[Peace] VIEQUES

[Dlind49 at aol.com]

Navy Clashes With Vieques Protesters
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


Filed at 11:45 a.m. ET


VIEQUES, Puerto Rico (AP) -- Navy security officers fired tear gas at 
protesters who hurled rocks over a fence during bombing exercises on the 
island of Vieques, authorities said Thursday.

Two servicemen were hit by rocks but were not injured in the confrontation 
Wednesday night, said Navy spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Kim Dixon.

The security officers, assigned to guard a fence between Navy lands and a 
protesters' camp, fired the tear gas at demonstrators who were using 
slingshots to throw rocks, Dixon said. It was unclear how many protesters 
were involved.

A third day of military exercises on Vieques began Thursday morning with the 
destroyer USS Briscoe firing inert 5-inch shells and flare tracers in 
ship-to-shore training, Dixon said.

The guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher also was to participate, along with 
a squadron of F-14s and F-18s dropping inert bombs.

Wednesday night's clash did not affect the training at the bombing range 
several miles away, Dixon said.

President Bush has promised the Navy will withdraw from Vieques by May 2003, 
but as the United States moves closer to a conflict with Iraq, some here 
believe the Navy departure will be delayed.

At least 27 members of Congress have urged Bush to issue an executive order 
guaranteeing the Navy's departure.

The latest exercises in the U.S. territory -- the third since the Sept. 11 
terrorist attacks -- involve 10 ships, two attack submarines and about 80 
planes in the USS Harry S. Truman Battle Group.

The military has used the bombing range for more than six decades. Opposition 
grew when a civilian guard was killed by two bombs dropped off-target in 
1999. Since then, only inert bombs have been used.