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Home Front
Vieques Closing Explodes in Protesters Faces
2003-05-09
[EFL from strategypage]
May 9, 2003: Bowing to small groups of loud idiots political pressure, the Vieques bombing range in Puerto Rico was closed earlier this month. The nearby Roosevelt Roads naval base is being closed. The base provided 1200 local civilians with jobs, as well as 700 military personnel. The base put $300 million a year into the local economy. The clueless governor of Puerto Rico ... apparently missed the fact that Roosevelt Roads would close as a result.
Oops - too busy being a rabble rouser to think it through
The clueless morons activists who wanted Vieques closed thought that the bombing range would be cleaned up (unexploded bombs removed) so the area could be bought by developers and tourist facilities built. But cleaning up the old bombs is too expensive, and the Vieques range is being turned over to the Department of the Interior for use as a wasteland a wildlife refuge. The fence around the range will warn people to keep out, because of hundreds (no one knows exactly how many) unexploded bombs and shells in there.
Gave them what they asked for, not what they expected. I smell Rumsfeld behind this one — quietly grinning like that cat that ate the canary
Posted by:OldSpook

#9  The only part of that island that was bombed was the far western tip. Now, since all the Navy land (most of the island) will be essentially undevelopable the Viequenses may start to smell the cat food.

Maybe.
Posted by: Parabellum   2003-05-09 18:21:35  

#8   This could very well be the best "you lie in the bed you make" move that the U.S. military will make in the the Western hemisphere for the next 50+ years. My hats off to whomever thought of it.
Posted by: Mike N.   2003-05-09 17:05:11  

#7  Alaska Paul and I have both had extensive dealings with USFWS and their related agencies. I can assure you that clearing the unexploded ordinance will require an Environmental Impact Report (3-5 years), then the actual clearing work, which would require mucho $&time and extensive disruption to the refuge heh heh, which would require Mitigation and Monitoring - 5 years, Before starting the process over to try and develop the land. This is a royal screwing of the first order. Where is Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Hillary Clinton et al? Nowhere to be seen now that the cameras are gone
Posted by: Frank G   2003-05-09 16:48:50  

#6  "Always remember, you ASKED for it." -- Bugs Bunny
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2003-05-09 15:16:38  

#5  Rumsfield/Rice 2008!
Posted by: Ptah   2003-05-09 14:22:39  

#4  Vaya con dios, muchachos!
Posted by: tu3031   2003-05-09 14:00:26  

#3  So all of these protests over the years turn out to be rich landowners paying local losers to agitate, not really the environmentalists that the US press had been protraying. Puerto Rico needs to shit or get off the pot. Either clean up their corruption and request statehood or be forced to become an independent country. We pay enormous subsidies ($10 billion a year)to keep it running. So kudos to Rumsfield. As far as I'm concerned, they can lose their US citizenship and become the next Haiti.
Posted by: 11A5S   2003-05-09 13:52:33  

#2  Ah, the old exploding rabbit trick...
Posted by: mojo   2003-05-09 13:37:20  

#1  Too sweet! Unfortunately for the DoI, though, they'll be the next target of the fury. Hope they can weather the storm until the 'Ricans ask for the base to come back.
Posted by: Dar   2003-05-09 13:35:27  

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