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American Morning

Both Navy and Protesters Gear Up on Vieques

Aired June 18, 2001 - 10:03   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to another political battleground, Vieques Island in Puerto Rico. The Navy is due to resume bombing exercises on the island this morning, but as the military gears up, so do the protesters. For the latest from the island, let's check in now with our Bill Delaney -- Bill, good morning.

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn, and thank you.

Very quiet here and all weekend and this morning we are not seeing the sort of large scale demonstrations by any means that erupted herein late April when 180 people were arrested. There's a light presence of police here and a very light presence of protesters. Now, I spoke to one demonstrator who has an explanation why, maybe, they seem to think now the demonstrations may not be as big as they were a month ago, although the bombing runs that this is all about are expected to start in about an hour about eight miles from here.

This demonstration leader said to me that two things are happening. Number one, protesters have seen what a hard line the Navy and Puerto Rican police have taken with demonstrations and they don't want to be arrested. Some of these demonstrators from late April are still in jail. And number two, Daryn, and perhaps significantly, this demonstration leader, protest leader did admit to me that the Bush administration has said now they're going to pull out in two years and that has tamped down the intensity somewhat of the demonstrators.

We are not expecting large scale demonstrations here. That could change. Maybe, Daryn, even as I'm speaking you perhaps heard one demonstrator making a bit of noise here but I stress one demonstrator and there are only about 30 protesters. The bombing runs, jets from the USS Theodore Roosevelt expected to start in about an hour at 11 o'clock at the, on the three percent of this island that is a bombing range and has been for 60 years.

At the moment, Vieques Island quiet, as it has been all throughout the weekend. The bombing runs will continue Monday through Friday from the morning till late at night -- back to you, Daryn.

KAGAN: Bill, can you tell us a little bit more about those bombing runs? They will not be using live ammunition, is that right?

DELANEY: Yes, indeed. They used to, of course, a couple of years ago. But in the wake of the demonstrations they began to use dummy munitions, in the wake of a security guard, a Puerto Rican security guard being killed at Camp Garcia by an errant bomb in April of 1999. Since then, they've been using dummy munitions.

Now, I should stress that that and even the fact that the Bush administration has come out with a plan now to leave here in two years, protesters still insist dummy bombs and leaving in two years isn't enough. They want it all to stop right now. But the fact is it is not bringing these people out in the streets as it has in the past. The Bush administration policy at the moment seems to have had some impact here, as well as the fact that the police are out. It's a light presence but they've certainly made it clear they'll arrest people if things get clamorous, as they did in late April, about a month or two ago -- Daryn?

KAGAN: All right, Bill Delaney on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, thank you and be careful there. Thank you.

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