Sharpton, in Puerto Rico, hails Navy leaving Vieques

AP ^ | May 1, 2003

[sarcasm]

ASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton was in Puerto Rico yesterday to celebrate the Navy's departure from Vieques, the island used for training exercises for more than 50 years.

Sharpton was among a dozen people arrested for trespassing on the Navy firing range on Vieques two years ago to protest bombing exercises there. He served a 90-day federal prison sentence and went on a 43-day hunger strike while he was incarcerated.

[Sam Cree]

"We haven't won the war,'' Sharpton told a crowd "

What constitutes "winning the war" in Sharpton's eyes, I wonder? Having a non fighting military perhaps?

However, I am now wondering where the Navy will train for firing.

[Joe Boucher]

The whole base should be closed and its hospital moved to another location. It is Puerto Ricos largest employer. Not that the wealty island needs any employeers.
Sort of like the pay back to germany.

[bybybill]

What war was won? The war against the US Navy? I really support GWB but the troops are more important. What will replace Vieques?

[Banjoguy]

What in the he!! is this guy Sharpton talking about? What a lamebrain!

[Fresh Wind]

Whatever money is drained from the Puerto Rican economy will be more than compensated by the increased welfare that will be paid out to those who lose their jobs and their families. As always, the US taxpayer will be the net loser.

[Broker]

Adios NAS Roosevelt Roads tambien...

Real Estate boondoggle no doubt.

[genefromjersey]

I wonder how many local jobs were lost as a result ?

I doubt the protest organizers will mind : Some of them were pro-Castro-ites, and will find new controversy in the increased local unemployment.

It was always a "win-win" proposition for them.

[mj1234]

Correct- there was a post several weeks ago -a Navy
spokesman was saying there was NO use for the Navy
Base,hospital,commisary- literally 1000,s of jobs loss
even if the base is not closed -there will be a major
force reduction-

[cricket]

"Whatever money is drained from the Puerto Rican economy will be more than compensated by the increased welfare that will be paid out to those who lose their jobs and their families. As always, the US taxpayer will be the net loser."

Exactly and prcisely what Alsharpton is celebrating. . .more welfare recipients; more people dependent upon the Government for their well-being. . .

. . .and I am left wondering as well, how it is that Vieques needs a 'wild-life' refuge. . .

[Captain Rhino]

The figures I read on job loses for the closing of Vieques and NB Roosevelt Roads are @ 1200 civilian (almost all local hires) and @700 military (mostly Navy and Marine Corps). The aerial bombing portion of the training has been transferred to an Air Force range in central Florida. Don't know where (if anywhere) the naval gunfire support training has been shifted to.

[4Freedom]

The "war" Sharpton and most of the residents of Puerto Rico are talking about is a "war" of conquest.

They are out to strip every last acre of soil, that the U.S. Taxpayers bought and paid for, from the U.S. military around the entire globe. The activists in Puerto Rico are united with the activists in Japan, that are trying to force the U.S. military off of Okinawa, and elsewhere in the world.

The newspapers in Puerto Rico are full of their resident's claims to fight on until every acre of land is turned over to 'the people' in fulfillment of some sort of Socialist/Marxist/Communist, wet-dream of theirs.

[4Freedom]

"Real Estate boondoggle no doubt."

Abso-freakin'-lutely!

Puerto Rico: Turnover of Roosevelt Roads would be boon for island, investor says

Vieques Development Plans Stir Concern

There was also a scheme published in their local papers to have the U.S. Taxpayers build them a $550 million dollar bridge between the island of Vieques and our Naval base at Roosevelt Roads on the main island of Puerto Rico.

What do you want to bet our pandering politicians don't build it for them?

The greedy politicians and land developers used the threat of further terrorist acts by the Puerto Rican:

Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN,

Armed Forces of Popular Resistance,

the Boricua Popular Army also known as the Macheteros,

the Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution,

and the threat of losing the Puerto Rican vote stateside to pull this off.

The land the U.S. Taxpayers own in Puerto Rico is worth a fortune and these 'warriors' are going to steal it all for FREE without firing a hardly a shot and by throwing only a few fire bombs. Well, lately anyway.

4 Protesters held for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at Navy on Vieques

There was almost no mention of this and other recent terrorist acts in Puerto Rico by the stateside press.

The Puerto Rican courts waited a few months and then just let these 4 terrorists go for "no probable cause".

Can you believe it?

And not even a whimper from the Bush Administration, but we all know how tough on terrorism they are. Don't we?

Well, at least the terrorists that don't have a significant voting constituency stateside. ;^)

I thought we were never supposed to give-in to terrorists?

I guess Puerto Rican terrorists are the exception to that rule. :(

[4Freedom]

Have you seen coverage of the riots on Vieques today?