|
U.S. Will Close Puerto Rico Naval Base
EFLThe United States will close its Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in eastern Puerto Rico within the next six months. Congress and President Bush are expected to sign off on the closure by the end of next week, said Anibal Acevado Vila, the U.S. territoryâs nonvoting congressional delegate. The Pentagon did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment. "We donât need to comment, weâve said it already." The baseâs closure comes after several years of protests against U.S. military exercises in Vieques, which ended with the Navyâs May 1 withdrawal from its bombing range on that tiny outlying island. Opponents said the bombing harmed the environment, the health of the islandâs 9,100 residents and its sole industries of fishing and tourism. The Navy maintains the exercises never posed a health threat. Since 1999, more than 1,000 "We want defense spending slashed! We want military bases closed! except the one in my district; can you please leave that one alone? Ple-e-e-a-s-e> Roosevelt Roads, which began laying off some of its 6,300 employees in April, injects an estimated $300 million a year into the U.S. Caribbean territoryâs economy. Acevado Vila, who is running for governor in 2004 from Calderonâs Peopleâs Democratic Party, said the baseâs closure would open opportunities for tourism and other investment. Turn it into a moment for left-liberal foot shooting and itâll be an instant success! Posted by: Steve White 2003-09-24 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=19027 |