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CNN Live At Daybreak

Retired Rear Admiral Supports Vieques Exercises

Aired June 18, 2001 - 07:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We return to the controversy over the Vieques bombing range.

Retired Rear Admiral Eric McVadon has taken part in military exercises just like those on Vieques during almost 35 years of his service, and he joins us this morning from Washington.

Good morning, Admiral.

REAR ADMIRAL ERIC MCVADON, U.S. NAVY (RET.): Good morning, Carol.

LIN: Give us the big picture here. What exactly is the mission on Vieques?

MCVADON: It's to allow people to put the whole mission together, so it allows the forces to act together and to deliver live ordinance -- at least that was the case until recently. So it's a dress rehearsal, except you don't have the fact that people are shooting back at you -- but everything else is able to be put together there on Vieques.

LIN: So why specifically does it have to be on Vieques?

MCVADON: Because we haven't found an alternative to it. In the Pacific, we can use San Clemente Island, and there are some public places around the world, but we have not found an alternative for Vieques.

LIN: Secretary of State Colin Powell said yesterday on all the morning shows that they've got two years to find an alternative. So what specifically are the requirements? What do they need to look for?

MCVADON: Well, of course, they've been looking for a long time for an alternative, but they need to find a place where the NIMBY factor is not there -- Not In My Backyard -- and of course, it's very understandable that's the case. So they need a place where live ordinance can be delivered, and, of course, where it's convenient enough for the forces to be able to get there.

In this case, we're talking about the ships of the Atlantic fleet preparing to go to the Mediterranean, so it needs to be a place that's at least within reasonable distance of that. LIN: They're using dummy ordinances now. So if you're saying in order to really be effective in these exercises, they need live munitions, then what's the point of continuing these exercises?

MCVADON: Of course, it would be better to deliver live munitions, but it is at least an acceptable alternative. Let me put it this way: It would be something a little like trying to put together a major Broadway musical, and then all you did were rehearsals of individual actors and you had never been together before you went onto the performance. Or maybe the offense of a football team: You had practiced individually, but now you undertake the game without ever having put the whole team together.

LIN: Taking a look at the big picture as Washington tries to decide what to do, what are the political implications of continuing these exercises or not?

MCVADON: Of course, people have thrown in the factor of whether this is something to appeal the Hispanic vote, but the political picture is bigger than that. We, of course, have difficulties in Japan and Korea with similar things. If there's an unwillingness of Americans -- Puerto Ricans -- to support this, then will we find that people in Japan, and particularly Okinawa, and Korea also will express similar feelings? It would be a difficult thing to support.

LIN: But even if the Navy were to leave tomorrow, the controversy will still continue on that island, won't it?

MCVADON: Of course it will, and the reason that this is such a difficult controversy is there is no easy solution to it. Both sides feel very, very strongly about it, for understandable reasons. So there are other factors that will make it where people will continue to be unhappy about it. Even if the Navy were to leave very soon, I'm certain that the people on Vieques would be unhappy with the degree of cleanup, and so forth. So this is unfortunately one of those situations where there is not likely to be a happy answer.

LIN: Thank you very much for filling in all the blanks, Rear Admiral Eric McVadon -- good to see you this morning.

MCVADON: Thank you.

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