the Western Pacific — incremental updating on the margins of existing U.S. capabilities and programs is sufficient.

In middle of Pacific, Obama pleads for protecting ecosystems

• Associated Press

Friday, September 2, 2016 1:26am

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MIDWAY ATOLL, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands — President Barack Obama plunked down on a speck of coral reef in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on Thursday and gazed out at the turquoise waters of the marine monument he has widened to become the largest in the world.

Few Americans have ever visited Midway, with its black-footed albatrosses and spinner dolphins — and that's exactly Obama's point. His visit to the atoll — home to fewer than 50 people — was carefully orchestrated to showcase natural beauty mostly untouched by humans, part of the president's bid to instill his calls for conservation with a sense of real-life urgency.

Hundreds of albatrosses and rare birds fluttered in the skies halfway between Asia and North America as the president paid an unusual visit to Midway Atoll, one of the most remote areas of the ocean. Driving on a golf cart past dilapidated buildings left over from World War II, Obama said protecting the atoll and its surroundings was critical to ensuring delicate ecosystems survive the throes of global warming.

"I look forward to knowing that 20 years from now, 40 years from now, 100 years from now, this is a place where people can still come to and see what a place like this looks like when it's not overcrowded and destroyed by human populations," Obama said, his shirt partially unbuttoned in the punishing island sun.

Squinting in the sunlight, Obama described Midway Atoll as "hallowed ground," a nod to the place it occupies in Native Hawaiian tradition. Yet Obama had a policy argument to make, too: It was critically important to examine what damage climate change is inflicting on communities in the Pacific Ocean.

Top military officials of S. Korea, U.S., Japan discuss trilateral cooperation

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- Top military officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan held talks in the Philippines on Tuesday and discussed the importance of trilateral security cooperation, the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) said.

The three-way meeting in Manila took place on the sidelines of the 2016 Chiefs of Defense (CHOD) Conference, an annual gathering of top military officials in the region.

In the trilateral meeting, South Korea's Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Vice Adm. Um Hyun Seong, was joined by U.S. Pacific Commander Adm. Harry Harris Jr. and Japan Self Defense Forces Chief of Staff Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, PACOM said on its website.

"The three leaders discussed the importance of trilateral cooperation and highlighted the success of the recent Pacific Dragon Exercise in Hawaii in July," the command said, referring to the first-ever joint missile-tracking exercise between the three countries.

The exercise was aimed at countering growing missile threats from North Korea.

Asean 2016 agenda set by US, China

Rivalry between China and the United States is dominating proceedings at the annual meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean), which meets in the Laotian capital Vientiane on Tuesday and Wednesday, even if the two two global players that are not even members of the organisaiton, which groups all south-east Asian countries, except East Timor and Papua New Guinea.

“To keep the peace and deter aggression, we've deployed more of our most advanced military capabilities to the region, including ships and aircraft to Singapore,” said US President Barack Obama who was attending the summit as a visitor.

By the end of the decade a majority of US navy and air force fleets will be based in the Pacific, he said, adding that "our partners and allies are collaborating more with each other as well. So our alliances and defense capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region are as strong as they have ever been.”

The local superpower, China, is not happy with Washington’s military ambitions in the regions, and is trying to secure its own maritime borders by constructing military structures and airfields on uninhabited rocks some 700 kilometres south of its southernmost landborder.

Some of these claims were rejected recently by a court in The Hague in favor of the Philippines last month.

San Nicolas: No Section 30 impact in proposed tax code delinking

The proposed delinking of local tax codes from federal tax codes would not have an impact on Section 30 funds and Guam’s tax exempt bonds, according to Sen. Michael F.Q. San Nicolas, citing responses from a federal government research body.  

The chairman of the committee on finance and taxation convened a meeting for the Guam Tax Commission yesterday morning to review the responses to questions sent to federal authorities. Earlier this year, the commission met to discuss the concerns related to the potential legal implications of Guam’s delinking from the Internal Revenue Code.

Current law requires Guam to use the IRC, a federal statutory tax law, as its territorial income tax law.

Plenty of jobs on Guam but not enough workers

07 Sep 2016 - Mar-Vic Cagurangan - marvic@postguam.com 

HAGÅTÑA — In the summer of last year, Capt. Stephanie Jones, commanding officer of Naval Engineering Facilities Command Marianas, announced that the Department of the Navy was planning to embark on at least 42 projects by 2021.

“Expect a lot of jobs,” Jones told the Guam Contractors Association.

She said the labor demand is expected to increase to about 7,000 by 2021 and average salaries related to the construction phase and military operation phase of the buildup are expected to be considerably higher than the median Guam salary in 2012.

The numbers looked good, but the promising scenario does not correspond to the current labor situation on Guam, where local industries are dealing with a manpower black hole.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ rampant denials of H-2B visa renewal are taking their toll on Guam’s healthcare and construction industries, where positions are mostly filled with Asian workers.

Japan: Veterans for Peace Join Protests Against U.S. Base on Okinawa

Delegations of Veterans for Peace activists have arrived in Okinawa, Japan, to join protests against the construction of U.S. Marine helipads in Takae, as well as the construction of a new U.S. military base in Henoko. 

Residents of Okinawa have staged massive protests against both the proposed base and the helipads. 

Okinawa already houses about 26,000 U.S. troops. 

The Veterans for Peace delegations arrived as a U.S. marine was arrested in Okinawa for allegedly trying to enter a woman’s apartment. 

Earlier this summer, protests erupted on Okinawa after a former U.S. marine working as a civilian contractor at a U.S. base was accused of raping and murdering a 20-year-old woman. The victim’s father has called for the removal of all U.S. bases on Okinawa.

Drop in budget request unrelated to base feud, new Okinawa affairs minister says

BY REIJI YOSHIDA

STAFF WRITER

• SEP 2, 2016

The Cabinet Office’s decision to request a smaller budget for Okinawan development isn’t due to the political tension with Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, but because Tokyo has a tight budget and Naha still has funds leftover from last year, the new state minister in charge of Okinawa affairs said in a joint interview.

The Cabinet Office cut its fiscal 2017 budget request for Okinawan development to ¥321 billion from ¥335 billion in the initial fiscal 2016 budget, the first drop since Shinzo Abe began his second stint as prime minister in December 2012.

Speculation has grown that Abe trimmed the request in retaliation for Onaga’s staunch refusal to back the long-delayed relocation of U.S. Marines Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan. The two sides are battling it out in court.

“This has nothing to do with (the Futenma issue). Development is development,” said Upper House lawmaker Yosuke Tsuruho, who was handed the Okinawa portfolio last month.

Navy To Further Restrict Sailors in Okinawa and Japan Following Appalling Crimes

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Navy officials in Japan have issued a new liberty policy with "several Okinawa-specific provisions."

The update, which essentially aligns Navy rules with those in effect forMarines on Okinawa, was announced Wednesday in a joint message from Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin and Rear Adm. Matthew Carter, commanders of the 7th Fleet and Naval Forces Japan respectively.

U.S. Forces Japan tightened liberty restrictions in July following a "negative trend" of alleged criminal activity and other liberty incidents. Individual services were allowed to impose other limitations, which briefly included Navy bans on all alcohol consumption and non-essential off-base travel.

Sailors stationed on Okinawa are now required to carry liberty cards, and those visiting there on leave or temporary assignment must carry a copy of their approved paperwork.

Sailors are also not allowed to stay overnight in the prefectural capital of Naha without command approval.

Judge Cenzon stresses importance of Veterans Treatment Court

Posted: Sep 02, 2016 8:38 AMUpdated: Sep 03, 2016 12:00 AM

By Krystal Paco

CONNECT

It's a new addition to the Judiciary of Guam. The Veterans Treatment Court caters to those who've fought for our freedom, but oftentimes return with invisible wounds. In a Guam Chamber of Commerce meeting held earlier this week, Judge Maria Cenzon explains the importance of the specialized court.

The Judiciary recently launched its Veterans Treatment Court. Within the first few months, Judge Cenzon says they have 26 participants. This number exceeds the national average and mirrors what the United States knows about Guam's patriotism: we have the highest per capita of military recruits by state. "Guam by the show of hands here, has the highest per capita of total military recruits by state. We are a 14,500 per 10,000 people as opposed to 8,500 per 10,000 people," she stated.

According to national statistics, more than half return from deployment with mental health conditions related to their service. One in six will struggle with addiction and one in five suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. These invisible wounds make it hard to re-integrate into society which may result in unemployment, homelessness, or even arrest.

Pre-Russia trip, Park defends US antimissile deployment

Russia, China strongly oppose US plan to deploy system in SKorea, saying it will escalate military tensions

World Bulletin / News Desk

South Korea's president has laid the ground for a trip to the Eastern Economic Forum in Russia by defending the contentious deployment of an advanced United States antimissile system on South Korean soil.

In an interview with Russia's state-run news agency Rossiya Segodnya on Friday, Park Geun-hye stressed that if military threats from North Korea were eliminated, the need for the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system would "naturally" dissipate.

Russia and China have both strongly opposed the plan, arguing it would escalate military tensions in East Asia.

"There is no reason, nor practical benefit, for the THAAD system to target any third country, and the Korean government does not have any such intentions or plans," South Korean news agency Yonhap reported her as saying.

Obama's Midway Stopover Marks Climate Change, Pacific Pivot

Military.com | Sep 02, 2016 | by Richard Sisk

President Barack Obama headed to the "hallowed" speck of coral reef that is Midway atoll Thursday on a symbolic visit to address climate change and also to send the message that the U.S. will remain the dominant maritime force in the Pacific.

Aboard one of the smaller versions of Air Force One, Obama left Hawaii enroute to Midway's Henderson Airfield, named for Marine Maj. Lofton Henderson. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for leading Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 241 (VMSB-241) in attacks on Japanese warships in the pivotal June 4-7, 1942 Battle of Midway.

US, Philippine airmen talks aim to enhance interoperability

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (AFNS) -- The ability of multinational militaries to work, train and fight alongside each other is vital within the dynamic security environment of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, the Philippine Air Force vice commander told U.S. military members during a recent conference here.

“The U.S. military is a comforting and reassuring presence,” Maj. Gen. Conrado Parra Jr. said at the fifth annual U.S.-Philippines Airman-to-Airman (A2A) talks held Aug. 29-31.

The A2A talks are designed to not only foster military-to-military relationships with allied forces, but also to pave the way for future collaboration.

Parra led a delegation of eight Filipino airmen who met with Maj. Gen. Mark Dillon, the Pacific Air Forces vice commander, and 24 PACAF Airmen, Marine Corps Forces Pacific and Hawaii Army National Guard personnel to discuss the way ahead for military cooperation between their two air forces.

The goals of the three-day conference were synchronizing planning between the U.S. Air Force and Philippine Air Force, shaping engagement priorities, strengthening the bilateral relationship with the PAF, and focusing on a three- to five-year outlook for PACAF-PAF activities.

China’s new strategic bomber will ‘significantly’ increase strike power: air force commander

Jamie Seidel, News Corp Australia Network

September 4, 2016 12:14am

BEIJING says it is building a new type of strategic bomber to ‘significantly increase’ the nation’s long-range strike capability amid escalating tensions in the South and East China Seas.

The People’s Daily, Global Times and South China Morning Post are reporting People’s Liberation Army Air Force chief Ma Xiaotian as revealing the long-range strategic bomber project to a military open day event Thursday.

10 military sites, former Naval Air Station to be tested for tainted water

Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno, gdumat-ol@guampdn.com12:30 a.m. ChST September 4, 2016 

The former Naval Air Station in Tiyan and 10 military sites in Guam are covered by a Pentagon-ordered study announced in March to determine the risk of contamination with the same potentially cancer-causing chemical found in some of Guam Waterworks Authority’s drinking water wells, a federal document states.

Located in the Tiyan area near the international airport, Naval Air Station was turned over to the government of Guam after the facility closed in 1995. The Tiyan area now hosts Tiyan High School, Guahan Academy Charter School, Guam Department of Education offices, and a mix of abandoned and occupied houses.

Tiyan sits above part of the northern aquifer, which is Guam’s underground source of fresh water, according to an environmental impact study for the closure of the former Naval Air Station.

The additional sites that will be tested for potential drinking water contamination fall under the Navy’s authority, but some of them are located within Andersen Air Force Base, according to the list.

IUCN Protesters: The Military Is Destroying The Planet

About two dozen protesters assembled peacefully outside the Hawaii Convention Center Saturday with a message to those meeting inside: The U.S. military is destroying the planet.

“World Can’t Wait-Hawaii thought it was important to have a presence at the World Conservation Congress to address the issue of militarization,” said organizer Liz Rees. “It’s kind of the elephant in the room, so to speak. If you want to talk about conservation and saving the planet, you have to address the issue of militarization — in Hawaii, the Pacific and worldwide.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress is in Honolulu this week and next to raise awareness of threats to the Earth and to find solutionsto address the threats.

But to activists like Rees, the IUCN should be talking about the U.S. military. 

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

The U.S. military is the single-largest consumer of fossil fuels,” she said. “We have over 1,000 military bases worldwide. We are wreaking environmental havoc.”

Implications of growing Indo-US military cooperation

By Sajjad Malik

0 Comment(s)Print E-mailChina.org.cn, September 3, 2016

Adjust font size: 

For decades, India resisted the temptation and various enticements to enter into any kind of defense or military agreement with another country that could end up embroiling it in someone else's war. This strategic impartiality may be over after the signing of an agreement with the United States to share land, air and naval bases.

Whatever gloss the two sides put up to divert criticism and speculation, it is clear that, primarily, this is not intended for peacetime activities. Countries may offer urgent refueling and maintenance services to others during peace, even in the absence of any formal agreement.

However, deals made after much covert and overt discussion to share defense facilities usually aim to seek security in future crisis situations, including wars.

Public comment phase opens for buildup projects

• Neil Pang | Post News Staff
 
• Updated Sep 5, 2016
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• The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Marianas announced the start of a 45-day public comment period for the Programmatic Agreement (PA) memo associated with Marine relocation projects on Guam.
  The memo in question concerns the military relocation to Guam and the CNMI of thousands of Marines and service personnel from Okinawa, Japan.
  The relocation of more than 5,000 is slated to start in 2022 with the first wave of 2,500 Marines. The remainder would be due by 2027.
  Specifically, the memo looked at the impacts, cultural, environmental and economic, that the buildup would have on island communities.

Report: Section 30 revenues drop

• Louella Losinio | Post News Staff
 
• Sep 6, 2016
 
•  (0)
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• The Department of Revenue and Taxation reported a decrease in Section 30 audited revenues in tax year 2015, according to the recent Citizen-Centric Report filed by the department.

  Section 30 funds refers to federal income taxes derived from active members of the armed forces and pensions paid to retired civilian and military employees of the United States who reside on Guam. These funds are appropriated to support the operations, activities and programs of the local government.

Hundreds of H-2 workers to leave Guam this week

06 Sep 2016

 

By John O’Connor - john@mvguam.com - Variety News Staff

HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Over 380 H-2B workers under Core Tech International Corp. are expected to leave Guam by the middle of this week.

The departure marks one of the largest from a single employer since complications with H-2B visa extensions and applications began earlier this year. The amount is also more than a quarter of the remaining 1,263 workers on the ground counted as of July. Greg Massey, administrator of the Guam Department of Labor’s Alien Labor Processing and Certification Division, has stated that by year’s end, the number of H-2 workers may dwindle below 100 individuals as visas naturally expire.

Protest Outside IUCN Draws Attention to US Military Environmental Impact

By NICK YEE • SEP 5, 2016

The IUCN World Conservation Congress continues this week as policy makers meet with leaders in global conservation.

Outside the meetings, protesters with “World Can’t Wait Hawai‘i” used the opportunity to raise awareness about the US military’s impact on the environment.  They say military occupation throughout the Pacific is responsible for using islands as target practice and destroying reefs.

They also say the military is one of the largest consumers of fossil fuels.  Liz Reese is a representative from “World Can’t Wait Hawai‘i.”  She says it’s hard to have an environmental discussion without mentioning damage done by the military.

World Can’t Wait held a protest on Saturday in front of the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

By 2018, New Caledonia is expected to hold a vote to determine whether the island will remain a French territory or become its own independent country.

New Caledonia’s plebiscite has been about 20 years in the making. The plebiscite was written into the Noumea Accord, a 1998 agreement with France that was the result of years of political unrest and armed conflict.

Guam residents know a thing or two about waiting for such a vote — a vote that could decide the island’s future political status.

“The situation of Guam is replicated across our Pacific Ocean,” said journalist and researcher Nic Maclellan.

Decolonization task force launches monthly forum

A Decolonization Commission task force has started monthly meetings, or general assemblies, to educate and engage the island community regarding the political status option of independence.

The Independence for Guahan Task Force is one of three commission task forces charged with spearheading efforts to educate and inform Guam about the three political status options available to the island’s residents, should a plebiscite be held.

The plebiscite is a nonbinding voter referendum to measure the preferred political status of the island’s native inhabitants in regards to Guam’s future relationship with the U.S. The three self-determination options for Guam are independence, statehood and free association.

Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood to decide on plebiscite case

The decision of whether or not a non-Chamorro man will be eligible to vote in the island's self-determination plebiscite is in the hands of District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood following arguments yesterday in her courtroom.

Attorney Christian Adams, representing Arnold “Dave” Davis, argued against Julian Aguon, special assistant attorney general, who was representing the government of Guam.

Davis in 2011 filed a complaint against the government after he was not allowed to register to participate in the proposed plebiscite, which has not been scheduled. Under Guam law, the nonbinding plebiscite limits participation to native inhabitants, defined as people “who became U.S. citizens by virtue of the authority and enactment of the 1950 Organic Act of Guam and descendants of those persons.” Eligible voters will choose between statehood, free association or independence as their preferred relationship to the U.S.

Hagåtña residents discuss decolonization efforts

The Commission on Decolonization launched its first community conversations meeting at Senator Angel Santos Park in Hagåtña on Monday where island residents were invited to discuss Guam’s yet-to-be scheduled political status referendum.

Monday’s gathering at Santos Park, or Latte Stone Park, was the first in a series of 108 meetings scheduled throughout this year, as the commission works to educate the island on its decolonization efforts.

Several government officials and island leaders, including Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo and Sen. Rory Respicio, D-Agana Heights, attended the inaugural event. Both politicians are running for re-election.

The idea behind the community meetings, Respicio said, was to get everyone in the right frame of mind regarding decolonization and what the three political status options mean for Guam.

Air Force secretary visits Guam

The Air Force’s top civilian boss said while visiting Andersen Air Force Base in Guam Tuesday that a busier Air Force presence is expected here in the coming year.

“You are truly the front-line defenders, and you are the front-line responders in a very large, complex, important and very volatile neighborhood within our world,” Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said to Guam-based airmen.

The United States is committed to the “rebalance,” she said, referring to the plan to shift more military troops and personnel to the Asia-Pacific.

“There’s lots of activity going on right now, and even more projected in the next year,” she said.

Obama’s China visit gets off to rocky start, reflecting current relations

The Washington Post

William Wan

10 hrs ago


HANGZHOU, China — The problems began as soon as President Obama landed in China.

There were no stairs waiting for him to emerge from his usual door at the front of Air Force One.

On the tarmac, as Obama’s staffers scrambled to get lower-level stairs in place for him to disembark, White House press photographers traveling with him tried to get in their usual position to mark his arrival in a foreign country, only to find a member of the Chinese welcoming delegation screaming at them.

More than 100 protesters struggle to block US military’s helipad construction

September 1, 2016 Ryukyu Shimpo 

[Helipad coverage team] From 10:25 to 10:55 on the morning of September 1, the Okinawa Defense Bureau carried ten dump trucks of gravel through the gate to the N1 zone, one of the planned sites where new helipads are to be constructed as part of the plan to build new helipads (helicopter takeoff and landing strips) in the U.S. military’s Northern Training Area, which spans Higashi Village and Kunigami Village. Approximately 80 protesters opposing the construction engaged in actions to prevent vehicles carrying workers and the dump trucks from entering the N1 gate, stopping the vehicles along Prefectural Road 70 and engaging in sit-in actions. These actions delayed the work roughly two hours.

US Army “violating human rights” in Okinawa

By Zofia Reych

Amid heavy protests, the Japanese government has revealed plans to conduct major maintenance work at the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on the southern island of Okinawa.

The initial government plan to relocate Futenma to a less prominent location within the island has ground to a halt due to local opposition, and the repair work is seen as necessary to keep the base operational.

Local authorities, backed by the majority of Okinawan population, resist the refurbishment of the base and are lobbying for the complete closure of the facility.

Japanese media accuse police of ‘violating press freedom’ at anti-US military protest

Two Okinawa newspapers have accused the Japanese riot police of using force to remove their journalists from a protest against the construction of US military helipads in the area last week.

The Okinawa Times and the Ryukyu Shimpo newspapers said that the security forces acted in “violation of freedom of the press” by disrupting the activity of their reporters at the rally.

According to the outlets, the journalists had their hands twisted by police while they were being forcibly removed from the site of the demonstration.