DANCING WITH A ROGUE EMPIRE
by
Roland G. Simbulan*
July 4, 2007
The Philippine Daily Inquirer
July 4 marks the independence day of what has become today the modern American Empire. July 4 also used to be our own independence day because while it was granted to us by our colonizer right after the Second World War, it became an outright farce as new economic, political and military agreements were imposed on us. These were the quid pro quo for the passage of reconstruction assistance by the U.S. Congress that our leaders had to beg for to rebuild Manila's infrastructure, the second most devastated city in the world, next only to Warsaw in Poland.
But our July 4th "independence day" became too embarrassing, so we turned July 4 into "Philippine-American Friendship Day." Ironically, then Philippine president Diosdado Macapagal who made this change of date of Philippine Independence from July 4 to June 12 would not go beyond date change in asserting the country's national sovereignty. Nor did he have the political will to stand up to U.S. designs. The "Filipino First" economic policies of the previous Garcia administration were dismantled by Macapagal, giving in to the wishes of the American Chamber of Commerce and the International Monetary Fund. It was then that the Philippines entered the era where its economic and fiscal policies were designed by the IMF and the World Bank, institutions under the thumb of the United States.
Today, we have joined the global "war on terror," led by what a former official of the U.S. State Department, William Blum, called " The Rogue State". The Philippines has become an accomplice thru the Balikatan military exercises which trains U.S. interventionist forces for missions around the globe.
More than half a million American troops are posted outside U.S. territory (of which 137,000 are in Iraq) in at least 740 overseas military bases and facilities, mostly in Europe and Asia, to guard U.S. corporate, vital resource and strategic interests. In fact, its armed legions have divided the world into "U.S. unified commands" like the Pacific Command, European Command,Central Command, Southern Command, Northern Command, even the U.S. Air Forces' Space Command, etc.. On the other hand, it rules and dominates the high seas with gunboat diplomacy maintained by its naval carrier fleets and so-called "expeditionary forces." It has used its lead in high-tech warfare and panoply of advanced strike, surveillance and communications systems worldwide to bomb just about any target it wishes to destroy on our planet with impunity. And in the past five years, in contravention of the U.N. Security Council, it has invaded and occupied two sovereign states which were recognized by the United Nations.
It controls and dictates the direction and policies of the three largest global corporations today: the IMF, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization. The largest private global corporations are U.S. transnational corporations, but even the largest strategic oil and vital resource corporations , are U.S. corporations. Now an empire, and a far cry from its founding fathers' libertarian aspirations, the United States, though having less than 20 percent of the world's population, consumes more than 60 percent of the globe's natural and food resources.
A recent book, Empire and the Bomb (2007) by Dr. Joseph Gerson, an American scholar of East Asian affairs, states that the U.S. rogue empire engaged in more than 150 military interventions from 1899 to 2000, in complete disregard of the sovereignty of small states. It is the only country that actually exploded nuclear weapons against the people of a non-nuclear state. According to Gerson, the United States has threatened the use of nuclear weapons to preserve its global empire on more than 20 occasions against other countries especially during the Cold War -- against Russia, China, Vietnam, Korea and the Middle East. Today, it continues to follow its doctrine of "full spectrum dominance" by threatening to use and to detonate nuclear weapons against smaller countries.
But it is not just guilty of double standards when it comes to the matter of nuclear weapons; it also does so when it comes to human rights and democracy. The Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo prisons ---or even those long-ago atrocities committed against a distant people, the Filipinos, during the "pacification" war in the early 1900s, all speak of how the United States truly regards human rights.
That is why it cannot claim to have a high moral ground when it raises concerns against nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran, while ignoring the nuclear arsenals of its allies, Israel and Pakistan. It also keeps mum on its own continued development of mini-nukes, uranium-depleted ordnances, strategic and tactical nuclear weapons, and other kinds of weapons of mass destruction like chemical and biological weapons that it continues to develop and refine.
The Bush administration's foreign policies have, in fact, only increased the enemies of the U.S. worldwide, such as those among families left behind by those who were obliterated by American bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq. Six years after 9/11, the U.S. --the rogue empire -- has neither diminished the threat to its homeland nor to its interests; it has become the No. 1 recruiter of its most feared "terrorist" enemies.
Our friendship today with the American people should start by strengthening our solidarity with those among them who oppose the continued military occupation of Iraq and the global military interventions of the Bush administration. Thousands of promising young Americans just out of their teens, especially from minority families --Blacks, Hispanic, Asian including Filipino-Americans -- who have joined the U.S. armed forces either for employment or for the much-coveted U.S. citizenship are being used today as cannon fodder in a useless, senseless war in Iraq. Many young Americans have been sacrificed by Bush to die for the expansion and reaping of superprofits by U.S. oil companies which have shamelessly grabbed Iraq's oil-rich lands.
Recently, the American people have expressed their anti-war sentiment by voting for Democrats in both chambers of the U.S. Congress. We should support those Americans who oppose war and intervention in other sovereign countries. They are our allies as we are theirs in the struggle for peace. The American people are learning that they must act quickly, they must speak out now, before it is too late, as more Iraqis and Americans continue to die for the corporate greed of U.S. oil companies.
A few years ago, a Filipino war veteran who survived Bataan and the Death March and who now lives in San Diego wrote me a lengthy letter saying I was an "ingrate" (walang utang na loob) for opposing U.S. policies in the Philippines and in other countries. He said that "we should support Americans for having liberated us Filipinos from the Japanese in World War II, and we should be grateful for this." I wrote back to our kababayan in the United States, clarifying two points with him.
First, I said, when Filipinos strongly articulate pro-Filipino and pro-sovereignty positions on issues such as the Subic rape case where the victim was a Filipina, they do not seek to disrupt or sever our ties with the United States. On the contrary, what we seek is the improvement, expansion and deepening of those ties, which have been weakened, smeared and strained in the past and even in the present by unequal, one-sided relations. Because after all, when we talk about true "friendship", a relationship between two entities, we assume that there is mutuality and respect of the other . When one treats the other as a doormat, you cannot expect such a relationship to flourish or develop.
Second, that those who are strongly against U.S. interventions are not anti-American, but are in fact, pro-American people. The policies and activities of the US government in many Third World countries are not necessarily supported by the American people, let alone known by the latter because these are hidden under the cloak of secret operations by the CIA. There is also opposition because of the serious budgetary deficits caused by over-spending on its defense and military expenditures, eating away a big portion of the US budget that should have gone to health, education, welfare and school-feeding programs, and other basic social services for the American people.
If we succeed in preventing and stopping U.S. wars and other forms of U.S. military interventions overseas like the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, we would in fact be giving the American people a big favor. In that case, more money can be rechanneled to where it should be spent, namely, for their social and welfare services . This is where the deeper and more substantial interests of the Filipino and American peoples can actually converge.
_____________________________________________________________________
* This article was based on the author's speech at Dela Salle University-Taft, Yuchengco Hall on June 30, 2007. Roland Simbulan is Full Professor at the University of the Philippines. An author of several books on Philippine-American relations, he is also a former Faculty Regent and Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
Solidarity Between Guam and Australian Activists
Australian activists share solidarity with Guam counterparts
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff
July 2, 2007
AUSTRALIAN peace activists have shared their solidarity with their Guam counterparts who are opposing the military buildup and the repositioning of nuclear-powered submarines at the Naval Base and aircraft carriers at Andersen Air Force Base.
"The Chamorro people face the prospect of more of their pristine land and sea areas being polluted and contaminated by the toxic chemicals used by the military, as is happening here in Shoalwater Bay," peace activists said in a statement read at Yeppoon Rockhampton during the June 24 rally against the joint U.S.-Australia war games billed "Talisman Sabre '07."
Thousands of activists participated in the Peace Convergence that opposed the military exercise held at the Shoalwater Bay training area near central Queensland. Nasion Chamoru was represented by young Chamorro activist Fanai Castro.
"These experiences of Gua'han and Gani that Fanai Castro has shared with us during the Peace Convergence are full of important warnings to all Australians," according to a Peace Convergence statement.
"We of the Peace Convergence and the thousands of other Australians who support us extend our warm solidarity to the Chamorro people and all the organizations of your island that are struggling against military occupation and colonization imposed by the U.S.," the statement added.
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff
July 2, 2007
AUSTRALIAN peace activists have shared their solidarity with their Guam counterparts who are opposing the military buildup and the repositioning of nuclear-powered submarines at the Naval Base and aircraft carriers at Andersen Air Force Base.
"The Chamorro people face the prospect of more of their pristine land and sea areas being polluted and contaminated by the toxic chemicals used by the military, as is happening here in Shoalwater Bay," peace activists said in a statement read at Yeppoon Rockhampton during the June 24 rally against the joint U.S.-Australia war games billed "Talisman Sabre '07."
Thousands of activists participated in the Peace Convergence that opposed the military exercise held at the Shoalwater Bay training area near central Queensland. Nasion Chamoru was represented by young Chamorro activist Fanai Castro.
"These experiences of Gua'han and Gani that Fanai Castro has shared with us during the Peace Convergence are full of important warnings to all Australians," according to a Peace Convergence statement.
"We of the Peace Convergence and the thousands of other Australians who support us extend our warm solidarity to the Chamorro people and all the organizations of your island that are struggling against military occupation and colonization imposed by the U.S.," the statement added.
Friday, June 29, 2007
US Allies to use the Northern Marianas for Training
US allies to use Marianas for training
By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff
friday 29 june 07
--------------------
THE U.S. and its major military allies in the Asia-Pacific region — Australia and Japan — will be using air, sea and land areas on Guam and the Northern Marianas for training.
This month, the U.S. defense representative to Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau began the early stages of preparing an environmental impact statement/overseas environmental impact statement in connection with the range complex’s proposed update and active use.
This range complex, which covers Guam and the Northern Marianas, was last updated in 1999.
This month, American and Japanese pilots held a two-week joint aerial live bombing exercises on the uninhabited island of Farallon de Mendinilla, about 45 miles north-northeast of Saipan.
This is the first time that Japanese pilots tested their high-tech war planes known as F-2 outside of Japan since the prototypes were made in 2000.
Lt. Donnell Evans of the U.S. Commander Naval Forces Marianas public information office said the military is not conducting any new training but simply wants to update the study of the ranges amid plans to more actively use them.
“The training that we’re doing now is sometimes obvious to the public and sometimes not obvious,” said Evans. “We’re looking at training on currently controlled-(Department of Defense) lands but the difference is this is an update to the study of the ranges. We’re a little bit behind because of budget and financial (constraints).”
“(The Mariana Islands Range Complex) is very important. It allows us to get quality training. Not just for the U.S…. These same training ranges will be available to our allies. It helps us in relationship building. It helps us in being proficient in working with the different military and it also helps us be proficient in what our business is,” he added.
Besides Australia and Japan, the navies of Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, among others, may also use the ranges for training, said Evans.
Among the proposed upgrades include activities for underwater mine warfare and antisubmarine warfare, underwater training range, new small arms and mortar ranges and military operations on urban terrain.
Northern Marianas is claiming rights and control over its 200-mile submerged lands. But the U.S. claimed the islands surrendered its rights on such when it became part of the nation through their Covenant Agreement in 1976.
During the recently held scoping meeting on Saipan, a public document showed that the Mariana Islands Range Complex has provided the U.S. military with a safe testing and training environment for over 100 years.
“The land, air, and sea areas of the Mariana islands are irreplaceable. These areas are important to all people of the Marianas, including members of the U.S. military services who call the Marianas their home,” the document stated.
“The ranges and facilities of the Mariana Islands Range Complex are unique because of their location in the western Pacific where deployed forces can maintain warfighting proficiencies. This range complex is also in proximity to Forward Deployed Naval Forces, which also need to maintain their warfighting proficiency,” it added.
By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff
friday 29 june 07
--------------------
THE U.S. and its major military allies in the Asia-Pacific region — Australia and Japan — will be using air, sea and land areas on Guam and the Northern Marianas for training.
This month, the U.S. defense representative to Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau began the early stages of preparing an environmental impact statement/overseas environmental impact statement in connection with the range complex’s proposed update and active use.
This range complex, which covers Guam and the Northern Marianas, was last updated in 1999.
This month, American and Japanese pilots held a two-week joint aerial live bombing exercises on the uninhabited island of Farallon de Mendinilla, about 45 miles north-northeast of Saipan.
This is the first time that Japanese pilots tested their high-tech war planes known as F-2 outside of Japan since the prototypes were made in 2000.
Lt. Donnell Evans of the U.S. Commander Naval Forces Marianas public information office said the military is not conducting any new training but simply wants to update the study of the ranges amid plans to more actively use them.
“The training that we’re doing now is sometimes obvious to the public and sometimes not obvious,” said Evans. “We’re looking at training on currently controlled-(Department of Defense) lands but the difference is this is an update to the study of the ranges. We’re a little bit behind because of budget and financial (constraints).”
“(The Mariana Islands Range Complex) is very important. It allows us to get quality training. Not just for the U.S…. These same training ranges will be available to our allies. It helps us in relationship building. It helps us in being proficient in working with the different military and it also helps us be proficient in what our business is,” he added.
Besides Australia and Japan, the navies of Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, among others, may also use the ranges for training, said Evans.
Among the proposed upgrades include activities for underwater mine warfare and antisubmarine warfare, underwater training range, new small arms and mortar ranges and military operations on urban terrain.
Northern Marianas is claiming rights and control over its 200-mile submerged lands. But the U.S. claimed the islands surrendered its rights on such when it became part of the nation through their Covenant Agreement in 1976.
During the recently held scoping meeting on Saipan, a public document showed that the Mariana Islands Range Complex has provided the U.S. military with a safe testing and training environment for over 100 years.
“The land, air, and sea areas of the Mariana islands are irreplaceable. These areas are important to all people of the Marianas, including members of the U.S. military services who call the Marianas their home,” the document stated.
“The ranges and facilities of the Mariana Islands Range Complex are unique because of their location in the western Pacific where deployed forces can maintain warfighting proficiencies. This range complex is also in proximity to Forward Deployed Naval Forces, which also need to maintain their warfighting proficiency,” it added.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
More on CNMI Federalization
Administration on federalization: ‘It’s up to the US Congress’
By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety New Staff
June 19, 2007
THE administration was surprised when Sen. Daniel Akaka introduced the CNMI federalization bill in the U.S. Senate and now concedes that the fate of local immigration control will be decided by the U.S. Congress, according to Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial traveled to Hawaii last month to meet with Akaka, D-Ha., and urged him to take the CNMI’s side on the federalization issue.
But on Friday, Akaka and other senators introduced S. 1634 or the Northern Mariana Islands Covenant Implementation Act, which will extend the federal immigration law to the islands.
“I guess it’s surprising,” said Reyes when asked for the administration’s comment.
“We’ve called for objective studies before major drastic actions are taken that would affect the CNMI economy. Unfortunately, our calls for caution have not been heard. There seems to be a strong determination in the new Congress to address the CNMI…minimum wage and immigration in a rapid fashion,” he added. “Ultimately, it’s not really in our control. It’s up to the U.S. Congress.”
Reyes said the administration will continue to lobby against immigration federalization.
The governor’s special legal counsel, Howard P. Willens, declined to comment on S. 1634, saying he had not seen a copy of the bill.
He said it may be the same 14-page draft bill that U.S. Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs David Cohen drafted upon the request of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
In a separate interview, Speaker Oscar M. Babauta, Covenant-Saipan, said unlike the administration, he is not totally opposed to federalizing local immigration.
“I’m not totally opposed to it. I just hope that whatever is the end result with respect to the CNMI’s immigration system, they would consider the islands’ economy by inserting certain special provisions,” he said.
He said the CNMI should be allowed to continue hiring foreign workers and welcome tourists from China and Russia.
“We don’t want a total phase-out of foreign workers. We want to make sure that employers can still avail of skilled labor workers. We want to hire more locals, but there aren’t enough available here,” said Babauta.
As for the bill’s provision that would grant non-immigrant status to long-time foreign workers, Babauta said: “Since the CNMI does not take part in granting citizenship to non-indigenous people, I’ll leave that up to the U.S. Congress.”
By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety New Staff
June 19, 2007
THE administration was surprised when Sen. Daniel Akaka introduced the CNMI federalization bill in the U.S. Senate and now concedes that the fate of local immigration control will be decided by the U.S. Congress, according to Press Secretary Charles P. Reyes Jr.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial traveled to Hawaii last month to meet with Akaka, D-Ha., and urged him to take the CNMI’s side on the federalization issue.
But on Friday, Akaka and other senators introduced S. 1634 or the Northern Mariana Islands Covenant Implementation Act, which will extend the federal immigration law to the islands.
“I guess it’s surprising,” said Reyes when asked for the administration’s comment.
“We’ve called for objective studies before major drastic actions are taken that would affect the CNMI economy. Unfortunately, our calls for caution have not been heard. There seems to be a strong determination in the new Congress to address the CNMI…minimum wage and immigration in a rapid fashion,” he added. “Ultimately, it’s not really in our control. It’s up to the U.S. Congress.”
Reyes said the administration will continue to lobby against immigration federalization.
The governor’s special legal counsel, Howard P. Willens, declined to comment on S. 1634, saying he had not seen a copy of the bill.
He said it may be the same 14-page draft bill that U.S. Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular Affairs David Cohen drafted upon the request of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
In a separate interview, Speaker Oscar M. Babauta, Covenant-Saipan, said unlike the administration, he is not totally opposed to federalizing local immigration.
“I’m not totally opposed to it. I just hope that whatever is the end result with respect to the CNMI’s immigration system, they would consider the islands’ economy by inserting certain special provisions,” he said.
He said the CNMI should be allowed to continue hiring foreign workers and welcome tourists from China and Russia.
“We don’t want a total phase-out of foreign workers. We want to make sure that employers can still avail of skilled labor workers. We want to hire more locals, but there aren’t enough available here,” said Babauta.
As for the bill’s provision that would grant non-immigrant status to long-time foreign workers, Babauta said: “Since the CNMI does not take part in granting citizenship to non-indigenous people, I’ll leave that up to the U.S. Congress.”
Monday, June 18, 2007
Marianas Will Be One Big Military Camp
Marianas as one big military camp
By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff
18 June 07
------------------
THE public scoping meetings scheduled to be held on Guam and the CNMI this week may be more important than the ones recently completed for the Marines' relocation plan.
The draft environmental impact statement, or EIS, for the proposed Mariana Islands Range Complex is regional in scope, affecting not only Guam but also Saipan and Tinian.
It also involves not just an increase in military personnel but also an increase in the number and type of training operations such as underwater mine warfare, antisubmarine warfare, and other underwater training that could have an impact on the environment.
The U.S. military has long been using the Marianas as a training range but not in the scope that is being proposed now which is why the military is holding public scoping meetings to draw up a new EIS that would supplant the Marianas Training Plan EIS drawn in 1999.
Moreover, the proposed action not just revolves on training activities but actually goes beyond training and also focuses on the "research, development, testing and evaluation of systems, weapons and platforms."
One such new weapon and platform is the future proposed Littoral Combat Ship which is the first of the U.S. Navy's next-generation surface combatant ships.
The concept behind the Littoral Combat Ship as described by the Navy is to create a small, fast, maneuverable and relatively inexpensive ship that can be easily reconfigured for multiple roles.
These roles include anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, homeland defense, maritime intercept, special operations, and logistics functions that can be launched from Guam during times of conflict in the region.
Both the Guam and CNMI economies are expected to benefit from the expansion of the militar's activities in the Mariana Islands Range Complex as the military also wants to upgrade and modernize ranges and training areas, including new small arms and mortar ranges, Military Operations on Urban Terrain, and a new mortar range and other live-fire ranges on Tinian as well as more capable fixed underwater training ranges.
According to the military, the facilities of the Mariana Islands Range Complex are unique because of their location in the western Pacific where deployed U.S. forces can maintain their war fighting proficiencies.
This range complex is also in proximity to forward deployed U.S. naval forces that also need to maintain their war fighting proficiency."The range complex provides U.S. forces with a wide range of training opportunities involving varying degrees of complexity and diversity, which enhances the training benefit," a backgrounder provided by the military said.
To keep up with advances in technology and new security challenges, the military said the various U.S. Services including the U.S. Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force occasionally need to change their operations, including the way they test weapons and train service personnel.
Before making any changes, the military said it is vital to ensure that the changes will not harm the environment of the Marianas, including the land and sea animals and plants; natural resources; cultural sites and artifacts; and the economic well-being and quality of life of the Marianas people.
Thus, the need for an Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS/OEIS, that would study current and future training activities in the Mariana Islands Range Complex.
The first public scoping meeting for this EIS will be held at the Guam Hilton today from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Subsequent meetings will be held at the Hyatt Regency Saipan on Wednesday and the Tinian Dynasty Hotel on Thursday.
The scoping meetings have two main objectives: to inform the public about the Defense Representative’s Proposed Action and to obtain written comments on environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS/OEIS.
The U.S. Defense Representative is accepting comments throughout the 45-day comment period, from June 1, 2007 to July 16, 2007.
According to DoD, there may be some overlap between the Mariana Islands Range Complex EIS/OEISs and the EIS being prepared for the relocation of the Okinawa Marines.
But DoD said the preparation of these documents between the Commander Pacific Fleet and the Joint Guam Program Office will be closely coordinated to ensure consistency.
By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff
18 June 07
------------------
THE public scoping meetings scheduled to be held on Guam and the CNMI this week may be more important than the ones recently completed for the Marines' relocation plan.
The draft environmental impact statement, or EIS, for the proposed Mariana Islands Range Complex is regional in scope, affecting not only Guam but also Saipan and Tinian.
It also involves not just an increase in military personnel but also an increase in the number and type of training operations such as underwater mine warfare, antisubmarine warfare, and other underwater training that could have an impact on the environment.
The U.S. military has long been using the Marianas as a training range but not in the scope that is being proposed now which is why the military is holding public scoping meetings to draw up a new EIS that would supplant the Marianas Training Plan EIS drawn in 1999.
Moreover, the proposed action not just revolves on training activities but actually goes beyond training and also focuses on the "research, development, testing and evaluation of systems, weapons and platforms."
One such new weapon and platform is the future proposed Littoral Combat Ship which is the first of the U.S. Navy's next-generation surface combatant ships.
The concept behind the Littoral Combat Ship as described by the Navy is to create a small, fast, maneuverable and relatively inexpensive ship that can be easily reconfigured for multiple roles.
These roles include anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, homeland defense, maritime intercept, special operations, and logistics functions that can be launched from Guam during times of conflict in the region.
Both the Guam and CNMI economies are expected to benefit from the expansion of the militar's activities in the Mariana Islands Range Complex as the military also wants to upgrade and modernize ranges and training areas, including new small arms and mortar ranges, Military Operations on Urban Terrain, and a new mortar range and other live-fire ranges on Tinian as well as more capable fixed underwater training ranges.
According to the military, the facilities of the Mariana Islands Range Complex are unique because of their location in the western Pacific where deployed U.S. forces can maintain their war fighting proficiencies.
This range complex is also in proximity to forward deployed U.S. naval forces that also need to maintain their war fighting proficiency."The range complex provides U.S. forces with a wide range of training opportunities involving varying degrees of complexity and diversity, which enhances the training benefit," a backgrounder provided by the military said.
To keep up with advances in technology and new security challenges, the military said the various U.S. Services including the U.S. Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force occasionally need to change their operations, including the way they test weapons and train service personnel.
Before making any changes, the military said it is vital to ensure that the changes will not harm the environment of the Marianas, including the land and sea animals and plants; natural resources; cultural sites and artifacts; and the economic well-being and quality of life of the Marianas people.
Thus, the need for an Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS/OEIS, that would study current and future training activities in the Mariana Islands Range Complex.
The first public scoping meeting for this EIS will be held at the Guam Hilton today from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Subsequent meetings will be held at the Hyatt Regency Saipan on Wednesday and the Tinian Dynasty Hotel on Thursday.
The scoping meetings have two main objectives: to inform the public about the Defense Representative’s Proposed Action and to obtain written comments on environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS/OEIS.
The U.S. Defense Representative is accepting comments throughout the 45-day comment period, from June 1, 2007 to July 16, 2007.
According to DoD, there may be some overlap between the Mariana Islands Range Complex EIS/OEISs and the EIS being prepared for the relocation of the Okinawa Marines.
But DoD said the preparation of these documents between the Commander Pacific Fleet and the Joint Guam Program Office will be closely coordinated to ensure consistency.
Secret Military Memo
1945 secret memo reveals US real intention for Guam
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff
June 19, 2007
IF THE U.S. government is making military decisions based on its post-war policy for Guam, then the civilian population might not expect too much help from the federal government when 8,000 Marines arrive from Okinawa because the island’s economic development was the least of its concern.
In a secret memo issued on Nov. 21, 1945, Vice Adm. G.D. Murray, then commander of the Marianas Navy Force, stated that “the economic development and administration of relatively few native inhabitants should be subordinate to the real purpose for which those islands are held.”
“Military control of these islands is essential as their military value far outweighs their economic value,” Murray stated in the three-page memo that recommended the Navy’s control of Guam and other western Pacific islands, including American Samoa.
While recognizing Guam’s strategic importance, Murray said the island’s commercial or industrial value and its resources were “of little or no relative importance to the welfare of the United States.”
“From the military stand point,” Murray said, “a contented healthy and loyal native population contributes a strong link in the strength of those lands as bases.”
Murray described the island natives as “simple people, requiring few of our modern luxuries for their welfare and happiness.”
“The characteristics and nature of the majority of inhabitants on these islands are such that the artificial or forced raising of their standard of living to one approaching that of the United States would be detrimental to their best interest and would contribute little to the safety and welfare of the United States,” Murray said.
The U.S. military government on Guam began on June 21, 1898, with the surrender of Spanish troops. By virtue of the Treaty of Peace signed in Paris on Dec. 10, 1898, Spain ceded Guam, along with the Philippines and Puerto Rico, to the U.S.
Guam was invaded by Japan in 1941, and recaptured by the U.S. on July 21, 1944, which is yearly celebrated on island as “Liberation Day.”
Guam’s strategic location, long recognized by the military, remains to be valuable to the U.S. defense system, hence the unabated military expansion on island.
The business sector welcomes the military buildup, which is touted to generate a construction boom, spur business activities and generate thousands of jobs.
With limited infrastructure on Guam, however, local leaders acknowledge that the island is not prepared to accommodate the influx of population that will be transferred from Okinawa.
Local leaders have not received assurance of federal assistance to aid the civilian population with the need for infrastructure developments and increased supply of water and power.
The 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act passed by the House of Representatives last week appropriates $345 million only for military construction projects that would accommodate the needs of military personnel stationed on Guam.
The 2008 construction budget only covers projects within the Navy base such as the Kilo Wharf extension, the improvement of security of electrical systems, housing and fitness for Navy personnel, upgrade of the Naval Base Guam wastewater treatment plant, and infrastructure development at Northwest Field.
But just the same, Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo expects the military construction activities to “go a long way in stimulating our economy and new tax revenues from these federal projects will be a significant help to our island once the projects are undertaken.”
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff
June 19, 2007
IF THE U.S. government is making military decisions based on its post-war policy for Guam, then the civilian population might not expect too much help from the federal government when 8,000 Marines arrive from Okinawa because the island’s economic development was the least of its concern.
In a secret memo issued on Nov. 21, 1945, Vice Adm. G.D. Murray, then commander of the Marianas Navy Force, stated that “the economic development and administration of relatively few native inhabitants should be subordinate to the real purpose for which those islands are held.”
“Military control of these islands is essential as their military value far outweighs their economic value,” Murray stated in the three-page memo that recommended the Navy’s control of Guam and other western Pacific islands, including American Samoa.
While recognizing Guam’s strategic importance, Murray said the island’s commercial or industrial value and its resources were “of little or no relative importance to the welfare of the United States.”
“From the military stand point,” Murray said, “a contented healthy and loyal native population contributes a strong link in the strength of those lands as bases.”
Murray described the island natives as “simple people, requiring few of our modern luxuries for their welfare and happiness.”
“The characteristics and nature of the majority of inhabitants on these islands are such that the artificial or forced raising of their standard of living to one approaching that of the United States would be detrimental to their best interest and would contribute little to the safety and welfare of the United States,” Murray said.
The U.S. military government on Guam began on June 21, 1898, with the surrender of Spanish troops. By virtue of the Treaty of Peace signed in Paris on Dec. 10, 1898, Spain ceded Guam, along with the Philippines and Puerto Rico, to the U.S.
Guam was invaded by Japan in 1941, and recaptured by the U.S. on July 21, 1944, which is yearly celebrated on island as “Liberation Day.”
Guam’s strategic location, long recognized by the military, remains to be valuable to the U.S. defense system, hence the unabated military expansion on island.
The business sector welcomes the military buildup, which is touted to generate a construction boom, spur business activities and generate thousands of jobs.
With limited infrastructure on Guam, however, local leaders acknowledge that the island is not prepared to accommodate the influx of population that will be transferred from Okinawa.
Local leaders have not received assurance of federal assistance to aid the civilian population with the need for infrastructure developments and increased supply of water and power.
The 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act passed by the House of Representatives last week appropriates $345 million only for military construction projects that would accommodate the needs of military personnel stationed on Guam.
The 2008 construction budget only covers projects within the Navy base such as the Kilo Wharf extension, the improvement of security of electrical systems, housing and fitness for Navy personnel, upgrade of the Naval Base Guam wastewater treatment plant, and infrastructure development at Northwest Field.
But just the same, Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo expects the military construction activities to “go a long way in stimulating our economy and new tax revenues from these federal projects will be a significant help to our island once the projects are undertaken.”
Monday, June 11, 2007
Money for Marines Move Still Not Finalized
$6B Japan financing not yet final
By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff
May 29, 2007
THE $6 billion approved by Japanese lawmakers to help fund the relocation of Marines from Okinawa to Guam is not yet final, the Consulate General of Japan in Guam announced.
In a letter, Consul General Tamio Tomino said the $6 billion that will be shouldered by the Japanese government under its agreement with the U.S. was not outlined in the bill approved last week by Japan's upper house of parliament.
"For the time being, however, this is the figure that the governments of Japan and the U.S. are looking at as Japan's share of the estimated costs for the relocation of the U.S. Marines," Tomino said.
He added that the actual timeline for the Japan Diet to take up this matter for discussion has not yet been decided "and will probably not be" until the U.S. side completes the Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, process and other preparatory work.
So far, the Navy is far from completing a draft EIS as it only recently finished polling residents' feedback about the planned relocation of the Marines.
The input from Guam and CNMI residents will still be forwarded to Navy planners as they prepare to draft an EIS, which will analyze the impact of the Marines' relocation on the community and culture of Guam and the CNMI.
This means that further delay could still occur before the actual extent of Japan's financing could be known.
Guam Contractors Association executive director James Martinez, in an interview with Variety, said his group's members are hungry for more details in the aftermath of the Japanese parliament's approval of the Marine relocation financing.
"Of course, we're happy that the Japanese lawmakers approved the bill. But at this point, we still need to see the details. As far as we are concerned, there is still nothing concrete to go on from which we can base our plans," Martinez said.
In his letter, Tomino also dispelled initial reports that the U.S. would get the primary contracts for the construction projects needed to accommodate the Marines.
He confirmed that the state-run Japan Bank for International Cooperation has been designated as the bank that will give loans to contractors.
But Tomino said details concerning the contractors and the mode of investment and finance work of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation have yet to be finalized.
"The discussions in this regard between Japan and the U.S. are an ongoing process," the Japanese consul general said.
This leaves open the possibility that the bulk of the contracting work may still end up with Japanese companies as U.S. contractors have feared.
In Japan, opposition continues against the approval of the $6 billion financing, which many Japanese consider too high and unfair.
The approval of the $6 billion financing will mark the first time a Japanese government has agreed to share the costs of building and improving facilities at a U.S. base overseas and this has enraged Japanese nationalists.
"Certainly, it is unusual for a government to finance the building of another country's military facilities in a territory other than its own," the influential Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said in an editorial.
By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff
May 29, 2007
THE $6 billion approved by Japanese lawmakers to help fund the relocation of Marines from Okinawa to Guam is not yet final, the Consulate General of Japan in Guam announced.
In a letter, Consul General Tamio Tomino said the $6 billion that will be shouldered by the Japanese government under its agreement with the U.S. was not outlined in the bill approved last week by Japan's upper house of parliament.
"For the time being, however, this is the figure that the governments of Japan and the U.S. are looking at as Japan's share of the estimated costs for the relocation of the U.S. Marines," Tomino said.
He added that the actual timeline for the Japan Diet to take up this matter for discussion has not yet been decided "and will probably not be" until the U.S. side completes the Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, process and other preparatory work.
So far, the Navy is far from completing a draft EIS as it only recently finished polling residents' feedback about the planned relocation of the Marines.
The input from Guam and CNMI residents will still be forwarded to Navy planners as they prepare to draft an EIS, which will analyze the impact of the Marines' relocation on the community and culture of Guam and the CNMI.
This means that further delay could still occur before the actual extent of Japan's financing could be known.
Guam Contractors Association executive director James Martinez, in an interview with Variety, said his group's members are hungry for more details in the aftermath of the Japanese parliament's approval of the Marine relocation financing.
"Of course, we're happy that the Japanese lawmakers approved the bill. But at this point, we still need to see the details. As far as we are concerned, there is still nothing concrete to go on from which we can base our plans," Martinez said.
In his letter, Tomino also dispelled initial reports that the U.S. would get the primary contracts for the construction projects needed to accommodate the Marines.
He confirmed that the state-run Japan Bank for International Cooperation has been designated as the bank that will give loans to contractors.
But Tomino said details concerning the contractors and the mode of investment and finance work of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation have yet to be finalized.
"The discussions in this regard between Japan and the U.S. are an ongoing process," the Japanese consul general said.
This leaves open the possibility that the bulk of the contracting work may still end up with Japanese companies as U.S. contractors have feared.
In Japan, opposition continues against the approval of the $6 billion financing, which many Japanese consider too high and unfair.
The approval of the $6 billion financing will mark the first time a Japanese government has agreed to share the costs of building and improving facilities at a U.S. base overseas and this has enraged Japanese nationalists.
"Certainly, it is unusual for a government to finance the building of another country's military facilities in a territory other than its own," the influential Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun said in an editorial.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Message from the DOI on the Military Buildup in the Marianas
The Saipan Tribune
Sunday, June 10, 2007
'Coordination vital for Guam military buildup'
Ginnen I Department of Interior
HAGÅTÑA, Guam-The opportunities and challenges posed by the redeployment of 8,000 U.S. Marines and 9,000 military dependents to this island as part of a force realignment in the Asian-Pacific region was the primary focus of discussion during Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne's official visit here.
Kempthorne held talks with Guam Gov. Felix Camacho, Lt. Gov. Michael Cruz, members of the Guam Legislature, Navy and Air Force representatives and the Guam Civilian-Military Task Force during two days of meetings in this strategically important U.S. territory in the Western Pacific.
“I cannot overstate how important it is for the Department of the Interior to work in close coordination with the Department of Defense and the Government of Guam to ensure that this transfer is accomplished as seamlessly as possible,” Kempthorne said. “While Guam will derive great economic benefits from the military build up, the government will need assistance in preparing the territory's infrastructure for the influx of so many thousands of people over a relatively short time. The Interior Department stands ready to help.”
Kempthorne, whose department has overall responsibility for federal policy in the U.S. island territories, was accompanied by BJ Penn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment; Donald Schregardus, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Environment; and David Cohen, Interior's deputy assistant secretary for Insular Affairs.
In addition to the redeployment of U.S. Marines and their dependents from Okinawa, the Defense Department will be moving other Navy, Air Force and Army units to Guam over the next seven years as part of a major regional realignment. The moves could add an additional 30,000 people to the island's population of about 170,000.
The buildup will infuse an estimated $10.5 billion for new construction, rehabilitation and relocation projects in the territory over the next seven years. The work includes housing, naval and air base facility expansion, road and utility work. The Japanese government is contributing about $6 billion of the total cost and the U.S. government about $4 billion. The government of Guam is planning to improve seaport and utility services and significantly expand its labor force to accommodate the build up.
In addition to meeting government and private sector leaders, Kempthorne was briefed at the principal military bases. On Thursday, he visited the naval base for discussions with Capt. Janice Wynn, Chief of Staff, Commander, Naval Forces Marianas. On Friday, he visited Anderson Air Force Base for talks with Brig. Gen. Doug Owens, wing commander. Both bases will play key roles in the Marine redeployment. During both visits, Kempthorne thanked military personnel for their service.
Kempthorne, Penn and Camacho placed a wreath at War in the Pacific National Historic Park, which honors the thousands of Americans and local Chamorros who died during the World War II occupation and liberation of Guam, as well as the citizens of Guam who suffered during the occupation. Kempthorne also attended the interment of Iosiwo Uruo, a U.S. Army soldier from Guam who was recently killed in action while serving in Iraq.
The Cabinet official visited Ritidian Point National Wildlife Refuge for a first-hand look at efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to eradicate the invasive brown tree snake. Native to Southeast Asia, the species has devastated the native bird populations of Guam, and could spread to other sensitive ecosystems in the Pacific. Both agencies are overseen by the Department of the Interior.
Guam was the second stop of Kempthorne's visit to U.S.-affiliated Pacific communities. He earlier visited the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and will next visit the freely associated states of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, concluding his official visits in American Samoa.
On Monday, June 11, 2007, Kempthorne will meet with leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia and Pohnpei State during his official visit to the FSM capitol.
Kempthorne will confer with FSM President Emmanuel Mori and Vice President Alik L. Alik, FSM Congress Speaker Isaac Figir and meet with Pohnpei State Gov. Johnny P. David. He will also meet with U.S. Ambassador Suzanne Hale as well as veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces from Pohnpei and visit Nan Madol, the site of ancient megalithic structures.
As Secretary of the Interior, Kempthorne is responsible for overall coordination of federal policy for the U.S. insular areas, advocating for the islands within the federal government, overseeing the distribution of appropriated funds for island territories, and administering U.S. financial assistance for the freely associated states.
Guam, a U.S. territory since 1898, is the largest (212 square miles) and southern most island of the Marianas Archipelago as well as the largest island in the Western Pacific, and serves as the telecommunications and air/sea transportation hub of the region.
Located 1,500 miles east of Manila and 1,500 miles south-southeast of Tokyo, Guam provides flexibility of movement for forward-deployed U.S. forces in the region. About 3,700 miles west-southwest of Honolulu, Guam's Apra Harbor is the largest deepwater port between Hawaii and Manila.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
'Coordination vital for Guam military buildup'
Ginnen I Department of Interior
HAGÅTÑA, Guam-The opportunities and challenges posed by the redeployment of 8,000 U.S. Marines and 9,000 military dependents to this island as part of a force realignment in the Asian-Pacific region was the primary focus of discussion during Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne's official visit here.
Kempthorne held talks with Guam Gov. Felix Camacho, Lt. Gov. Michael Cruz, members of the Guam Legislature, Navy and Air Force representatives and the Guam Civilian-Military Task Force during two days of meetings in this strategically important U.S. territory in the Western Pacific.
“I cannot overstate how important it is for the Department of the Interior to work in close coordination with the Department of Defense and the Government of Guam to ensure that this transfer is accomplished as seamlessly as possible,” Kempthorne said. “While Guam will derive great economic benefits from the military build up, the government will need assistance in preparing the territory's infrastructure for the influx of so many thousands of people over a relatively short time. The Interior Department stands ready to help.”
Kempthorne, whose department has overall responsibility for federal policy in the U.S. island territories, was accompanied by BJ Penn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment; Donald Schregardus, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Environment; and David Cohen, Interior's deputy assistant secretary for Insular Affairs.
In addition to the redeployment of U.S. Marines and their dependents from Okinawa, the Defense Department will be moving other Navy, Air Force and Army units to Guam over the next seven years as part of a major regional realignment. The moves could add an additional 30,000 people to the island's population of about 170,000.
The buildup will infuse an estimated $10.5 billion for new construction, rehabilitation and relocation projects in the territory over the next seven years. The work includes housing, naval and air base facility expansion, road and utility work. The Japanese government is contributing about $6 billion of the total cost and the U.S. government about $4 billion. The government of Guam is planning to improve seaport and utility services and significantly expand its labor force to accommodate the build up.
In addition to meeting government and private sector leaders, Kempthorne was briefed at the principal military bases. On Thursday, he visited the naval base for discussions with Capt. Janice Wynn, Chief of Staff, Commander, Naval Forces Marianas. On Friday, he visited Anderson Air Force Base for talks with Brig. Gen. Doug Owens, wing commander. Both bases will play key roles in the Marine redeployment. During both visits, Kempthorne thanked military personnel for their service.
Kempthorne, Penn and Camacho placed a wreath at War in the Pacific National Historic Park, which honors the thousands of Americans and local Chamorros who died during the World War II occupation and liberation of Guam, as well as the citizens of Guam who suffered during the occupation. Kempthorne also attended the interment of Iosiwo Uruo, a U.S. Army soldier from Guam who was recently killed in action while serving in Iraq.
The Cabinet official visited Ritidian Point National Wildlife Refuge for a first-hand look at efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to eradicate the invasive brown tree snake. Native to Southeast Asia, the species has devastated the native bird populations of Guam, and could spread to other sensitive ecosystems in the Pacific. Both agencies are overseen by the Department of the Interior.
Guam was the second stop of Kempthorne's visit to U.S.-affiliated Pacific communities. He earlier visited the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and will next visit the freely associated states of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, concluding his official visits in American Samoa.
On Monday, June 11, 2007, Kempthorne will meet with leaders of the Federated States of Micronesia and Pohnpei State during his official visit to the FSM capitol.
Kempthorne will confer with FSM President Emmanuel Mori and Vice President Alik L. Alik, FSM Congress Speaker Isaac Figir and meet with Pohnpei State Gov. Johnny P. David. He will also meet with U.S. Ambassador Suzanne Hale as well as veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces from Pohnpei and visit Nan Madol, the site of ancient megalithic structures.
As Secretary of the Interior, Kempthorne is responsible for overall coordination of federal policy for the U.S. insular areas, advocating for the islands within the federal government, overseeing the distribution of appropriated funds for island territories, and administering U.S. financial assistance for the freely associated states.
Guam, a U.S. territory since 1898, is the largest (212 square miles) and southern most island of the Marianas Archipelago as well as the largest island in the Western Pacific, and serves as the telecommunications and air/sea transportation hub of the region.
Located 1,500 miles east of Manila and 1,500 miles south-southeast of Tokyo, Guam provides flexibility of movement for forward-deployed U.S. forces in the region. About 3,700 miles west-southwest of Honolulu, Guam's Apra Harbor is the largest deepwater port between Hawaii and Manila.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Gun Beach to Be Developed
Gun Beach to undergo multimillion commercial development
by Mindy Fothergill, KUAM News
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
An undeveloped area in the heart of Guam's tourism district will soon be home to the island's tallest high-rise. The multimillion dollar venture is a sign that off-island investors see hope in the island's ailing economy. The area that now houses the normally peaceful and undisturbed Gun Beach along Tumon Bay may look like acres and acres of jungle at the moment, but three years from now could be home a massive commercial development effort.
"This is basically a high-rise condo and also some other buildings for residential and some shopping arcade, mini-shopping malls; and specifically, we emphasize on the big water parks," explained Juno Eun, a corporate counselor and business development vice president for CoreTech International, a local company working with Korea-based developer Kyung Maek C&D, LLC. The Two Lovers Towers is slated to be the island's premier landmark in Tumon, complete with hundreds of executive condominiums, a village arcade containing a mini shopping mall and restaurants, and the island's largest water park.
The Towers, along with the Cliffside Towers, are slated to be thirty-five stories high, containing approximately 1,500 rooms. Eun says the development plan has been in the works for the last year as Kyung Maek has confidence in the island's economy. "Investor's confidence is based on the economy's estimation and forecast for Guam...the military's coming and other real estate price will hopefully be going up and with appreciation, we expect as the rest Korean monies freely coming from Korea to Guam and Korean real estate market has been changing and they're looking for some other market to invest in," he noted.
The Korea-based company acquired the property in Guam's visitor district for an undisclosed amount of money. Gun Beach is a hotel/resort zoned property that in all spans more than 87,000 square meters.
Eun says the development, which the company hopes will begin in the next few months, will have even more economic benefits for the island. "For construction wise we believe about 500 people, lay workers for years and after we've completed projects we are going to hire more than 100 people, minimum wise to operate and maintenance, so we're expecting 3,000 total manpower for total projects."
With construction slated to begin before the end of the year, Kyung Maek and CoreTech are hopeful the new high rise project will be completed by 2010 - just in time for the military buildup on Guam. Once completed, the units depending on their size, will be sold for an estimated half-million dollars each.
As for those residents who are concerned about beach access, CoreTech assures the public that access to Gun Beach will still be available once the high rise is built. CoreTech is the same company that is currently building the Ironwood Estates and the island's six new public schools.
by Mindy Fothergill, KUAM News
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
An undeveloped area in the heart of Guam's tourism district will soon be home to the island's tallest high-rise. The multimillion dollar venture is a sign that off-island investors see hope in the island's ailing economy. The area that now houses the normally peaceful and undisturbed Gun Beach along Tumon Bay may look like acres and acres of jungle at the moment, but three years from now could be home a massive commercial development effort.
"This is basically a high-rise condo and also some other buildings for residential and some shopping arcade, mini-shopping malls; and specifically, we emphasize on the big water parks," explained Juno Eun, a corporate counselor and business development vice president for CoreTech International, a local company working with Korea-based developer Kyung Maek C&D, LLC. The Two Lovers Towers is slated to be the island's premier landmark in Tumon, complete with hundreds of executive condominiums, a village arcade containing a mini shopping mall and restaurants, and the island's largest water park.
The Towers, along with the Cliffside Towers, are slated to be thirty-five stories high, containing approximately 1,500 rooms. Eun says the development plan has been in the works for the last year as Kyung Maek has confidence in the island's economy. "Investor's confidence is based on the economy's estimation and forecast for Guam...the military's coming and other real estate price will hopefully be going up and with appreciation, we expect as the rest Korean monies freely coming from Korea to Guam and Korean real estate market has been changing and they're looking for some other market to invest in," he noted.
The Korea-based company acquired the property in Guam's visitor district for an undisclosed amount of money. Gun Beach is a hotel/resort zoned property that in all spans more than 87,000 square meters.
Eun says the development, which the company hopes will begin in the next few months, will have even more economic benefits for the island. "For construction wise we believe about 500 people, lay workers for years and after we've completed projects we are going to hire more than 100 people, minimum wise to operate and maintenance, so we're expecting 3,000 total manpower for total projects."
With construction slated to begin before the end of the year, Kyung Maek and CoreTech are hopeful the new high rise project will be completed by 2010 - just in time for the military buildup on Guam. Once completed, the units depending on their size, will be sold for an estimated half-million dollars each.
As for those residents who are concerned about beach access, CoreTech assures the public that access to Gun Beach will still be available once the high rise is built. CoreTech is the same company that is currently building the Ironwood Estates and the island's six new public schools.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Peace marches expected to snarl Okinawa
By David Allen and Chiyomi Sumida,
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, May 11, 2007
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa • If you're driving along major highways on Okinawa now through Sunday, expect delays due to a three-pronged peace march by thousands of people commemorating the 35th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to Japan.
Local residents, peace activists and labor union members from Okinawa and mainland Japan are expected to take part in the marches that were slated to begin Thursday and end Sunday with a massive attempt to encircle Kadena Air Base.
The Okinawa Peace March is an annual event that began in 1978, six years after the U.S. ended its WWII occupation.
Organizers say 3,000 people will participate in the marches, beginning with a gathering in the northern village of Kunigami on Thursday that will proceed south to Nago for a 6 p.m. protest rally against plans to build a Marine air facility on Camp Schwab to replace Marine Corps Air
Station Futenma.
As of Wednesday, military officials on Okinawa had not issued any advisories concerning the protest activities.
On Friday, the marchers will take off on three routes.
The Eastern March will start Friday at the Henoko fishing port at 8:30 a.m. and will proceed south along Highway 329, stopping briefly for a rally in front of the main gate to Camp Hansen, organizers said.
On Saturday the eastern route will continue, starting at 8:30 a.m. in Uruma and heading south down Highway 329, diverting to Highway 330 and a rally in front of Kadena Air Bases' Gate 2.
The Western March starts from Onna village at 8:30 a.m. Friday and proceeds south along Highway 58 to Highway 6 in Yomitan and west to Torii Station, where another rally will take place. The western marchers then will pick up their walk at the Yomitan village office Saturday at 8:30 a.m., walking along Highway 6 and back to Highway 58, passing by Kadena Air Base's Gate 1, where they plan to have a brief rally.
The southern marchers step off Friday morning at Peace Prayer Park in Itoman. On Saturday they will start in Urasoe and walk north up Highway 330, pausing for brief rallies in front of the U.S. Consulate General's Office, MCAS Futenma's Gate 2 and Camp Foster's headquarters gate.
The three groups are scheduled to meet Saturday at the Chatan Town Ball Field for a rally at 6 p.m., organizers said.
Okinawa Peace March organizers say they expect about 20,000 people in an attempt to encircle Kadena Air Base in a protest expected to start at 3 p.m. Sunday and last one hour.
*"Although Okinawa is marking the 35th anniversary of its reversion to Japan, the U.S. and Japanese governments continue to pursue a military-first policy for the island,"* said Shiko Sakiyama, chairman of the Okinawa Peace Activity. He cited *plans to build the new air
facility on Camp Schwab and the recent move of Army PAC-3 missile batteries at Kadena Air Base as signs that Okinawa will continue "to bear the burden" of U.S. bases.*
*"Encircling Kadena Air Base is a way to express the voice of the Okinawa people against this military-first policy," he said. "It is also a way for us to send a message to the rest of the world that Okinawa aspires to world peace." *
Anti-base protesters last circled Kadena in July 2000, during the Group of Eight summit, drawing international attention to the Okinawa base issue. Then, 18,000 to 27,000 people, depending on who was doing the counting, *managed to join hands around the 10.8-mile perimeter of the air base*.
By David Allen and Chiyomi Sumida,
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, May 11, 2007
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa • If you're driving along major highways on Okinawa now through Sunday, expect delays due to a three-pronged peace march by thousands of people commemorating the 35th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to Japan.
Local residents, peace activists and labor union members from Okinawa and mainland Japan are expected to take part in the marches that were slated to begin Thursday and end Sunday with a massive attempt to encircle Kadena Air Base.
The Okinawa Peace March is an annual event that began in 1978, six years after the U.S. ended its WWII occupation.
Organizers say 3,000 people will participate in the marches, beginning with a gathering in the northern village of Kunigami on Thursday that will proceed south to Nago for a 6 p.m. protest rally against plans to build a Marine air facility on Camp Schwab to replace Marine Corps Air
Station Futenma.
As of Wednesday, military officials on Okinawa had not issued any advisories concerning the protest activities.
On Friday, the marchers will take off on three routes.
The Eastern March will start Friday at the Henoko fishing port at 8:30 a.m. and will proceed south along Highway 329, stopping briefly for a rally in front of the main gate to Camp Hansen, organizers said.
On Saturday the eastern route will continue, starting at 8:30 a.m. in Uruma and heading south down Highway 329, diverting to Highway 330 and a rally in front of Kadena Air Bases' Gate 2.
The Western March starts from Onna village at 8:30 a.m. Friday and proceeds south along Highway 58 to Highway 6 in Yomitan and west to Torii Station, where another rally will take place. The western marchers then will pick up their walk at the Yomitan village office Saturday at 8:30 a.m., walking along Highway 6 and back to Highway 58, passing by Kadena Air Base's Gate 1, where they plan to have a brief rally.
The southern marchers step off Friday morning at Peace Prayer Park in Itoman. On Saturday they will start in Urasoe and walk north up Highway 330, pausing for brief rallies in front of the U.S. Consulate General's Office, MCAS Futenma's Gate 2 and Camp Foster's headquarters gate.
The three groups are scheduled to meet Saturday at the Chatan Town Ball Field for a rally at 6 p.m., organizers said.
Okinawa Peace March organizers say they expect about 20,000 people in an attempt to encircle Kadena Air Base in a protest expected to start at 3 p.m. Sunday and last one hour.
*"Although Okinawa is marking the 35th anniversary of its reversion to Japan, the U.S. and Japanese governments continue to pursue a military-first policy for the island,"* said Shiko Sakiyama, chairman of the Okinawa Peace Activity. He cited *plans to build the new air
facility on Camp Schwab and the recent move of Army PAC-3 missile batteries at Kadena Air Base as signs that Okinawa will continue "to bear the burden" of U.S. bases.*
*"Encircling Kadena Air Base is a way to express the voice of the Okinawa people against this military-first policy," he said. "It is also a way for us to send a message to the rest of the world that Okinawa aspires to world peace." *
Anti-base protesters last circled Kadena in July 2000, during the Group of Eight summit, drawing international attention to the Okinawa base issue. Then, 18,000 to 27,000 people, depending on who was doing the counting, *managed to join hands around the 10.8-mile perimeter of the air base*.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
PARS request Bordallo re-file RECA bill
PARS asks Bordallo to re-file RECA bill
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff
May 30, 2007
TAKING a cue from Idaho lawmakers' renewed bid for federal support for Idaho residents sickened by radioactive fallout, the Pacific Association of Radiation Survivors yesterday reiterated its call for Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo to reintroduce a bill that would include Guam in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act program.
"We sent our draft bill to the congresswoman in January but, until now, she hasn't introduced the bill. We were told that the bill is still under legal review," PARS president Robert Celestial said.
Celestial urged Bordallo to take the opportunity to put forward Guam's own case while the request to amend RECA has shown movement in Congress.
Congressmen Mike Simpson, R-ID, and Jim Matheson, D-UT, last week wrote to the House Judiciary Committee requesting an oversight hearing on RECA, its amendments of July 2000, and the possibility of expanding the legislation to cover individuals exposed to radioactive fallout that are not currently covered.
The nuclear bomb tests were carried out in the Nevada desert in the 1950s and 1960s at the Nevada Test Site. More than $440 million in compensation has been paid to so-called downwinders and their survivors in Nevada, Utah and Arizona under the act, but none to downwinders in Idaho.
"For Guam, we don't want an oversight hearing. The congresswoman must introduce the bill and from there, we will ask for a committee hearing," Celestial said.
The National Research Council's report two years ago concluded that "Guam did receive measurable fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific," and recommended that people living on island during that period be compensated under RECA "in a way similar to that of persons considered to downwinders."
The U.S. conducted a total of 67 nuclear tests on Enewetak and Bikini Atolls in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1962, resulting in fallout across a wide area in the Pacific.
In 2005, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, introduced a bill that would have made Idaho residents eligible for RECA payments, and Bordallo sought the inclusion of Guam in that bill, which stagnated in the Senate and eventually died when the 109th Congress adjourned.
By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff
May 30, 2007
TAKING a cue from Idaho lawmakers' renewed bid for federal support for Idaho residents sickened by radioactive fallout, the Pacific Association of Radiation Survivors yesterday reiterated its call for Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo to reintroduce a bill that would include Guam in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act program.
"We sent our draft bill to the congresswoman in January but, until now, she hasn't introduced the bill. We were told that the bill is still under legal review," PARS president Robert Celestial said.
Celestial urged Bordallo to take the opportunity to put forward Guam's own case while the request to amend RECA has shown movement in Congress.
Congressmen Mike Simpson, R-ID, and Jim Matheson, D-UT, last week wrote to the House Judiciary Committee requesting an oversight hearing on RECA, its amendments of July 2000, and the possibility of expanding the legislation to cover individuals exposed to radioactive fallout that are not currently covered.
The nuclear bomb tests were carried out in the Nevada desert in the 1950s and 1960s at the Nevada Test Site. More than $440 million in compensation has been paid to so-called downwinders and their survivors in Nevada, Utah and Arizona under the act, but none to downwinders in Idaho.
"For Guam, we don't want an oversight hearing. The congresswoman must introduce the bill and from there, we will ask for a committee hearing," Celestial said.
The National Research Council's report two years ago concluded that "Guam did receive measurable fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific," and recommended that people living on island during that period be compensated under RECA "in a way similar to that of persons considered to downwinders."
The U.S. conducted a total of 67 nuclear tests on Enewetak and Bikini Atolls in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1962, resulting in fallout across a wide area in the Pacific.
In 2005, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, introduced a bill that would have made Idaho residents eligible for RECA payments, and Bordallo sought the inclusion of Guam in that bill, which stagnated in the Senate and eventually died when the 109th Congress adjourned.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Guam's Billion Dollar Road
$1.25B road project detailed
Proposed highway would cut through Manengon
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
May 31, 2007
Guam's future billion-dollar highway, which is a piece of the military buildup puzzle, likely will run across largely undeveloped hills and valleys of Chalan Pago, Yona and Piti, according to a tentative map from the Navy.
If the idea evolves into an adopted plan, the highway would start near the point where Routes 10 and 4 meet in Chalan Pago, according to a Department of the Navy Guam planning document, which was still at an early stage and was labeled "notional."
The $1.25 billion highway would provide the military with an alternative access that links Andersen Air Force Base in northern Guam and the Navy base on the southern side of the island.
The Air Force and Navy bases use Marine Corps Drive for a main link, but the road has had a history of gridlock during serious accidents.
In May 2006, Air Force Lt. Gen. Daniel Leaf, deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said in an interview that when the island's military population grows significantly, the highway would be needed to "move both people, supplies and equipment from north to south, south to north on the island, whether it's for training or to deploy out of the harbor."
"And we want to do that with minimal impact on the community and expeditiously. The current road structure doesn't really allow for that very well. So that's an area we believe we'll have to invest in," Leaf said.
The largest chunk of the $15 billion military buildup on Guam involves building housing, training and other facilities for the 8,352 members of the U.S. Marines and about 9,000 dependents who must relocate from Okinawa to Guam by 2014.
The Marines' move to Guam is expected to cost about $10 billion, of which $6 billion will be paid by Japan.
The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force is moving out of Okinawa as part of the U.S.-Japan agreement aimed at beefing up security in the region and consolidating U.S. military installations in Japan to free up land for return to the Japanese.
But while Japan is helping to pay for the Marines' relocation, such as for barracks and "quality-of-life" facilities, the highway project is expected to be 100 percent funded by American taxpayers, according to an itemized list of cost sharing between Japan and the U.S.
Real property values soaring
The anticipation of local economic growth stemming from the military buildup already has sent the values of Guam homes, condominium units and land parcels soaring.
"I am amazed at how much the island has already benefited from the initial phases of the buildup," said Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo, in a speech to the Guam Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
She mentioned that in some cases, real property values have increased 300 percent over the past few years.
"The economic investment I see here on Guam will eclipse the boom we experienced in the '80s," she said, of the era when Guam was a magnet for Japanese investors who financed construction of many Guam hotels.
"Rising property values means equity for the residents of Guam and that translates into wealth," she said.
The congresswoman's speech did not mention the $1.25 billion highway project, but she said that even before the Marine-related construction kicks in, the military buildup has begun.
The fiscal 2008 defense spending bill includes $300 million in military construction projects for Guam. The bill has passed the House, and it will work out a version that will also be acceptable to the Senate.
Fiscal 2009 funding for military projects on Guam will hover around $500 million, and more than $1 billion a year starting in 2010, Bordallo said.
Investments
For Guam investors who are planning to buy land in areas near the future billion-dollar road project, they can do so now, but their investments might not turn profits any time soon.
While the construction project for the Marines' relocation is expected to begin three years from now, or around July 2010, the road project will start years further into the buildup, according to a military time line.
The military highway construction might start in the fifth year into the buildup, or around 2015, based on the preliminary time line.
But before any of the major buildup construction projects can begin, environmental impact assessments must be completed.
That process could take about two years, according to a military estimate
Proposed highway would cut through Manengon
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
May 31, 2007
Guam's future billion-dollar highway, which is a piece of the military buildup puzzle, likely will run across largely undeveloped hills and valleys of Chalan Pago, Yona and Piti, according to a tentative map from the Navy.
If the idea evolves into an adopted plan, the highway would start near the point where Routes 10 and 4 meet in Chalan Pago, according to a Department of the Navy Guam planning document, which was still at an early stage and was labeled "notional."
The $1.25 billion highway would provide the military with an alternative access that links Andersen Air Force Base in northern Guam and the Navy base on the southern side of the island.
The Air Force and Navy bases use Marine Corps Drive for a main link, but the road has had a history of gridlock during serious accidents.
In May 2006, Air Force Lt. Gen. Daniel Leaf, deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Command, said in an interview that when the island's military population grows significantly, the highway would be needed to "move both people, supplies and equipment from north to south, south to north on the island, whether it's for training or to deploy out of the harbor."
"And we want to do that with minimal impact on the community and expeditiously. The current road structure doesn't really allow for that very well. So that's an area we believe we'll have to invest in," Leaf said.
The largest chunk of the $15 billion military buildup on Guam involves building housing, training and other facilities for the 8,352 members of the U.S. Marines and about 9,000 dependents who must relocate from Okinawa to Guam by 2014.
The Marines' move to Guam is expected to cost about $10 billion, of which $6 billion will be paid by Japan.
The 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force is moving out of Okinawa as part of the U.S.-Japan agreement aimed at beefing up security in the region and consolidating U.S. military installations in Japan to free up land for return to the Japanese.
But while Japan is helping to pay for the Marines' relocation, such as for barracks and "quality-of-life" facilities, the highway project is expected to be 100 percent funded by American taxpayers, according to an itemized list of cost sharing between Japan and the U.S.
Real property values soaring
The anticipation of local economic growth stemming from the military buildup already has sent the values of Guam homes, condominium units and land parcels soaring.
"I am amazed at how much the island has already benefited from the initial phases of the buildup," said Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo, in a speech to the Guam Chamber of Commerce yesterday.
She mentioned that in some cases, real property values have increased 300 percent over the past few years.
"The economic investment I see here on Guam will eclipse the boom we experienced in the '80s," she said, of the era when Guam was a magnet for Japanese investors who financed construction of many Guam hotels.
"Rising property values means equity for the residents of Guam and that translates into wealth," she said.
The congresswoman's speech did not mention the $1.25 billion highway project, but she said that even before the Marine-related construction kicks in, the military buildup has begun.
The fiscal 2008 defense spending bill includes $300 million in military construction projects for Guam. The bill has passed the House, and it will work out a version that will also be acceptable to the Senate.
Fiscal 2009 funding for military projects on Guam will hover around $500 million, and more than $1 billion a year starting in 2010, Bordallo said.
Investments
For Guam investors who are planning to buy land in areas near the future billion-dollar road project, they can do so now, but their investments might not turn profits any time soon.
While the construction project for the Marines' relocation is expected to begin three years from now, or around July 2010, the road project will start years further into the buildup, according to a military time line.
The military highway construction might start in the fifth year into the buildup, or around 2015, based on the preliminary time line.
But before any of the major buildup construction projects can begin, environmental impact assessments must be completed.
That process could take about two years, according to a military estimate
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Military Buildup and Political Status
Guthertz wants to return to discussions of Guam's political status
by Jean Hudson, KUAM News
http://www.kuam.com
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Guam's quest to change its political status hasn't made headlines, and it may be because the island community is more focused on the relocation of thousands of Marines and their dependents years from now. One senator suggests its all the more reason to bring political status talks back on the table.
Senator Judi Guthertz (D) said, "Here we are, we're going to face the relocation of 8,000 Marines, probably 35,000 other people that will be coming here to support the Marine mission, which include federal employees and their dependents, H-2 workers (some of whom who may be able to bring their dependents if their engineers or technical folks), folks who will be coming from the other islands looking for jobs, and we haven't done anything on political status."
The freshman policymaker says a member of the Military/Civilian Task Force, the group that's in the know about the anticipated military buildup was disappointed to learn that the final draft provided to the Navy for consideration in the environmental impact statement did not mention Guam's future political status, self determination, and self-government. "Our indigenous people are going to be overrun by a completely new population and they're desire for an improved political status will just disappear. They'll never have a voice again," she continued. "They'll be out voted, as soon as these folks gain residency and are able to vote on Guam, They'll be out voted!"
Guthertz says with all the talk and planning centering the relocation, this is the opportune time for the territory to make a case for political status change. Last week Guthertz sent a letter to Governor Felix Camacho urging him to include a section on political status. Recalling the intent of the correspondence, she said, "I basically said this is the time. There will not be another opportunity to do this. This is the most opportune time to begin this discussion and you must include it in your report and you must be aggressive about it."
by Jean Hudson, KUAM News
http://www.kuam.com
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Guam's quest to change its political status hasn't made headlines, and it may be because the island community is more focused on the relocation of thousands of Marines and their dependents years from now. One senator suggests its all the more reason to bring political status talks back on the table.
Senator Judi Guthertz (D) said, "Here we are, we're going to face the relocation of 8,000 Marines, probably 35,000 other people that will be coming here to support the Marine mission, which include federal employees and their dependents, H-2 workers (some of whom who may be able to bring their dependents if their engineers or technical folks), folks who will be coming from the other islands looking for jobs, and we haven't done anything on political status."
The freshman policymaker says a member of the Military/Civilian Task Force, the group that's in the know about the anticipated military buildup was disappointed to learn that the final draft provided to the Navy for consideration in the environmental impact statement did not mention Guam's future political status, self determination, and self-government. "Our indigenous people are going to be overrun by a completely new population and they're desire for an improved political status will just disappear. They'll never have a voice again," she continued. "They'll be out voted, as soon as these folks gain residency and are able to vote on Guam, They'll be out voted!"
Guthertz says with all the talk and planning centering the relocation, this is the opportune time for the territory to make a case for political status change. Last week Guthertz sent a letter to Governor Felix Camacho urging him to include a section on political status. Recalling the intent of the correspondence, she said, "I basically said this is the time. There will not be another opportunity to do this. This is the most opportune time to begin this discussion and you must include it in your report and you must be aggressive about it."
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Justice for the Marshall Islands
Please sign the Marshallese survivors' petition and circulate widely --it
only takes 3 minutes at the most. Just double click on the link below and be
patient and wait for about a minute or so, the petition will come up. You
have to preview your signature first and then officially sign on.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/527291025
The US-Japan Committee on Racial Justice is one of active groups actively
supporting the Marshallese survivors of ERUB (acronym for the 4 atolls of the
Marshall Islands). For the whole month of June, they will be in Washington,
D.C. to lobby for the Marshallese survivors of the 67 nuclear tests and the
Petition for Changed Circumstances. We are half way to our goal of 5,000
signatures; we now have a total of 2,579 signatures. So, your timely support
would be greatly appreciated.
As many of you may be aware, fallout from these nuclear detonations landed on
Guam, as was attested to by Lt. Schreiber who, after the military gag rule
was lifted, apologized to the Chamorro people in 2005 for not warning them of
the imminent danger under orders from his superiors. Moreover, many of the
ships and planes that were used in monitoring the nuclear detonations were
either washed down in Anderson Air Force Base or off Coco's island. Some of
the ships then proceeded to San Francisco Bayview Hunter's Point Shipyard
that remains highly toxic and a Superfund site till this day.
only takes 3 minutes at the most. Just double click on the link below and be
patient and wait for about a minute or so, the petition will come up. You
have to preview your signature first and then officially sign on.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/527291025
The US-Japan Committee on Racial Justice is one of active groups actively
supporting the Marshallese survivors of ERUB (acronym for the 4 atolls of the
Marshall Islands). For the whole month of June, they will be in Washington,
D.C. to lobby for the Marshallese survivors of the 67 nuclear tests and the
Petition for Changed Circumstances. We are half way to our goal of 5,000
signatures; we now have a total of 2,579 signatures. So, your timely support
would be greatly appreciated.
As many of you may be aware, fallout from these nuclear detonations landed on
Guam, as was attested to by Lt. Schreiber who, after the military gag rule
was lifted, apologized to the Chamorro people in 2005 for not warning them of
the imminent danger under orders from his superiors. Moreover, many of the
ships and planes that were used in monitoring the nuclear detonations were
either washed down in Anderson Air Force Base or off Coco's island. Some of
the ships then proceeded to San Francisco Bayview Hunter's Point Shipyard
that remains highly toxic and a Superfund site till this day.
Friday, May 25, 2007
F-16s to Guam
US deploys F-16 warplanes to Guam
Posted at 01:33 on 26 May, 2007 UTC
The US military will deploy 18 F16 fighter jets to Guam for four months from late May.
The military says this is not an aggressive measure and not in response to any particular situation.
It says it's an adjustment that shows the US flexibility in maintaining an appropriate deterrent posture.
The United States plans to move 8,000 Marines and 10,000 dependents from the southern Japanese island of Okinawa to Guam by 2014 as part of a global realignment of U.S. forces.
The Reuters news agency says Andersen Air Force Base has had a bomber presence since March 2004.
Guam has had a U.S. military presence to varying degrees since 1898, when U.S. naval forces captured it from Spain
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Funding Approved for Marine Relocation to Guam
Japan approves funding for Marine relocation to Guam
Pacific Daily News
news@guampdn.com
May 23, 2007
2:20 p.m., May 23 — TOKYO (AP) — Japan's upper house of parliament approved legislation today to fund the reorganization of U.S. forces in Japan and help move thousands of Marines from the country's south to the U.S. territory of Guam.
The legislation is now law.
Tokyo and Washington agreed last year on a plan to streamline American troops and give Japan greater responsibility for security in Asia. The deal also envisioned lightening the burden on local communities by downsizing U.S. bases and consolidating troops at other ones throughout the region.
Japan has agreed to pay $6 billion for the transfer of troops to Guam in the Pacific, while Washington has said it will contribute $4 billion.
The prefecture of Okinawa, a cramped southern island, hosts more than half of the 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan.
"The realignment of the U.S. troops in Japan will contribute to maintaining peace and security in Japan. The realignment is also extremely important to reducing the burden on residents near defense facilities," the legislation said.
Under the realignment plan, the U.S Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan will be relocated to Nago, both in Okinawa, and carrier-borne fighters of the U.S. Navy's Atsugi base, southwest of Tokyo, will move to Iwakuni in western Japan.
The law, which was passed in the lower house last month, paves the way for local governments hosting consolidated U.S. military facilities to receive state subsidies to expand their infrastructure to accommodate the increased troop burden.
It will also allow the state-run Japan Bank for International Cooperation to give loans to contractors hired to help relocate 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
Under the plan, the bank will give loans and investments to a U.S. company that will build new housing for the Marines in Guam, according to the Defense Ministry. The company will pay back the money with rent it receives.
Pacific Daily News
news@guampdn.com
May 23, 2007
2:20 p.m., May 23 — TOKYO (AP) — Japan's upper house of parliament approved legislation today to fund the reorganization of U.S. forces in Japan and help move thousands of Marines from the country's south to the U.S. territory of Guam.
The legislation is now law.
Tokyo and Washington agreed last year on a plan to streamline American troops and give Japan greater responsibility for security in Asia. The deal also envisioned lightening the burden on local communities by downsizing U.S. bases and consolidating troops at other ones throughout the region.
Japan has agreed to pay $6 billion for the transfer of troops to Guam in the Pacific, while Washington has said it will contribute $4 billion.
The prefecture of Okinawa, a cramped southern island, hosts more than half of the 50,000 U.S. troops based in Japan.
"The realignment of the U.S. troops in Japan will contribute to maintaining peace and security in Japan. The realignment is also extremely important to reducing the burden on residents near defense facilities," the legislation said.
Under the realignment plan, the U.S Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station in Ginowan will be relocated to Nago, both in Okinawa, and carrier-borne fighters of the U.S. Navy's Atsugi base, southwest of Tokyo, will move to Iwakuni in western Japan.
The law, which was passed in the lower house last month, paves the way for local governments hosting consolidated U.S. military facilities to receive state subsidies to expand their infrastructure to accommodate the increased troop burden.
It will also allow the state-run Japan Bank for International Cooperation to give loans to contractors hired to help relocate 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
Under the plan, the bank will give loans and investments to a U.S. company that will build new housing for the Marines in Guam, according to the Defense Ministry. The company will pay back the money with rent it receives.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Port Not Ready for Military
Port not ready for buildup
Businessman: Increase capacity, improve efficiency
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol @guampdn.com
May 22, 2007
A Defense Department representative has identified the local government-run seaport as a potential chokepoint in the upcoming massive military buildup on Guam, a member of the local business community said yesterday.
The military buildup -- and its ripple effect on the already robust housing market -- is expected to double the volume of cargo entering through the island's only civilian seaport, which is being run by the Port Authority of Guam.
How island officials will handle the port issue -- and whether their actions will be made in time for the buildup within the next several years -- has an effect on the standard of living of everyone on the island, businessman Carl Peterson said.
Peterson voiced his concern in light of what he called sincere and straightforward comments Friday by Gary Kuwabara from the Defense Department's Office of Economic Adjustment.
Kuwabara is the Office of Economic Adjustment's point man for military buildup issues on Guam and makes periodic visits to the island from Washington, D.C. He spoke Friday after subcommittee representatives of the governor's task force on military buildup gave status reports.
Peterson attended the meeting as a Guam Chamber of Commerce representative, but the comments he made for this story were not made on behalf of the Chamber.
Peterson said Kuwabara had mentioned the need for upgrades to the seaport.
A more efficiently run port ensures on-time delivery of goods for Guam consumers, businesses and government entities, but a major breakdown in cargo movement could lead to shortages and possibly more expensive goods, as was Guam's experience years ago.
Urgency
With the buildup's expected $10 billion to $15 billion cost, the local community also is expected to see substantial economic growth.
The reason for the urgency, said Peterson of the need to modernize the port's operations and expand its capacity, is that every Guam resident's standard of living will be adversely affected if the port stays stagnant.
All the construction related to the relocation of about 8,000 members of the Third Marine Expeditionary Force and their approximately 9,000 dependents from Okinawa must be done within the next several years.
Based on the agreement between the U.S. and Japan, the relocation must happen by 2014. Japan is picking up about 60 percent of the relocation cost.
According to Peterson, Kuwabara at Friday's meeting of the governor's task force on military buildup said when the buildup is at full blast, 72,500 military supply containers are expected to be shipped to Guam in the span of one year.
Kuwabara could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The port has handled an average of 84,000 containers annually, its management stated.
Based on Kuwabara's comment at the task force meeting, Peterson said the sense he got was that the local government must make enormous changes to bring the port up to speed with the anticipated surge in incoming cargo traffic.
In addition to military supplies, the island also is expected to see a surge in shipment of construction materials to meet the demands of a booming housing market.
Logistics and shipping companies last year said that if one gantry crane breaks down, even before the buildup occurs, the island economy could be held hostage by an equipment malfunction.
Peterson suggested that the Port Authority of Guam should invite the world's experts on running ports to submit proposals for how they can better run the seaport and how much it would cost for them to do so.
The port agency's attempt last year to hand over cargo handling operations to a private operator has failed.
And the port agency board "has not made any determination on what their next step will be" on the privation issue, according to a statement from port management yesterday.
The port management stated: "In the late '90s, when the island experienced its last military buildup, the port was able to handle the increased number of containers."
As for the port's years-long efforts to try to buy a new gantry crane, which moves containerized cargo on and off ships, it's likely the process will take about two more years.
The agency's evaluation committee is reviewing the proposal submitted by the lone bidder for the manufacture and installation of a new gantry crane, according to the port agency management.
The agency stated the estimated time from manufacturing to delivery of a new gantry crane: 18 months to two years.
In addition to trying to order a new gantry crane, the port management stated the agency is "in the process of acquiring new handling equipment to deal with the increase of cargo arriving on Guam."
"We are also currently reviewing our terminal infrastructure to determine the type of operations the port should implement to effectively off load/load cargo onto vessels," according to port management.
And the port agency yesterday stated it is hiring a consultant to update its master plan.
Labor shortages
Friday's meeting also discussed the labor needs for the buildup as well as the private sector's need for more construction workers.
Based on an informal estimate, Guam might need 25,000 additional construction workers to meet both the military and the private construction projects' needs, said David Dell'Isola, a Guam Department of Labor representative, said at Friday's meeting.
The military buildup-related projects will need between 12,000 to 15,000 workers, said Capt. Robert Lee, acting director of the U.S. government office on Guam that coordinates buildup efforts.
Businessman: Increase capacity, improve efficiency
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol @guampdn.com
May 22, 2007
A Defense Department representative has identified the local government-run seaport as a potential chokepoint in the upcoming massive military buildup on Guam, a member of the local business community said yesterday.
The military buildup -- and its ripple effect on the already robust housing market -- is expected to double the volume of cargo entering through the island's only civilian seaport, which is being run by the Port Authority of Guam.
How island officials will handle the port issue -- and whether their actions will be made in time for the buildup within the next several years -- has an effect on the standard of living of everyone on the island, businessman Carl Peterson said.
Peterson voiced his concern in light of what he called sincere and straightforward comments Friday by Gary Kuwabara from the Defense Department's Office of Economic Adjustment.
Kuwabara is the Office of Economic Adjustment's point man for military buildup issues on Guam and makes periodic visits to the island from Washington, D.C. He spoke Friday after subcommittee representatives of the governor's task force on military buildup gave status reports.
Peterson attended the meeting as a Guam Chamber of Commerce representative, but the comments he made for this story were not made on behalf of the Chamber.
Peterson said Kuwabara had mentioned the need for upgrades to the seaport.
A more efficiently run port ensures on-time delivery of goods for Guam consumers, businesses and government entities, but a major breakdown in cargo movement could lead to shortages and possibly more expensive goods, as was Guam's experience years ago.
Urgency
With the buildup's expected $10 billion to $15 billion cost, the local community also is expected to see substantial economic growth.
The reason for the urgency, said Peterson of the need to modernize the port's operations and expand its capacity, is that every Guam resident's standard of living will be adversely affected if the port stays stagnant.
All the construction related to the relocation of about 8,000 members of the Third Marine Expeditionary Force and their approximately 9,000 dependents from Okinawa must be done within the next several years.
Based on the agreement between the U.S. and Japan, the relocation must happen by 2014. Japan is picking up about 60 percent of the relocation cost.
According to Peterson, Kuwabara at Friday's meeting of the governor's task force on military buildup said when the buildup is at full blast, 72,500 military supply containers are expected to be shipped to Guam in the span of one year.
Kuwabara could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The port has handled an average of 84,000 containers annually, its management stated.
Based on Kuwabara's comment at the task force meeting, Peterson said the sense he got was that the local government must make enormous changes to bring the port up to speed with the anticipated surge in incoming cargo traffic.
In addition to military supplies, the island also is expected to see a surge in shipment of construction materials to meet the demands of a booming housing market.
Logistics and shipping companies last year said that if one gantry crane breaks down, even before the buildup occurs, the island economy could be held hostage by an equipment malfunction.
Peterson suggested that the Port Authority of Guam should invite the world's experts on running ports to submit proposals for how they can better run the seaport and how much it would cost for them to do so.
The port agency's attempt last year to hand over cargo handling operations to a private operator has failed.
And the port agency board "has not made any determination on what their next step will be" on the privation issue, according to a statement from port management yesterday.
The port management stated: "In the late '90s, when the island experienced its last military buildup, the port was able to handle the increased number of containers."
As for the port's years-long efforts to try to buy a new gantry crane, which moves containerized cargo on and off ships, it's likely the process will take about two more years.
The agency's evaluation committee is reviewing the proposal submitted by the lone bidder for the manufacture and installation of a new gantry crane, according to the port agency management.
The agency stated the estimated time from manufacturing to delivery of a new gantry crane: 18 months to two years.
In addition to trying to order a new gantry crane, the port management stated the agency is "in the process of acquiring new handling equipment to deal with the increase of cargo arriving on Guam."
"We are also currently reviewing our terminal infrastructure to determine the type of operations the port should implement to effectively off load/load cargo onto vessels," according to port management.
And the port agency yesterday stated it is hiring a consultant to update its master plan.
Labor shortages
Friday's meeting also discussed the labor needs for the buildup as well as the private sector's need for more construction workers.
Based on an informal estimate, Guam might need 25,000 additional construction workers to meet both the military and the private construction projects' needs, said David Dell'Isola, a Guam Department of Labor representative, said at Friday's meeting.
The military buildup-related projects will need between 12,000 to 15,000 workers, said Capt. Robert Lee, acting director of the U.S. government office on Guam that coordinates buildup efforts.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Housing Prices Rising on Guam
Statistics show home prices are soaring
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
The median price of Guam homes has soared to $195,450 during the first three months of this year, a whopping increase from $170,000 the previous quarter, according to statistics released yesterday by market tracker The Captain Company.
For Guam residents who already own a home or homes, that's a good thing, but for low- to middle-income residents who are still hoping to own a home, the goal will now be harder to reach, said Nick Captain, president of the real estate firm.
The new median price reflects a nearly 100 percent growth from the 2003 median price of $106,000.
But Captain said the new median price has been boosted primarily by sales of higher-priced properties, such as brand-new homes and better-than-average homes.
The new median price of Guam homes, he added, does not automatically mean fixer-uppers or starter homes have doubled their value.
The new median price of Guam homes is about five times the $39,317 annual median income of Guam households when last surveyed in the federal Census of 2000.
Military personnel and their families who are stationed here as well as off-island investors are among the new buyers of Guam homes priced around $200,000 or more.
Only about 20 percent of Guam households earned $75,000 or more in the last Census, and that's the income range for homes around $200,000.
In a booming real estate market, people who already have homes gain equity in their property.
But in the same environment, Captain said, "people who get hurt are the people who haven't yet entered the real estate market."
"I think we really need to see additional housing projects that are designed for the lower- to middle-income type of buyers," Captain said.
Such endeavors, he suggested, might need government participation or support.
"If we don't have (more affordable housing projects) in the next couple of years," Captain said, Guam could start to see social problems associated with people who end up being unable to afford their own homes or rental units.
First Hawaiian Bank Chief Executive Officer Donald G. Horner, during his Guam visit earlier this week, also voiced worry that a rapid rise in Guam's real estate market could squeeze low- to middle-income earners out of their home ownership dreams.
Despite the rising prices of single family dwellings, the number of units sold increased from 182 to 196 homes between the fourth quarter last year and the first quarter of this year.
But not all statistics were robust in Guam real estate.
The median price of condominium units dropped from $115,125 to $90,000 between the two quarters, according to The Captain Company statistics.
At the reduced median price, the number of condo units sold increased from 84 to 119, the statistics show.
By Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno
Pacific Daily News
gdumat-ol@guampdn.com
The median price of Guam homes has soared to $195,450 during the first three months of this year, a whopping increase from $170,000 the previous quarter, according to statistics released yesterday by market tracker The Captain Company.
For Guam residents who already own a home or homes, that's a good thing, but for low- to middle-income residents who are still hoping to own a home, the goal will now be harder to reach, said Nick Captain, president of the real estate firm.
The new median price reflects a nearly 100 percent growth from the 2003 median price of $106,000.
But Captain said the new median price has been boosted primarily by sales of higher-priced properties, such as brand-new homes and better-than-average homes.
The new median price of Guam homes, he added, does not automatically mean fixer-uppers or starter homes have doubled their value.
The new median price of Guam homes is about five times the $39,317 annual median income of Guam households when last surveyed in the federal Census of 2000.
Military personnel and their families who are stationed here as well as off-island investors are among the new buyers of Guam homes priced around $200,000 or more.
Only about 20 percent of Guam households earned $75,000 or more in the last Census, and that's the income range for homes around $200,000.
In a booming real estate market, people who already have homes gain equity in their property.
But in the same environment, Captain said, "people who get hurt are the people who haven't yet entered the real estate market."
"I think we really need to see additional housing projects that are designed for the lower- to middle-income type of buyers," Captain said.
Such endeavors, he suggested, might need government participation or support.
"If we don't have (more affordable housing projects) in the next couple of years," Captain said, Guam could start to see social problems associated with people who end up being unable to afford their own homes or rental units.
First Hawaiian Bank Chief Executive Officer Donald G. Horner, during his Guam visit earlier this week, also voiced worry that a rapid rise in Guam's real estate market could squeeze low- to middle-income earners out of their home ownership dreams.
Despite the rising prices of single family dwellings, the number of units sold increased from 182 to 196 homes between the fourth quarter last year and the first quarter of this year.
But not all statistics were robust in Guam real estate.
The median price of condominium units dropped from $115,125 to $90,000 between the two quarters, according to The Captain Company statistics.
At the reduced median price, the number of condo units sold increased from 84 to 119, the statistics show.
Take Action For Henoko
Japan Begins U.S. Base "Pre-survey" against Local Opposition.
Today, the Japanese government set out their "pre-survey" for a new U.S. military off-shore base in Henoko, Okinawa.
At 6:20 this morning, Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels and ships chartered by Defense Facilities Administration's Naha Bureau showed up off-shore at Henoko. Local base opposition groups confronted them with seven boats, one rubber raft and 12 canoes. The Coast Guard proceeded to conduct spot inspections against five of the protest boats, (while their own chartered ships remained un-inspected), and this delayed the protesters' departure from Henoko port for about an hour.
On the sea, the protesters attached themselves to the survey ships in an attempt to stop them. The people called for stoppage of the survey, imploring "do not build a base for killings." In spite of the resistance, survey materials such as iron pipes were placed on the sea bed at several survey spots where the protesters could not allocate enough people.
According to an Asahi news report today, the Japanese Minister of Defense Fumio Kyuma acknowledged the involvement of Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces divers in this activity. Some reports suggested the JMSDF did preparatory work in the middle of the night without being detected by protesters. Kyuma said, "the JMSDF's involvement is correct and the opposition's interruption of the private contractors' work is abnormal."
However, Hiroshi Nakachi, a professor at Ryuku University, warned in his interview with the Okinawa Times that "the fundamental role of the Self Defense Forces is to prevent aggression from overseas, not intervene in domestic confrontations. The people in Japan should be wary of this unchecked expansion of the SDF's activities."
Back on land, around 100 people kept their all-night vigil at the Henoko fish port, shouting encouragement to the protesters on the ocean.
The protesters are calling for more people to come immediately to Henoko to bolster opposition to the base "pre-survey."
Please take action for Henoko!
Hikaru Kasahara (Asian Peace Alliance[APA] Japan)
PPSG"
Today, the Japanese government set out their "pre-survey" for a new U.S. military off-shore base in Henoko, Okinawa.
At 6:20 this morning, Japan Coast Guard patrol vessels and ships chartered by Defense Facilities Administration's Naha Bureau showed up off-shore at Henoko. Local base opposition groups confronted them with seven boats, one rubber raft and 12 canoes. The Coast Guard proceeded to conduct spot inspections against five of the protest boats, (while their own chartered ships remained un-inspected), and this delayed the protesters' departure from Henoko port for about an hour.
On the sea, the protesters attached themselves to the survey ships in an attempt to stop them. The people called for stoppage of the survey, imploring "do not build a base for killings." In spite of the resistance, survey materials such as iron pipes were placed on the sea bed at several survey spots where the protesters could not allocate enough people.
According to an Asahi news report today, the Japanese Minister of Defense Fumio Kyuma acknowledged the involvement of Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces divers in this activity. Some reports suggested the JMSDF did preparatory work in the middle of the night without being detected by protesters. Kyuma said, "the JMSDF's involvement is correct and the opposition's interruption of the private contractors' work is abnormal."
However, Hiroshi Nakachi, a professor at Ryuku University, warned in his interview with the Okinawa Times that "the fundamental role of the Self Defense Forces is to prevent aggression from overseas, not intervene in domestic confrontations. The people in Japan should be wary of this unchecked expansion of the SDF's activities."
Back on land, around 100 people kept their all-night vigil at the Henoko fish port, shouting encouragement to the protesters on the ocean.
The protesters are calling for more people to come immediately to Henoko to bolster opposition to the base "pre-survey."
Please take action for Henoko!
Hikaru Kasahara (Asian Peace Alliance[APA] Japan)
PPSG"
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