jimmyf

Pay back time!!!!!!!

Always be careful what you ask for, you just may get it! One of the many headaches that the U. S. has had was the Puerto Rican Island of Vieques. In the waning years of the Clinton Administration, Protesters demanded that the US Navy abandon bombing and naval gun fire exercises that had taken place on the largely uninhabited island for nearly seventy years. Liberal icons bumped into one another to fly to Puerto Rico,boat over to the island, trespass (but never on a day that there was an exercise scheduled) and get arrested for the benefit of the New York Times or Newsweek. They included: Reverend Al Sharpton, Mrs. Jesse Jackson, Joan Baez, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Edward Olmos, Michael Moore and Ramsey Clark,just to name a few.

In June 2002, the bombing exercises were transferred to Eglin Air Force
bombing range in North West Florida, not far from the Jacksonville and
Pensacola Naval Air Stations. In January, many of the protesters were back in Puerto Rico, celebrating the final bombing exercise on Vieques andwaved Puerto Rican flags and placards that read

"U.S. Navy, get out of Puerto Rico."

The following February, Rumsfeld announced that the U.S. Navy will close
the Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in Puerto Rico in 2004, eliminating 1200
civilian jobs as well as 700 military positions. This naval facility is
estimated to have put nearly $300 million annually into the local economy.
The next day a stunned Governor Sila Calderon, held a news conference
in San Juan, protesting the base closure as a serious blow to the
Commonwealth's fragile economy. The governor stated that "The people of
Puerto Rico don't now or never did have an interest in closing the Vieques bombing range or the Roosevelt Roads naval base. We are interested in
both staying in Puerto Rico." When asked, the Commander-in Chief, Western Atlantic Command, said, "Without Vieques, I see no further need for the facility at Roosevelt Roads. None." So, Yanqui go home? Fine. But we'll takeour dollars with us. Hasta la vista, baby!"

On February 21, the Secretary of Defense also announced that starting
this year, the U.S. European Command would begin moving most if not all of
its active combat and support units from bases in Germany to others being
established in Poland, The Czech Republic, Hungary and Turkey to "better
position them for rapid deployment to likely hot spots in those parts of the world."

Immediately the business and government leaders in the German states of Hesse, Rhineland, and Wurttemburg, protested the loss of nearly $6 billion in revenue each year from the bases and manpower to be displaced. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry speculated that the move may be "what the Americans call 'payback' for the actions of this government in opposing military action in Iraq."

Does anyone know the German translation for "Hasta la vista, baby?"

Oh, ain't it nice to see a government with guts and a good memory??!!

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GatorB

Not to nit pick, but Eglin AFB and Jacksonville are nowhere near each other. My grandmother lives near Eglin, about 15 miles away.

candyflip

Puerto Rico is basically the 51st state.

Probably already would be if 50 wasn't such a nice round number.

$300 million will come out of taxpayers pockets one way or another.

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Warden

It's typical that most of the world wants the U.S. cash influx but not the presence.

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